Boston Banshees

Last updated

Boston Banshees
Boston Banshees.png
FoundedJanuary 2025;2 months ago (2025-01)
Location Boston, Massachusetts
Ground(s) Veterans Memorial Stadium
Tidewater Landing Stadium (Capacity: 5,000
10,500-11,000)
Coach(es) Kittery Wagner-Ruiz
Captain(s)TBA
League(s) Women's Elite Rugby

The Boston Banshees are an American semi-professional women's rugby union team based in Boston, Massachusetts. The team was founded in 2025 and is scheduled to play in the inaugural Women's Elite Rugby season. [1] [2]

Contents

History

The Boston Banshees team crest features a Banshee from Irish folklore whose "shriek signals impending doom." [3] Because of New England's links to witches/folklore and also due to a strong Irish presence in the region, the Banshee was seen as a "seamless fit for the city." [3] The team also chose to use the colors of Moonlight White,Ghostly Gray, Blood-Moon Red and Midnight for their crest. [3]

Kittery Wagner-Ruiz who represented the United States at the 2010 and 2014 Rugby World Cup's was named as the team's first Head Coach. [4] Cassidy Bargell, Yejadai Dunn, Emily Henrich, Akweley Okine, and Paige Stathopoulos were named as the teams foundational five members. [5]

Boston Banshees after winning against New York Exiles in March 2025. BostonBansheesMArch2025.jpg
Boston Banshees after winning against New York Exiles in March 2025.

The Banshees will start the season at the Veterans Memorial Stadium in Quincy, Massachusetts and then play their final three matches at Tidewater Landing Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. [6]

Players

Current squad

The Boston Banshees squad for the 2025 Women's Elite Rugby season is: [7]

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

PlayerPositionUnion
Paige Stathopoulos Hooker Flag of the United States.svg United States
Catie Benson Prop Flag of the United States.svg United States
Salma Bezzat Prop Flag of the United States.svg United States
Lauren Ferridge Prop Flag of the United States.svg United States
Nickky Nguyen Prop Flag of the United States.svg United States
Akweley Okine Prop Flag of the United States.svg United States
Angie Owen Prop Flag of the United States.svg United States
Caitlin Weigel Prop Flag of the United States.svg United States
Eliza Altobelli Lock Flag of the United States.svg United States
Jenny Kronish Lock Flag of the United States.svg United States
Kaitlyn Sosa Lock Flag of the United States.svg United States
Shelby Vance Lock Flag of the United States.svg United States
Oliver Wright Lock Flag of the United States.svg United States
Yeja Dunn Back row Flag of the United States.svg United States
Genevieve Quirion Back row Flag of the United States.svg United States
PlayerPositionUnion
Natalie Armatage Scrum-half Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada
Cassidy Bargell Scrum-half Flag of the United States.svg United States
Ashley Cowdrey Scrum-half Flag of the United States.svg United States
Rachael Harkavy Fly-half Flag of the United States.svg United States
Alexandra Pipkin Fly-half Flag of the United States.svg United States
Abbey Savin Fly-half Flag of the United States.svg United States
Amanda Schweitzer Fly-half Flag of the United States.svg United States
Emily Henrich Centre Flag of the United States.svg United States
Jenni Laferriere Centre Flag of the United States.svg United States
Morgan Cunningham Wing Flag of the United States.svg United States
Katie Lohaus Wing Flag of the United States.svg United States
Emma Santosuosso Wing Flag of the United States.svg United States
Cheta Emba Fullback Flag of the United States.svg United States

References

  1. "Boston Banshees". Women's Elite Rugby. Retrieved February 6, 2025.
  2. Pengelly, Martin (January 29, 2025). "'High-energy, risk-taking, intense' US women's league shows its rugby colors". The Guardian. Retrieved February 6, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. 1 2 3 Smith, Allison (January 29, 2025). "Women's Elite Rugby (WER) Announces Their Highly Anticipated Team Names, Colors, and Crests Spearheaded by Partnership with MATTA". Women's Elite Rugby. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
  4. "Women's Elite Rugby (WER) Announces 2025 Head Coaches for Inaugural Season". Women's Elite Rugby. October 24, 2024. Retrieved March 12, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. Smith, Allison (February 5, 2025). "Boston Banshees Announces Their Foundational Five Players Ahead of the League's Inaugural Season". Women's Elite Rugby. Retrieved March 12, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. Smith, Allison (February 19, 2025). "Women's Elite Rugby (WER) Releases Venues, Schedule, and Tickets ahead of Inaugural Kickoff in March". Women's Elite Rugby. Retrieved March 12, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. Lane, Ro (February 18, 2025). "Boston Banshees Announce 2025 Athlete Roster". Women's Elite Rugby. Retrieved February 26, 2025.