Partnership Elevates Women's 15s Rugby to New Heights, Aligning with World Rugby Standards
USA Rugby and Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) are excited to announce the formalization of a historic sanctioning agreement ahead of WER’s inaugural 2025 season, marking a major milestone in the development of women’s 15s rugby in the United States.
The official sanctioning supports that WER will work to operate in alignment with World Rugby’s highest standards and regulations on the professional level, paving the way for a new era in professional women’s rugby.
The partnership between USA Rugby and WER underscores both organizations' commitment and collaborations on long-term success for professional women’s rugby in the United States. WER’s season also marks an thrilling start to a benchmark year for women’s rugby as new and veteran USA Eagles take the field in the lead up to the Rugby World Cup in 2025.
“WER is proud to be working alongside USA Rugby as we launch our inaugural season this month,” said Jessica Hammond-Graf, president of WER, “We are confident that the start of WER will be a key moment in the growth of the sport, and we can’t wait for fans to experience the excitement and intensity of high-level, professional women’s rugby in the US.”
USA Rugby CEO, Bill Goren said, “This is an exciting and key moment for women's rugby in the United States, as USA Rugby establishes multi-level collaboration with WER. Expanding professional women's rugby to the fifteens game is fundamental to the overall growth of the sport, particularly as the rugby community looks ahead to an all-important Rugby World Cup 2033 on home soil. We're excited to support WER's process of building new opportunities for women's rugby fans, players and contributors in this inaugural season."
Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) will officially launch its inaugural season this month, with six professional teams (Bay Area, Boston, Chicago, Denver, New York, and Twin Cities) competing across the United States. The season will kick off on Saturday, March 22, 2025, with a thrilling opening match between the New York Exiles and Boston Banshees at Memorial Stadium in Mount Vernon, New York, at 3:00 PM (EST). The regular season will run from March 22 through June 14, 2025, with matches taking place on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
Fans across the U.S. can expect an exciting competition filled with top-level rugby talent, with games hosted in cities nationwide. To see the full schedule, purchase tickets, and learn more about the teams, please visit the official WER website at https://www.womenseliterugby.us/2025-schedule.
For media members interested in hearing more about WER or want to attend any practices/games, please fill out the credential form HERE. Your request will be vetted by our PR team and you will receive a confirmation or rejection notification shortly after applying. If you have further questions, please send an inquiry to wer@lindarothpr.com.
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About WER
Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) is the first American professional women’s fifteens rugby league. The league announced their official launch in 2024 with their inaugural season starting in March 2025 centering six teams in Boston, Chicago, Denver, New York, Bay Area, and Twin Cities featuring 180 athletes. 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. For further information visit: https://www.womenseliterugby.us/.
