Stacey Bridges

{{Short description|American rugby union player}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2015}}

{{Infobox rugby biography

| name = Stacey Bridges

| image =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age |1988|04|23}}

| birth_place = Waco, Texas, U.S.

| height = {{height|ft=5|in=11}}

| weight = {{cvt|178|lb|kg stlb}}

| occupation = Assistant Coach Dartmouth Women's Rugby
Professional rugby union player

| position = Lock

| amatyears1 =

| amatteam1 = Texas A&M

| repyears1 = 2009-

| repyears2 =

| repteam1 = {{nwrut|United States}}

| repteam2 = USA U-20

| repcaps1 = 40

| repcaps2 =

| reppoints1 =

| reppoints2 =

}}

Stacey Bridges (born April 23, 1988 in Waco, Texas) is a rugby union player from the United States. She made her debut for the United States on 10 August 2009.{{Cite news|url=http://www.minnesotayouthrugby.com/news_article/show/282014-usa-eagle-stacey-bridges-hired-as-youth-outreach-manager|title=USA Eagle Stacey Bridges hired as Youth Outreach Manager|last=Sjeklocha|first=Katie|date=2013-09-04|work=Minnesota Youth Rugby|access-date=2017-09-21|language=en-us|archive-date=September 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922050652/http://www.minnesotayouthrugby.com/news_article/show/282014-usa-eagle-stacey-bridges-hired-as-youth-outreach-manager|url-status=dead}} She represented the Eagles at the 2010 and 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup's; she was a first alternate during the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup, training and traveling with the team.{{Cite news|url=https://www.usarugby.org/2017/07/eagles-announced-for-womens-rugby-world-cup-2017-in-ireland/|title=Eagles announced for Women's Rugby World Cup 2017 in Ireland|last=Wise|first=Chad|date=17 July 2017|work=USA Rugby|access-date=2017-09-20|archive-date=July 17, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170717172228/https://www.usarugby.org/2017/07/eagles-announced-for-womens-rugby-world-cup-2017-in-ireland/|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.thisisamericanrugby.com/2017/07/women-eagles-name-world-cup-squad.html|title=Women Eagles Name World Cup Squad|date=17 July 2017|website=www.thisisamericanrugby.com|access-date=2017-09-20}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.americasrugbynews.com/2017/07/20/new-caps-womens-eagles-world-cup-squad/|title=New caps in Women's Eagles World Cup squad|date=20 July 2017|website=Americas Rugby News.com|language=en-US|access-date=2017-09-20}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.usa.rugby/2013/10/women-s-eagles-player-pool-announced-for-2014-women-s-rugby-world-cup/ |title=| USA Rugby }} She played for 2 years with the USA U-20's. In her senior year of high school she was also an alternate for regionals in powerlifting.

Stacey Bridges was voted 2020 Women's XV Player of the Decade.{{Cite news|url=https://www.goffrugbyreport.com/news/eagle-players-decade-and-more|title=Eagle Players of the Decade}} Stacey Bridges has earned 40 caps, marking the second-most caps earned by a USA Women's Eagle, behind US Rugby Hall of Fame Inductee, Jamie Burke, who has 42. Stacey Bridges played 39 of the 40 international games as an 80-minute lock, likely earning Bridges' the record for most minutes played at the international level by a US Eagle. Bridges is known as an expert in set pieces with special skill maintaining go forward in early phases, as highlighted in the USA Eagles v. Barbarians game in 2019, after which FloRugby dubbed Stacey Bridges the "offload master" and one of the best locks in the world.{{Cite web|url=https://www.florugby.com/video/6520724-stacey-bridges-offload-master|title=Stacey Bridges: Offload Master}}

As a freshman at Texas A&M, Bridges originally sought out to join the power lifting team. While at an open house she asked some of the rugby girls where the power lifting table was and they were able to convince her to give rugby a try. "I haven't looked back yet," Bridges claims. She credits her college coach Will Riddle and her U-20 coaches Bryn Chivers and Lance Connolly for shaping her into the national team player that she is today. She graduated with a master's degree in Kinesiology from Texas A&M University.{{Cite news|url=http://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2016/09/captain-of-usa-eagles-comes-to-coach-dartmouth-rugby|title=Captain of USA Eagles comes to coach Dartmouth rugby|last=Yuen|first=Matt|date=2016-09-11|work=The Dartmouth|access-date=2017-09-21}}

She made her debut for the USA Eagles in August 2009 against England. She is the assistant coach for Dartmouth Women's Rugby.{{Cite news|url=https://djcoilrugby.com/2016/09/07/stacey-bridges-joins-dartmouth-womens-rugby-coaching-staff/|title=Stacey Bridges Joins Dartmouth Women's Rugby Coaching Staff - djcoilrugby|date=2016-09-07|work=djcoilrugby|access-date=2017-09-21|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.dartmouthsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=11600&ATCLID=211160743|title=Stacey Bridges Added to Women's Rugby Coaching Staff|date=2016-09-06|work=DartmouthSports.com|access-date=2017-09-21|language=en}}