History Made! Samantha Sullivan and USA Rugby Win Bronze

Published: July 31, 2024 at 4:14 PM EDT

Updated: October 1, 2025 at 5:59 PM EDT

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History Made! Samantha Sullivan and USA Rugby Win Bronze

Life is going to throw obstacles in your way. However, it’s how you respond to these moments of adversity that define you. If you’re Samantha Sullivan, when one door closes, you force another wide open, train hard, and become an Olympian. The Army Captain found time when she wasn’t serving our nation to help bring home a bronze medal with the U.S. Women's Rugby Sevens team in Paris 2024.

Samantha Sullivan Inspires as a Captain and Olympian

It wasn’t too long ago that women’s rugby in America was threatened with ceasing to exist. Now, Samantha Sullivan and company have brought home a bronze medal, inspiring a nation to fall in love with the sport. In quite a dramatic fashion the U.S. women’s rugby sevens team would win at the very end of the bronze medal match 14-12 upsetting the favorites Australia. As time expired, Alex "Spiff" Sedrick received the ball and was able to truck over before breaking through the Aussie defense for a mad dash that would see her trek 103 yards across the pitch. The try was good as was the conversion. The USA had pulled off a massive win against one of the favorites going into Paris 2020. However, as exciting as the win is, for Cpt. Samantha Sullivan, rugby wasn’t always her athletic focus.

Sammy Sullivan’s Career Change at West Point

Becoming an Olympian looks different for everyone, and Sullivan’s path is no exception. Originally, while attending West Point, Sullivan’s dream was to play soccer. However, her coach didn’t believe it was the right sport for her. Not wanting to waste her athletic abilities, Sullivan sought out rugby as an alternative. It’s safe to say, the switch has paid off. She earned a starting role by her third match and became an All-American three times. She won the 2019 Prusmack Award, which is given to the best female rugby sevens player in college. Sammy Sullivan also has played representing the United States multiple times along with a professional career in the Premier Rugby Sevens (PR7s) league, playing for the Southern Headliners and Pittsburgh Steeltoes.