Accomplished veteran and USA Eagle, Kris Thomas today announced their retirement from international rugby.
Over the last decade, Thomas has been a trailblazing talent on both the sevens and fifteens rugby pitch, competing in the top two competitions the sport has to offer, the Rugby World Cup and Olympic Games. As Thomas looks ahead to the next chapter in life, they leave an indelible impact on the USA Eagles program and rugby in the United States.
“Playing rugby for the US has truly been the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Thomas, “From allowing me to meet and play with my best friends to granting me the chance to not only travel to other countries, but build friendships with people from those places, rugby has exposed me to the beauty of the world. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this journey, each interaction has made this experience special.”
Thomas was introduced to rugby in college at the University of Central Florida. Originally from Philadelphia, Kris converted track experience into speed on the rugby pitch, which earned USA Rugby All American selections in 2013 and 2014. In 2015, Thomas earned their first senior national team selection during São Paulo Sevens, the first of 44 selections on the HSBC SVNS Series which is currently third all-time for the USA Women’s Sevens. Kris’ 96 tries on the SVNS series also ranks third most in the Women’s Sevens record books.
Thomas shifted to the fifteens game in 2017, debuting against Canada and earning selection to the Rugby World Cup that same year, scoring a collection of tries on the Eagle’s campaign to a semifinal. Earning 12 test match caps with the USA as Eagle #260, Thomas added a convincing offensive impact to the 15s pitch, also competing in the 2019 Super Series and most recently the 2024 WXV1 tour in British Columbia.
Adding to Rugby World Cup honors, Thomas earned the title of Olympian in 2021 for the Tokyo games, following that up with an alternate selection to the 2024 games in Paris.
Looking to the next chapter, Thomas concluded, “I plan to attend law school in the near future. I hope to honor my dad and the values he instilled in me by using my law degree to help marginalized and lower income communities. I’m both nervous and excited for this next chapter, but I know I’ll have the love and support of the rugby community.”
