Exeter Chiefs' Hope Rogers credits her success to others

Hope Rogers wants to give credit for her success to everyone but herself and she reserves the biggest credit to rugby.

The USA international scored four tries in Exeter Chiefs’ win over Trailfinders Women to take her scoring run to seven games in a row.

The 31-year-old was named in the PWR Team of the Week for Round 10 having been chosen as the loosehead prop in the World Rugby Women’s 15s Dream Team of the Year in November.

"I am really blessed to be on a team that does a lot of good work,” Rogers said humbly. “We have a lot of great carriers on our team and great kickers and playmakers that get us into the right part of the pitch.

“It was a bit of right place at the right time to put the ball over the line. Obviously, it is nice to score tries but all but one were pick and go tries.

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“A strength of mine is I am short and stout and powerful so a pick and go tends to lend its hand to one of my strengths. 

“But we wouldn’t get to right on the goal line if it wasn’t for other people making big physical carries or getting us down to those parts of the pitch.  

“It is fun a strength of mine is getting to pick and go but 100 per cent it is everyone else’s hard work and I wouldn’t be able to use that strength if it wasn’t for my teammates also helping us get there.” 

Rogers has been a stalwart for the USA Eagles for almost 12 years, featuring at three Rugby World Cups so far. 

She first took up the sport while in high school, going on to represent Pennsylvania State University where she won four consecutive national championships. 

In 2022, the front rower joined Exeter Chiefs, helping them to their first final that same year and now playing a part in their undefeated start to the season. 

All of these experiences have added up to a life Rogers never knew possible.

She added: “Rugby is everything I never even dreamed of. When I was a kid in school, before I even knew rugby existed, I said that I wanted to be a professional basketball player.

“Basketball doesn’t lend its hand to shorter people, so it was probably a dream that I always wanted to be a professional athlete. I loved sports and everything it brought.

“I always say rugby found me at a time when I really needed it to find me. It saved my life completely in so many ways.

“I was going through a really tough time and the sport gave me a home and a family and it gave me a purpose and direction and I think it was something that I immediately became passionate about and wanted to see grow and I wanted to be the best player I can be and all of that together added a lot to my life.

“So, to end up making the USA national team, to end up playing over here in England, this is my fourth season now, it is more than I ever thought or dreamed of.

“I couldn't be more grateful to have the sport in my life but to be over here, playing in the PWR and with and against the best athletes in the world week in and week out, what more could you dream of when you love the game so much?”

Another element of the game Rogers loves is meeting new faces and rekindling connections.

She will get to do that in the first game of the new year as she potentially comes up against old sevens teammate and worldwide star Ilona Maher in what could be her first game for Bristol Bears.

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The two briefly played together in the shorter format of the game and could well link up again in a USA shirt with Maher hoping to join Rogers in the Eagles’ World Cup squad.

And for Rogers, there could be no greater ending to her international career than playing a World Cup in the country she now calls home against the Red Roses - in the opening game of the tournament.

“My goal is to make the World Cup team this year,” she said. “It would be my fourth World Cup and 99.99% sure my last World Cup.

“So to play the best team in the world at the moment at their home World Cup in the opening game is everything you want.

“Imagine the news, ‘USA Rugby beats England Rugby at home, the biggest upset in rugby history’, just teasing!

“It is our goal to win the game but just to be there and to be in that game would be everything you would want it to be.”