Name: Steph Rovetti
Country: USA
Sport: Rugby Sevens
Previous Olympic Experience: None
Social Media: Instagram
Who is Steph Rovetti?
Rovetti, 32, plays fly-half and scrum-half for the USA rugby sevens team and is in her first Olympics. She is a late bloomer in the sport, first playing when she was 26. In college, she was part of the BYU women’s basketball team that reached the Sweet 16, and in high school in Reno was named Nevada runner of the year in 2008. She was encouraged to try out rugby by her sister, Morgan, who played for USA in under-20 rugby competitions.
Rovetti also earned her degree in occupational therapy, a major she pursued because her brother Jack has Down syndrome.
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“Growing up, my little brother had occupational therapists that I got to see and help with throughout his life,” she said. “It really changed his life and got him to where he is today, which is so awesome. Alongside that, I learned so much from going to his occupational therapy sessions and seeing the impact not only on my brother but also on our family and his friends. That was something I was passionate about and I wanted to be able to give back.”
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Rovetti was raised Mormon in Reno, an area with a large concentration of Mormons — a religion at odds with being gay — which makes her being out at the Olympics that much more special.
“Going to the Olympics as an out athlete means a lot to me,” Rovetti told Outsports. “You go and represent all communities you are a part of and that representation on the world stage matters. Coming from a religious background, I hope to be a representation of courage to be your true authentic self “
Steph Rovetti at the Paris Olympics
Team USA is ranked seventh in the world and is in Group C with Australia, Brazil and Japan. The Americans are ranked behind the dominant Aussies but ahead of both Brazil and Japan and have an excellent shot of making it to the knockout stage. The U.S. finished fifth in the 2016 Rio Olympics and sixth in Tokyo in 2021. Rovetti will be a key player if the Americans are to win their first medal. Their first game is Sunday against Japan.
