Cardiff Met’s Elizabeth “Cookie” Cooke Selected for USA Women’s Eagles UK Camp

Cardiff Met Rugby is proud to celebrate the selection of second-year student Elizabeth “Cookie” Cooke for the upcoming USA Women’s Eagles UK alignment camp.

Cooke, who studies Sport and Exercise Science at Cardiff Metropolitan University, has been named in the 2026 overseas-based roster assembled by USA Women’s Eagles Head Coach Jack Hanratty. The three-day European camp brings together top eligible USA players currently competing in the UK’s Premiership Women’s Rugby and other leading European leagues.

Elizabeth has already built an impressive international CV. She previously represented the USA at U20 level and toured Wales in 2024, gaining valuable experience against top opposition. Last year, she was drafted into the Bristol Bears Women squad, further underlining her development within the professional game.

The UK alignment camp follows a recent domestic Kick-Off camp in Chula Vista, California, and marks the first opportunity for overseas-based athletes to integrate with the new coaching staff as the programme begins its cycle towards the 2029 Rugby World Cup, alongside preparations for the 2026 Pacific Four Series.

With many senior national squad members playing professionally across Europe, the UK-based camp enables USA Rugby to connect with athletes in the middle of their competitive seasons, ensuring high-performance standards are mirrored across the entire squad.

Speaking about the initiative, Hanratty said:

“The Chula Vista camp was a great opportunity for us to gather the best domestic-based athletes and put them into many game-based scenarios. But for our UK based players, this is a very different stage of their year, all being in the middle of their intense season. We will be coming in to check in with the athletes and introduce or redefine principles across all rugby aspects.We have athletes all over the world putting their hand up for selection for PAC4 and beyond and having these two camps has allowed us to endeavour to meet the athletes where they are in their own rugby seasons.”

Cooke is listed in the official roster as representing Cardiff Met, highlighting the University’s growing international profile and the strength of its women’s rugby pathway.

Following the conclusion of the UK camp, the Women’s Eagles will return to their respective clubs before regrouping in late March to finalise selection for the 2026 Pacific Four Series, hosted across the United States in April.

Everyone at Cardiff Met Sport congratulates Elizabeth on her selection and wishes her every success as she continues her journey with the USA Women’s Eagles programme.