US Rugby Foundation Awards Grant for The Kathy Flores Coaching Resource Library

The US Rugby Foundation (USRF) has awarded a grant to the United States Women’s Rugby Foundation (USWRF) to create the Kathy Flores Coaching Resource Library. The library will be a virtual instructional resource for the coaches of women’s rugby. We believe this initiative is aligned with USRF’s commitment to fund and grow coaching and referee development.“

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The US Rugby Foundation is proud to be a part of the creation of the Kathy Flores Coaching Resource Library,” said US Rugby Foundation President, Brian Vizard. “Kathy was one of the most influential players and coaches in the history of the sport in America, and we want to see her legacy kept alive so that all future female rugby players are able to share in her knowledge and love of the game.”

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The Micheli Family Foundation has provided USWRF with a matching grant to fund the initiative. “The Micheli Family Foundation is honored to support the growth of women’s rugby in honor of our friend and coach Kathy Flores,“ said Dr. Lyle Micheli, USRF Director.

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Upon Kathy’s death, she bequeathed the use of her name along with her rugby memorabilia to the USWRF, with her wishes that any efforts to honor her legacy be used to promote the development of coaches, referees, and administrators in the women’s game. Included in her memorabilia is a large collection of professionally produced DVDs of women’s matches, covering 30 years of women’s rugby, including the women’s national team matches from 1991-2015 and several NIRA collegiate matches.

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More specifically, this financial support will help to digitize and archive the DVD collection, making them publicly accessible in a digital, historical library. In addition to archiving complete matches, USWRF will create edited ‘highlight’ versions of select films. There will also be an archive of instructional videos created by current coaches and players. Coaches (including Kathy Flores) identified the lack of instructional videos using girls and women as a deficit in the women’s game. Several top coaches in the women’s game have agreed to work with USWRF to develop short, coaching videos using girls and women participants. These instructional videos will be available to coaches, referees, players, and fans through the USWRF website.

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Along with Kathy’s induction into the 2016 US Rugby Foundation Hall of Fame, World Rugby has announced that Kathy will also be celebrated at a special World Rugby Hall of Fame presented by TUDOR induction in New Zealand in November. She will be celebrated by USA Rugby, the US Women’s Rugby Foundation and the greater rugby community as one this November. About Kathy FloresKathleen “Kathy” Theresa Flores (1955-2021) was a rugby player and coach, winning multiple national championships over her 45-year career. She was a strong champion of the women’s rugby community and her contributions to the sport of rugby were extensive. Over her career, she won multiple national college and club championships, numerous awards, and is considered a pioneer and groundbreaker in women’s rugby. She was the first woman and the first woman of color to serve as the head coach of a World Cup team (2006 and 2010). Kathy is most well-known as a beloved teammate, coach, mentor, and friend, and as a fierce advocate for women’s equity and access to rugby. Her vision was the spark for the founding of the U.S. Women’s Rugby Foundation. With great sadness, Kathy Flores lost her battle with colon cancer in 2021.

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In accordance with Kathy’s wishes, USWRF has established a memorial fund to pay tribute to her legacy and allow her contributions to the sport to continue.

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Click Here to Read More About Kathy and Make a Contribution