‘Opportunity of a lifetime’: Trailblazing Olympian Kris Thomas retires

USA Rugby has announced the retirement of veteran Kris Thomas, who wore red, white and blue on the international stage in both sevens and 15s at highly prestigious events such as the Women’s Rugby World Cup and the Olympic Games.

Thomas began playing the sport in college at the University of Central Florida, with the former track athlete bringing rapid pace to the rugby field. The Philadelphian quickly stood out as one to watch on the collegiate scene, earning USA All American selections in 2013 and 2014.

One of the great USA Sevens careers officially began the following year with Thomas debuting on what is now called the HSBC SVNS Series in 2015. Thomas was included in the squad to play at the Sao Paulo Sevens, which was the first of her 44 SVNS Series selections.

Those 44 selections are third all-time for the USA Women’s Sevens side. Thomas scored 96 tries during that distinguished sevens career which also ranks third all-time for a female athlete on the SVNS Series.

 

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Thomas moved to 15s in 2017, where she debuted for the Test side against North American rivals Canada before earning Rugby World Cup selection later that year. The American scored some tries during the team’s run to the Semi-Finals.

With 12 Test caps as Eagle #260, competing in the 2019 Super Series, playing at World Rugby’s WXV 1 earlier this year in Vancouver, and also earning Team USA selection for the postponed 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Thomas will go down in history as one of American rugby’s greats.

“Playing rugby for the US has truly been the opportunity of a lifetime,” Thomas said in a statement. “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 scored the USA’s first try at the Tokyo Games, as they came from behind to record a 28-14 win over China in pool play. The Americans also got the better of Japan 17-7 before stunning gold medal hopefuls Australia 14-12 at Tokyo Stadium.

But, for all the promise that the team had shown during pool play, they ended up bowing out of medal contention in the Quarter-Finals after going down to Great Britain 21-12. Thomas scored a double in the fifth-place Semi-Finals as they got the better of China 33-13.

Three years later, Thomas earned alternate selection for the 2024 Games at Paris’ Stade de France, where Team USA made history by claiming their first-ever rugby sevens Olympic medal by beating Australia in the third-place playoff.

Thomas leaves behind a special mark in American rugby, and an unforgettable legacy that will continue to inspire many for years to come. As a trailblazer for the sport in the Land of the Free, Kris Thomas holds a special place in USA Rugby history – but a new chapter awaits.

“I plan to attend law school in the near future,” Thomas explained. “I hope to honour my dad and the values he instilled in me by using my law degree to help marginalised 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.”