Kathy Flores
{{Short description|American rugby union player (1955–2021)}}
{{infobox rugby biography
| image = Kathy Flores, 2007.jpg
| caption = Flores holding 2007 U.S. Club National Championship trophy, Florida
| birth_date = February 7, 1955
| birth_place = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| height =5 ft 5 in
| weight =
| ru_position = Number eight
Scrum-half
| amatyears1 =
| amatteam1 =
| years1 =1994-1998
| clubs1 = Berkeley All Blues
| apps1 =
| points1 =
| repyears1 = 1987-1994
| repteam1 = {{nwrut|United States}}
| repcaps1 =
| reppoints1 =
| coachyears1 = 2002–2011
| coachyears2 = 1998–2007
| coachyears3 = 2013-2021
| coachteams1 = {{nwrut|United States}}
| coachteams2 = Berkeley All Blues
| coachteams3 = Brown University
| death_date = October 21, 2021 (aged 66)
| death_place = Providence, Rhode Island
}}
Kathleen Flores (February 7, 1955 – October 21, 2021) was an American rugby union player who was the head coach of the U.S. women's national team until January 2011 and the head coach of the Brown women's rugby team. Past coaching tenures include Bay Area Touring Side (BATS) Rugby Club, the SF FOG men and the Berkeley All Blues. She played rugby from 1978 to 1998 for Florida State University, the Berkeley All Blues Women's Rugby Club and U.S. women's national team. She started coaching for the Berkeley All Blues 1998 and had been head coach and administrator for the U.S. women's national team since 2003. She began coaching the women's rugby team at Brown University in the fall of 2013, following the retirement of Kerri Heffernan. During her time in Rhode Island, she also coached the Providence Women’s Rugby team. She was able to bring them to several division 2 championships.
Early life and education
Kathleen Theresa Flores was born to Joseph and Catherine Flores on February 7, 1955 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.{{Cite web |title=Hall of Fame Members: Kathy Flores |url=https://www.usrugbyfoundation.org/hall-of-fame-members/kathy-flores |access-date=2025-01-30 |website=U.S. Rugby Foundation |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=USWRF News |date=2021-10-21 |title=Remembering Kathy Flores |url=https://www.uswrf.org/post/remembering-kathy-flores |access-date=2025-01-30 |website=U.S. Women's Rugby Foundation |language=en}} She attended Monmouth Regional High School in New Jersey, where she played field hockey, basketball and ran track. She attended East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania and won the javelin throw event at the Eastern Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women in 1976 and 1977.{{Cite web |date=October 27, 2021 |title=ESU Mourns the Loss of Athletic Hall of Fame Member Kathy Flores '77 |url=https://esuwarriors.com/news/2021/10/27/general-esu-mourns-the-loss-of-athletic-hall-of-fame-member-kathy-flores-77.aspx |access-date=January 29, 2025 |website=East Stroudsburg University Athletics |language=en}} She also played guard on the varsity basketball team. Flores graduated with her degree in physical education in 1977. In 1997, Flores was inducted into the ESU hall of fame for her athletic excellence during her undergraduate years.{{cite web |title=Hall of Fame Inductees (1978-2007) |url=http://www4.esu.edu/athletics/hall_fame/inductees_03.cfm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080225124431/https://www.esu.edu/athletics/hall_fame/inductees_03.cfm |archive-date=February 25, 2008 |access-date=February 22, 2008 |website=East Stroudsburg University: Warrior Athletics}}
In 1978, Flores began a master's program in exercise physiology at Florida State University.
Rugby career
= Club level playing =
While attending Florida State University, Flores was drawn to the women's rugby team based on her past experience as a basketball and track athlete. She played at number eight and scrum-half for the Seminoles and won five Division 1 national titles while there.{{Cite web |date=January 3, 2008 |title=Salute to Champions: Women's Club |url=http://www.erugbynews.com/article.php?sec=1772&a=1795 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710200938/http://www.erugbynews.com/article.php?sec=1772&a=1795 |archive-date=July 10, 2011 |access-date=2008-02-22 |website=eRugbyNews}}{{Cite book |last=Adam Hughes |url=https://archive.org/details/thisisrugbystory0000adam/page/312/mode/2up?q=%22kathy+flores%22 |title=This Is Rugby: The Story, Culture, and Future of American Rugby |date=2022-08-15 |publisher=Independently published |others=Internet Archive |isbn=979-8-8418-6416-5 |pages=313–314}} Because there was no distinction between the college/club level for women's rugby at the time, FSU competed as a club team, and Flores served as the team's captain and a player/coach up into the early 1990s.{{Cite news |last=Mullins |first=Sue |date=January 30, 1992 |title=World class rugby team to be chosen in Tally |url=https://archive.org/details/Florida_Flambeau_1992_Jan/page/n285/mode/2up?q=%22kathy+flores%22 |access-date=January 30, 2025 |work=Florida Flambeau |pages=16}}{{Cite news |last=Pereyra |first=David |date=June 12, 1986 |title=Club keeps winning despite anonymity |url=https://archive.org/details/Florida_Flambeau_1986_June/page/n77/mode/2up?q=%22kathy+flores%22 |access-date=January 30, 2025 |work=Florida Flambeau |pages=15–16}}{{Cite journal |last=Rubarth |first=Lisa |date=August 1985 |title=National Rugby Championships: The Party's Never Over |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_womens-sports-and-fitness_1985-08_7_7/page/16/mode/2up?q=%22kathy+flores%22 |journal=Women's Sports and Fitness |volume=7 |issue=7 |pages=16 |via=Internet Archive}}
In 1994, Flores moved to the San Francisco Bay Area with Jen Crawford, her National Team teammate and partner at the time, where she started playing and coaching for the Berkeley All Blues.{{Cite news |date=December 27, 2021 |title=Life Story: Kathy Flores |url=https://www.tallahassee.com/obituaries/tad063323 |access-date=January 30, 2025 |work=Tallahassee Democrat}}
= National level playing =
Beginning in 1985, Flores toured throughout England and France as a captain of the first unofficial U.S. national team, known as WIVERN (Women's International Vagabonds, Emissaries, and Rugby Nomads).{{Cite web |title=Welcome to the 80's |url=https://www.uswrf.org/museum-1980s |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=U.S. Women's Rugby History Museum |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Barwick |first=Sandra |date=November 25, 1985 |title=Rugby without frills from the deadly women in white |url=https://www.uswrf.org/_files/ugd/e69896_692556f918954f3aadfecb881a750491.pdf |access-date=January 29, 2025 |work=Daily Mail |pages=4}}{{Cite journal |last=Thomas |first=Martyn |date=May 1, 2021 |title=When Eagles Soared |url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=s3h&AN=149561144&site=eds-live&scope=site |journal=Rugby World |pages=76–79 |via=EBSCO}} The U.S. Women's National Team made its first official international appearance playing Canada in 1987, with Flores at number eight and captain; the Eagles defeated Canada by 22-3, one try scored by Flores.{{Cite book |last=Collins |first=Tony |url=https://archive.org/details/ovalworldglobalh0000coll/page/380/mode/2up?q=%22flores%22 |title=The Oval World: A Global History of Rugby |publisher=Bloomsbury |year=2015 |isbn=978-1-4088-4370-3 |location=London; New York |pages=379 |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=World Rugby |date=2022-09-29 |title=USA Eagle legend Kathy Flores to be inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame |url=https://usa.rugby/news/usa-eagle-legend-kathy-flores-to-be-inducted-into-the-world-rugby-hall-of-fame-2022929 |access-date=2025-01-30 |website=USA Rugby |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Knight |first=Phaidra |date=September 9, 2011 |title=A ONE OF A KIND CHAMPION... RUGBY Q&A WITH KATHY FLORES |url=https://rugbywrapup.com/2011/09/a-one-of-a-kind-champion/ |access-date=January 30, 2025 |website=Rugby Wrap Up |language=en-US}}
In 1991, Flores played number eight on the Women's National Team competing in the first Women's Rugby World Cup at Cardiff Arms Park in Wales. The team compiled a 7-1 record and went on to win the championship again England's national team.{{cite web |url=http://www.womeneagles.com/firstCup.html |title=WomenEagles.com - History |website=www.womeneagles.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060824104303/http://www.womeneagles.com/firstCup.html |archive-date=2006-08-24}} Flores played as a hooker and flanker in the second Rugby World Cup in 1994.
= Coaching =
In 1998, Flores officially retired from playing rugby, and continued as the Berkeley All Blues head coach. She also coached the Pacific Coast Grizzlies, a regional all-star team, from 1995 to 2002.{{cite web |date=December 2, 2002 |title=Women's National Team Head Coach Announced |url=http://web.usarugby.org/cgi-bin/viadesto/press/display.pl?releaseId=491 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100713160802/http://web.usarugby.org/cgi-bin/viadesto/press/display.pl?releaseId=491 |archive-date=July 13, 2010 |access-date=July 13, 2010 |website=USA Rugby}} From 1999 to 2003, she coached the University of California, Berkeley women's rugby team, bringing them to their first Sweet 16 appearance in 2001. In 2000, Flores was appointed as the Development Officer for the Women's National Team, and from 2002 to 2010, she served as the head coach. As the first woman and woman of color to coach a national team, she led them to fifth place finishes in the 2006 and 2010 Rugby World Cup. In 2007, she retired as head coach of the All Blues to focus on the national team, but returned briefly for the 2011 season.{{Cite web |last=Young |first=Wendy |date=2011-05-17 |title=BERKELEY ALL BLUES NAME KATHY FLORES NEW HEAD COACH |url=https://scrumhalfconnection.com/2011/05/17/berkeley-all-blues-name-kathy-flores-new-head-coach/#google_vignette |access-date=2025-01-30 |website=YSC Rugby {{!}} Women's Rugby News |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=November 11, 2007 |title=All Blues Win It In Final Game for Flores |url=http://www.erugbynews.com/article.php?sec=131&a=1581 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710201145/http://www.erugbynews.com/article.php?sec=131&a=1581 |archive-date=July 10, 2011 |access-date=January 22, 2002 |website=eRugbyNews}} The All Blues won a total of eleven national championship titles with Flores as a player and coach.
In 2009, she coached the University of San Francisco women's rugby team. From 2011 to 2013, Flores coached the San Francisco Fog, a gay men's rugby team.{{Cite news |last=Brigham |first=Roger |date=October 28, 2021 |title=Former SF Fog coach and rugby champion player Kathy Flores dies |url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=qth&AN=153320225&site=eds-live&scope=site |access-date=January 30, 2025 |work=Bay Area Reporter |pages=8}}
Flores played a key role in the 2009 founding of the Women's Premier League (WPL), a high-level rugby league in the United States.
In 2013, Flores began coaching the Brown University women's rugby team through its infancy as a NCAA Division I team in 2014. She was awarded the Female Coach of the Year Award by USA Rugby after her first varsity season with the team, when they had a 9-1 overall record.{{Cite web |date=October 21, 2021 |title=Brown Athletics Mourns the Passing of Women's Rugby Head Coach Kathy Flores |url=https://brownbears.com/news/2021/10/21/brown-athletics-mourns-the-passing-of-womens-rugby-head-coach-kathy-flores |access-date=January 30, 2025 |website=Brown University Athletics |language=en}}
Death
Flores identified as a lesbian.{{Cite web |last=Scott |first=Ivy |date=June 21, 2022 |title=In Memoriam: Play Hard, Love Harder |url=https://www.brownalumnimagazine.com/articles/2022-06-21/play-hard-love-harder |access-date=January 30, 2025 |website=Brown Alumni Magazine |language=en}} Flores died from colon cancer on October 21, 2021, at the age of 66 in Providence.{{Cite news|last=Williams|first=Annabelle|date=2022-01-04|title=Kathy Flores, Pathbreaking Women's Rugby Coach, Dies at 66|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/04/sports/rugby/kathy-flores-dead.html|access-date=2022-01-06|issn=0362-4331}}
Legacy
Flores was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in a special ceremony during the 2021 Rugby World Cup semi-finals at Eden Park on 5 November 2022.{{Cite web |title=Kathy Flores |url=https://www.world.rugby/halloffame/inductees/774409#:~:text=She%20was%20the%20first%20woman,national%20championships%20from%201994-2010. |access-date=2025-01-30 |website=World Rugby Hall of Fame |language=en}} She had previously been inducted into the U.S. Rugby Hall of Fame as an individual in 2016, and as a member of the 1991 World Cup Team in 2017.{{Cite web |date=October 21, 2021 |title=Remembering Kathy Flores |url=https://www.ivyrugby.com/news/remembering-kathy-flores#google_vignette |access-date=2025-01-30 |website=Ivy Rugby Conference |language=en}}
In 2022, two awards were established by the U.S. Women's Rugby Foundation and the Women's Premier League: the Kathy Flores Lifetime Achievement Award and the Kathy Flores Heart of the WPL Award.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2023-12-18 |title=The Kathy Flores Lifetime Achievement Award - Class of 2024 |url=https://www.uswrf.org/post/the-kathy-flores-lifetime-achievement-award-class-of-2024 |access-date=2025-01-30 |website=U.S. Women's Rugby Foundation |language=en}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2022-07-07 |title=2022 Kathy Flores Heart of the WPL Award |url=https://www.uswrf.org/post/2022-kathy-flores-heart-of-the-wpl-award |access-date=2025-01-30 |website=U.S. Women's Rugby Foundation |language=en}}
Honors and awards
- 2001: Coach of the Year, Women's Sports Foundation{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}}
- 2003: Personality of the Year Award, International Rugby Board{{cite web|url=http://www.irb.com/history/awards/pastwinners/index.html |title=International Rugby Board - IRB Awards |accessdate=2009-09-02 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090601220035/http://www.irb.com/history/awards/pastwinners/index.html |archivedate=2009-06-01 }}
- 2006: Pioneer of the Women's Game, Rugby Football Union
- She was an honorable mention for the list of the ten greatest North American rugby players.{{Cite book |last=Brown |first=Matthew |url=https://archive.org/details/rugbyfordummies0000brow_e7f0 |title=Rugby for Dummies |publisher=J. Wiley & Sons Canada |others=Growden, Greg., Guthrie, Patrick, 1962- |year=2004 |isbn=0470834056 |location=Etobicioke, Ontario |pages=305 |oclc=56588648}}
- 2014: Female Coach of the Year, USA Rugby
- 2016: U.S. Rugby Hall of Fame inductee
- 2016: Woman of Achievement, YWCA Rhode Island{{Cite web |last=Gowdey-Backus |first=Emily |date=2016-09-13 |title=YWCA Rhode Island releases 2016 Women of Achievement award winners |url=https://pbn.com/ywca-rhode-island-releases-2016-women-of-achievement-award-winners117128/ |access-date=2025-01-30 |website=Providence Business News |language=en-US}}
- 2017: U.S. Rugby Hall of Fame inductees: 1991 USA Eagles Women's World Cup squad member
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- [https://usa.rugby/ USA Rugby Official Site]
- [https://eagles.rugby/womens-eagles Women's Eagles Unofficial Site]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20080614020438/http://www.fsuwomensrugby.com/ Florida State University Women's Rugby]
- [https://www.allbluesrugby.com/ Berkeley All Blues].
- [https://www.calwomensrugby.online/ Cal Women's college rugby team].
{{United States 1991 Women's Rugby World Cup squad}}
{{United States 1994 Women's Rugby World Cup squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Flores, Kathy}}
Category:East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania alumni
Category:Florida State University alumni
Category:United States women's international rugby union players
Category:Monmouth Regional High School alumni
Category:Sportspeople from Monmouth County, New Jersey
Category:American female rugby union players
Category:20th-century American sportswomen
Category:Rugby union players from New Jersey
Category:World Rugby Hall of Fame inductees
Category:Female rugby union coaches
Category:Deaths from colorectal cancer
Category:American sportspeople of Filipino descent
Category:Sportspeople from Philadelphia
Category:American lesbian sportswomen