Women's Elite Rugby

Last updated

Women's Elite Rugby
Current season, competition or edition:
Rugby football current event.svg 2025 Women's Elite Rugby season
Women's Elite Rugby.svg
Sport Rugby union
First season 2025
No. of teams6
CountryUnited States
Official website womenseliterugby.us

Women's Elite Rugby (WER) is an annual semi-professional women's rugby union club competition to supersede the amateur Women's Premier League at the top level of the United States rugby union system. Commencing in March 2025, it is to be contested by six clubs run by investor-operators, with all front office staff to be paid on a full-time basis, and players to be paid monthly stipends.

Contents

History

Having deemed its amateur pay-to-play model as "no longer sustainable", [1] [2] the Women's Premier League (WPL), an iteration of the top-level women's rugby union club competition in the United States founded in 2009, embarked on its "Ignite the Change" campaign in 2022 that sought to professionalize women's rugby union in the United States. [2] [3] [4] The campaign led to a board of directors being formed in mid-2023 to establish a for-profit professional league, [4] [5] to capitalize on the perceived rise of professional women's sports, and both the 2028 Olympic rugby sevens tournament and 2033 Women's Rugby World Cup to be hosted in the United States. [2] [6] [7] A retention of American players and an expansion of rugby union's reach into the American sports market were also touted as goals for the new league; [7] [8] twelve of the United States national team's 2024 Pacific Four Series squad played in England's semi-professional league instead of an American league. [9]

The league was publicly unveiled as "Women's Elite Rugby" in an April 2024 press conference, announcing that its inaugural season will be played the following year, and that it'll seek to be profitable by its third season. [1] [5] [6] A pre-seed funding round that same month raised $500,000 for the league through SAFEs with the venture capital firm Chasing Rainbows, and former Procter & Gamble executive Deb Henretta, [10] [11] along with other unnamed family offices and private equity firms. [12] In May, the league embarked on a seed round with an aim to raise $3 million, and are planning a series A round in early 2025. [11] In the months leading up to the start of their inaugural season in March 2025, [13] [14] the league promoted its launch with publicized unveilings of each team's brandings, co-designed by the league and British advertising agency Matta; [15] [16] head coaches; and first five signings, referred to as the teams' "Foundational Five". [14] [17] They include Rachel Ehrecke, McKenzie Hawkins, and Maya Learned, who all signed for the Denver Onyx. [17] [18]

Organization

Women's Elite Rugby's president is former rugby sevens national team player Jessica Hammond-Graf, and its vice president is Department of Justice legal historian and information specialist Katherine Aversano, [2] [19] [20] while former Dallas Jackals general manager Phil Camm is its executive adviser. [11] Stacy Carone, Koma Gandy, Jenny Houlihan, and Hallie Martin also sit on the league's board of directors alongside Hammond-Graf and Aversano. [5] [20] The league and its teams' front office staff will be paid on a full-time basis. [20] [21]

Teams

Women's Elite Rugby
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Invisible Square.svg
Mapscaleline.svg
1200km
820miles
6
5
4
3
2
Locations of teams in the United States competing in the 2025 season.
1
Bay Breakers
2
Boston Banshees
3
Chicago Tempest
4
Denver Onyx
5
New York Exiles
6
Twin Cities Gemini

The WER's six charter franchises are located in Boston, Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis–Saint Paul, New York City, and the San Francisco Bay Area – the locations of the seven clubs in the preceding WPL, chosen their "unique, storied history with the sport of rugby." [13] [22] [23] [24] An expansion to eight teams or more within its first ten seasons is planned. [21] [24] Each team is run by investor-operators with shares in the WER itself, with the league itself retaining a degree of control over the recruitment of players and personnel. [25] Up to thirty players can be signed to a team, with each player compensated with monthly stipends throughout the season. [21] [24] [25]

2025 Women's Elite Rugby teams
TeamLocationVenue(s)Joined
Bay Breakers Lodi, California Grape Bowl2025
Boston Banshees Quincy, Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Stadium [a] 2025
Chicago Tempest Evanston, Illinois Martin Stadium 2025
Denver Onyx Glendale, Colorado Infinity Park 2025
New York Exiles Mount Vernon, New York The Stadium at Memorial Field 2025
Twin Cities Gemini Eagan, Minnesota TCO Stadium 2025
  1. ↑ Three matches of the 2025 season will be played at the Tidewater Landing Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Organizers of first US women's professional rugby league hope to launch inaugural season in 2025". Associated Press . April 10, 2024. Archived from the original on April 10, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Pengelly, Martin (April 10, 2024). "Women's Elite Rugby pro league plans 2025 launch ahead of US World Cups". The Guardian . Archived from the original on April 10, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  3. ↑ Hajducky, Dan (April 10, 2024). "First U.S. pro women's rugby league announces plans for '25". ESPN . Archived from the original on April 28, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  4. 1 2 Lemire, Joe (April 11, 2024). "Women's Elite Rugby launches as first women's pro 15-on-15 league in U.S., plans to debut in '25" . Sports Business Journal . Archived from the original on May 3, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024. ...it launched its "Ignite the Change" campaign in 2022 to create a path to professionalism. That effort began with the appointment of a board of directors, whose collaborations led to the formation of the WER...
  5. 1 2 3 Flynn, Kerry (April 11, 2024). "Women's Elite Rugby seeks funds as new U.S. league" . Axios . Archived from the original on May 30, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024. WER board member Jenny Houlihan said the board formed about a year ago to create a for-profit league. [...] Houlihan says WER expects to be profitable by its third year.
  6. 1 2 Carosella, Vitas (April 16, 2024). "Women's Elite Rugby Becomes First Professional Women's Rugby League In U.S." . Forbes . Archived from the original on April 17, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024. The new competition's inaugural season is slated for 2025, bringing professionalism to the women's game in advance of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and the U.S. hosted 2033 Women's Rugby World Cup. The announcement of the new competition was made during a virtual press conference...
  7. 1 2 Feldman, Jacob (April 12, 2024). "Women's Elite Rugby Announces U.S.' First Pro League". Sportico . Archived from the original on April 12, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  8. ↑ Carosella 2024 , "Until now women's rugby union players looking to play at the elite level had to seek opportunities abroad, but now they will be offered the chance to compete on their home soil. The hope of the new league's executives is that WER will break down the traditional barriers and make rugby a more accessible sport. In the words of Aversano, "we just have to show people in the U.S. how great this game is."
  9. ↑ Thomas, Martyn (May 1, 2024). "Women's Elite Rugby tipped to have big impact on USA". RugbyPass . Archived from the original on May 1, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  10. ↑ Pengelly, Martin (November 13, 2024). "'This is the time for women's sports': investor Deb Henretta backs US rugby". The Guardian . Archived from the original on November 13, 2024. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
  11. 1 2 3 Flynn, Kerry (May 30, 2024). "Exclusive: Women's Elite Rugby to raise seed funding" . Axios . Archived from the original on May 30, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024. ...executive adviser Phil Camm [...] WER closed a $500,000 round, structured as a SAFE (simple agreement for future equity), in April. Camm says WER is currently raising up to a $3 million seed round [...] and will seek a Series A next year or sooner.
  12. ↑ Lemire 2024 , "Hammond-Graf declined to name them but added that the league has been well supported by the rugby community and "is starting to gain traction with family offices and private equity."
  13. 1 2 Hammond, Joseph (November 4, 2024). "2025 Will Be A Big Year For Women's Rugby Even Without The World Cup". Sports Illustrated . Archived from the original on November 4, 2024. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
  14. 1 2 Pengelly, Martin (January 29, 2025). "'High-energy, risk-taking, intense' US women's league shows its rugby colors". The Guardian . Archived from the original on January 30, 2025. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  15. ↑ Gabbitass, Anna-Rose (January 29, 2025). "Matta partners with Women's Elite Rugby". Sports Industry Group. Archived from the original on January 30, 2025. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  16. ↑ "MATTA partners with Women's Elite Rugby (WER) to create bold identities for their inaugural teams". Matta. January 29, 2025. Archived from the original on January 30, 2025. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  17. 1 2 Ainsworth, Imogen (January 29, 2025). "Women's Elite Rugby announce team names ahead of March 2025 kick-off". RugbyPass . Archived from the original on January 30, 2025. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  18. ↑ "WER Foundational Five: Part 2". The Rugby Breakdown. January 5, 2025. Archived from the original on January 30, 2025. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  19. ↑ Carosella 2024 , "...former international rugby union player and WER President Dr. Jessica Hammond-Graf. [...] WER Vice President Katherine Aversano..."
  20. 1 2 3 Lemire 2024 , "...Aversano, a Legal Historian & Information Specialist for the U.S. DOJ. [...] The board of directors include Hammond-Graf, Aversano, Stacy Carone, Koma Gandy, Jenny Houlihan and Hallie Martin. The WER and each club will, in time, hire full-time staff."
  21. 1 2 3 Carosella 2024 , "...the league would be looking to build a strategic expansion plan over the next ten years. The target model is for each team to be composed of 30 players [...] WER will have a paid, full-time front office staff..."
  22. ↑ Nguyen, Joe (July 31, 2024). "Denver to host team for Women's Elite Rugby's inaugural season". The Denver Post . Archived from the original on August 3, 2024. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  23. ↑ "Women's Elite Rugby (WER) Adds New York, San Francisco Bay Area, Twin Cities for Inaugural Season". LRA . August 21, 2024. Archived from the original on September 3, 2024. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
  24. 1 2 3 Lemire 2024 , "The plan is to field between six and eight teams for the first season with strategic expansion over the next decade. The WER is in discussions with the existing seven WPL clubs about potential conversion to professional organizations. Rosters are expected to consist of 30 players per franchise."
  25. 1 2 Ferridge, Arthur (May 23, 2024). "'Hundreds of rugby professionals': players welcome US women's league". The Guardian . Archived from the original on May 23, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
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