WALTHAM, Mass. – Brandeis University club rugby coach Olivia Benzan-Daniel of Lynn, Massachusetts, has been selected as one of the winners of the United States Women’s Rugby Foundation (USWRF) inaugural 15 Under 30 Award.

The USWRF created the annual award to highlight those who exemplify the best qualities of rugby and bring those qualities to the field, to their teams, to the sport and to local and global communities.

The goal of the annual award is to recognize, celebrate and support players, coaches, administrators, journalists and referees, as a means to advance the sport of rugby for girls and women and to celebrate the power of sport as a means for social change.

The 2020 recipients were nominated and reviewed by a selection committee made up of coaches, administrators, referees and journalists.

Benzan-Daniel has been the head women’s rugby coach at Brandeis since 2018. She has managed a four-person coaching staff, recruited players from on campus and helped to develop their skills in the sport. She also serves as coach at Holy Cross and St. Mary’s High School at the college and scholastic levels, while also helping out with local rugby sevens sides Colonial Coast Select and Beantown 7s.

Benzan-Daniel is also active with the administration of local and national rugby leagues, serving as vice commissioner of Rugby Northeast, a men’s Division II conference, and as commissioner of Northeast D1, a Division I women’s conference. Since August, she has been the president of he College Rugby Association of America’s women’s division, and has been the American College Rugby Association’s Secretary since June.

To learn more about the USWRA’s 15 Under 30 Award and this year’s recipients, please visit https://www.uswrf.org/15-under-30-award