Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) Announces First Three Markets
Boston, Chicago and Denver home to first new teams for WER’s inaugural season, more to be announced
UNITED STATES — Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) is thrilled to announce Boston, Chicago and Denver will be three of the first cities in the United States to host a professional women’s rugby team when WER’s inaugural season gets underway in Spring 2025.
More official team markets will be announced by WER in the upcoming weeks. WER has the intention to start with 6-8 teams, with a target model of 30 players per team, and then looks to build toward a strategic expansion plan over the next ten years. The majority of the league’s founding players will be announced after a selection process in January 2025.
WER, the first professional U.S. women’s rugby league, provides a space that enables athletes to pursue their rugby goals while being compensated for their dedication to elite performance. WER will also deliver younger players a pipeline to a professional league, helping to increase and promote the next generation of women’s rugby athletes.
“Today is a monumental day for Women’s Elite Rugby and our commitment to take women’s rugby in the United States to new heights,” said WER President Jessica Hammond-Graf. “We are ecstatic to bring professional women’s rugby teams to markets across the country that exude excellence and have a passion for the growth and development of both rugby and women’s sports for years to come.”
WER is supported financially by private investors, including members of the rugby community, sports-focused venture capital and former Procter & Gamble executive Deb Henretta. WER is adding to its diverse roster of investors in its current capital round, which is on track to close later this year.
WER prides itself in putting founding teams in markets that have a strong foundation and grassroots efforts in both the rugby and women’s sports space. All team names and stadium details for all markets will be announced at a later date.
More details about each founding city and their storied rugby history are below.
BOSTON
Rugby has historic roots in Boston, with the first-ever recorded rugby match in the United States taking place in 1874 in Boston between Harvard and McGill University. While that was a men's match, Boston also has a legendary women’s rugby history that begins with the revolutionary, K.O. Onufry.
Onufry began her rugby journey in 1975 by playing with the UMass Amherst men. There were no women’s teams in the area at the time, but Onufry was so enamored with the spirit of the men and women at the rugby social that she started playing with them. After a year with another men’s team, this time the Beacon Hill men’s team in Boston, she and a few other women, decided to start a women’s team.
In 1976, Boston Women and Beantown Rugby, which has gone on to become one of the most prestigious women’s rugby clubs in the country, were born. As a player on Beantown, Onufry was a member of six U.S. national championship teams and Onufry has since been showered with numerous rugby accolades.
“As the City of Champions, Boston sets the standard for athletics and the opportunities created for our residents, families, and visitors from across the world,” said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. “We are thrilled to be a host city for the newly launched Women’s Elite Rugby League and look forward to supporting the league’s growth ahead of the upcoming Women's Rugby World Cup in 2033.”
Many U.S. Women’s National Team athletes have also come out of the Boston rugby system due to the tenacious and competitive beginning in the mid-1970’s. Many Boston-developed women were on the first U.S. touring side, the WIVERNS (Women’s International Vagabonds, Emissaries, and Rugby Nomads), where the U.S. women went 14-0 and outscored opponents 445-0 against United Kingdom opponents.
Kevin O’Brien, USWNT Head Coach from 1987-1991 (still the only Rugby World Cup winning U.S. coach), began coaching Beantown women in 1979 and led the play and tactics of the women’s game in the U.S for over a decade. Mary Sullivan, also from Beantown, was the co-captain of the 1991 RWC-winning U.S. team
"Boston welcomes Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) to join what has always been a vibrant sports town where New Englanders celebrate Championships," said Martha Sheridan, President and CEO of Meet Boston. "Having WER and NWSL announcing franchises to call Boston home reaffirms our local support for women's sports and gives our younger generation aspirational hope to play at the highest level."
CHICAGO
In 1978, Chicago organizers hosted and managed the first Women’s National Championship in rugby. Led by Marcy Borge, Mary Larkin, Julie Silverstein and Jennie Redner, “those Chicago women” as they are fondly remembered, not only established the National Club Championship, but created a standard for the quality of the tournament.
From 1978-1980, the Chicago Women’s Rugby Club hosted the National Classic Tournament. The Classic was the precursor to the National Club Championships. In 1981, the Chicago Women decided to drop the word Classic and host the first Women’s National Club Championship.
By May of 1983, the Chicago Women had hosted and run the previous three National Championships. They were held in county park facilities and county preserves in Oakbrook and Schaumburg, both northern suburbs of Chicago. In 1984, they upped the ante and pulled off the 1984 National Championships at the Polo Grounds, on lush grass fields and a million dollar insurance policy, setting a high bar for the tournament going forward.
Other Chicago connections include Pat Foley, who at the time coached women's rugby teams in the Chicago area. Foley had the gusto to begin discussions about the first U.S. women’s international touring team. The Women’s Committee (national leadership of the Women's game) got rolling through the community and 36 women – paying their own way – went on tour as the WIVERNS.
"We are thrilled to welcome Women's Elite Rugby to Chicago, a city renowned for its rich sports history and passionate fans,” said Phil Clement, President & CEO, World Business Chicago. “As WER builds a strong presence ahead of the 2033 Women’s Rugby World Cup in the U.S., it's fantastic that the international spotlight will shine on rugby here. Chicago is proud to support WER’s mission to elevate women’s rugby, providing opportunities for athletes to thrive and inspiring the next generation.
“I’m confident that this new professional women’s league will enrich our strong sports community and reinforce Chicago’s leadership in promoting equity and inclusivity in athletic excellence.”
DENVER
The first recorded competitive women’s rugby teams in the United States hail from Colorado. In 1971, both the University of Colorado and Colorado State University teams were formed and they played their first match in 1972. The first women’s college championships were also held in Colorado.
During 1973 another Colorado team—the Scarlet Harlots—organized, followed in 1974 by the Denver Blues. By 1974, there were approximately 29 women’s teams in the US. Throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s, women’s rugby continued to grow with a majority of those teams adopting the names of colleges and universities. Until 1990, very few rosters of women’s collegiate rugby teams were entirely undergraduate students of the university; most college teams were made up of graduate students, alumni, and local residents.
“Denver is thrilled to be a founding city of Women's Elite Rugby and will be excited to cheer on our new team at the first kick-off,” said Denver Sports Commission Executive Director Matthew Payne. “The Mile High City takes sport seriously and that includes rugby with Glendale being heralded as Rugbytown, USA thanks to the 7s tournament hosted there every year, attracting teams to Denver from around the world since 2012. With the Rugby World Cup on the horizon, we know the addition of Women's Elite Rugby will further amplify the culture of and love for rugby in Denver.”
WER is also proud to also have the support of the Denver Women's Sports Collective, a leading resource for connections, empowerment, education, career development and support for like-minded women and their allies within the sports, events and marketing industries in Denver, Colorado. The DWSC Board released the following statement about Denver getting a professional women’s rugby team:
“Denver Women's Sports Collective is thrilled to express our full support for the Women's Elite Rugby League's decision to place a team in Denver. This momentous development aligns with our mission to promote and advance women's sports in our vibrant city.
The introduction of a Women's Elite Rugby team in Denver represents a significant step towards increasing visibility and providing opportunities for female athletes. Rugby, with its rich history and growing popularity, offers an exciting platform for athletes to showcase their talents, dedication, and sportsmanship.”
Media: For the latest news and updates surrounding the league, follow WER on Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn. For those interested in learning more about the branding and visual identity of the league, visit here for a brand fact sheet. Media ready photos and a short promotional video are available here and will continue to be updated.
About WER
Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) is the first American professional women’s rugby league. The mission of the WER is to be the defining standard of rugby in the United States. WER is structured on the stable foundation of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), a national, amateur pay-to-play model, high level rugby competition established in 2009. With the creation of Women’s Elite Rugby, world-class women’s rugby will be ushered into the next stage of its evolution and will take women’s rugby in the United States to new heights.
###