Harlequins Announce New WPL Coach Kittery Wagner Ruiz

The Atlanta Harlequins are excited to announce that Kittery Wagner Ruiz will be joining the club as head coach of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) squad for the 2018 season.

Prior to joining Atlanta, Kitt was the head coach of the Glendale Merlins (formerly Raptors) as well as the assistant coach to the Women’s Junior All Americans, bringing a wealth of rugby knowledge both as a coach and player. Her player resume drips with excellence having earned spots as both a 15s Eagle (2007–2014) and a 7s Eagle (2008–2009), including appearances in two World Cups, a WPL National Championship with the Glendale Raptors (2014), as well as commitment to various other high-performance clubs, beginning in 2000.

By profession, Kitt has 13 years of experience as an educator in mathematics and takes pride in helping her students become both career and college ready. Hailing from Ft. Collins, CO, Kitt holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics from SUNY Potsdam and a Master’s Degree in Mathematics from Boston University.

“We are thrilled to have Kitt join the Harlequin family. Based on her accomplishments as a player and a coach, and the fact that she is a pretty cool human being, Kitt will, without a doubt, motivate, challenge, and inspire our players. I am confident that the combination of her coaching skills and our grit will translate to an exciting brand of rugby both to play and to watch,” remarks Club Director, Patty Jervey.

The Harlequins welcome Kittery and her family to Atlanta and are eagerly anticipating an exciting WPL season.

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The (formerly known as) Southeast Harlequins Women’s Rugby Football Club came into being in 1984 as a select side for several teams scattered about the southeastern part of the country. At the end of the spring 1999 season, the team decided to honor this change in status with a change of name that includes ours host city, renaming the club to: the Atlanta Harlequins.

Dedicated to excellence, the Harlequins continuously strive to give national credibility to rugby in the South as well as in Atlanta. Committed to rugby excellence, it is our desire to bring rugby to the forefront as a viable sport for women. The Atlanta Harlequins currently field a WPL (Women’s Premier League) side, a Division II side, a girl's U19 side, and were the 2012 USA Rugby Women's Division I National Champions.

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Official Press Release