Naya Tapper

USA Women’s 2024 Sevens Team co-captain Naya Tapper is a 2X Olympian and Bronze medalist. 

The Charlotte, North Carolina native first represented her country in 2016 in both versions of rugby - sevens, the version played in the Olympics, and 15s. In 2020 she was selected to represent the USA at the Olympic Games Tokyo (played the summer of 2021). In the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris the co-captain led her team to the podium securing a bronze medal, the first rugby medal for the US in over 100 years. 

During her time on the International Sevens Series, Tapper became the first American woman to score 100 career tries on the series. She is the current all-time try scorer for the USA Women with 129 tries and her chase down try-saving tackle against Ireland in Dubai Sevens 2021 was named the #1 play on ESPN’s SportsCenter Top 10 Plays. 

Although Naya retired from playing rugby after the 2024 Olympics, she remains dedicated to growing the sport.  She helped to establish the “Naya Tapper Scholarship,” which provides financial assistance to youth rugby players, and is passionate about her mentorship program with Memphis Inner City Rugby, engaging with her community, and sharing her experience through speaking engagements at large global companies.

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