Women’s 15s
The Village Lions Women’s 15s team—also proudly known as the Leonas—competes in Division 2 of the Empire GU, representing the Tri-State area (NY, NJ, CT). Whether you're a seasoned veteran, a recent college grad, or brand new to the sport, the Leonas welcome players of all experience levels into our competitive and inclusive rugby family.
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Head Coach: James Johnston
James has been playing rugby since 2009 when he joined his High School team after being cut from lacrosse. He joined the Lions as a player in 2016, having played for his college Elon University and Maryland Exiles. He continued with the Lions through 2022 when he retired from playing and began as an assistant coach for the Women's+ side, taking over as Head Coach later that spring. James also runs the Deep Fried Sevens tournament, and tours socially with the NY Pizza Rats, Bodega Cats, and Hermanos de Leche.
Backs Coach: Ash Khayami
Ash began his rugby career as a freshman at Haverford College (Class of ’16). After graduating, he played with several IGR clubs, including the Philadelphia Gryphons (2017–2018) and the New York Gotham Knights (2018–2022). Most recently, he joined the Village Lions in 2024 as an assistant coach for the Women’s+ side, bringing his passion and experience to the next generation of players.
Forwards Coach: Laurent Malen
Laurent began playing rugby at a very young age with a small club in a small French city. At 18, he joined the University of Poitiers team and soon advanced to play in the 3rd division with Thouars, part of the fifth tier of French rugby. In 1996, he moved to Chartres to take a teaching exam and played in Fédérale 3 as a hooker and loose forward (positions 2, 6, and 8).
In 2008, Laurent relocated to French Polynesia for work, where he founded Rugby Club Taravao. During this time, he earned his first coaching diploma—World Rugby Level 2—under the guidance of Franck Boisvert (then Head Coach of the Fiji national team). His club won the second division championship and were finalists in the Tahiti Cup.
In 2012, he returned to Chartres and, after a year, was appointed Assistant Manager of Entente Chartraine, which later became C'Chartres Rugby (Fédérale 3). With renowned coach Didier Nourault as consultant, the team won the Fédérale 3 French Championship in June 2015. Laurent remained with the club as Forwards Coach until 2020 and was promoted to Head Coach in Fédérale 2 (France’s fourth-tier, semi-professional league) two years later.
In 2018, he obtained his DEJEPS certification in 15-a-side rugby (World Rugby Level 3). For the 2020–2021 season, he served as a consultant for Rugby Club de Liège in Belgium’s 1st division.
In 2021, Laurent moved to New York to work at the Lycée Français and joined the New York Rugby Club (NYRC) Women’s team in the Women’s Premier League (WPL), serving as Forwards Coach through 2024. He is currently the Forwards Coach for the Village Lions Women’s+ Team.