# Women's Elite Rugby

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.

## History

Having deemed its amateur pay-to-play model as "no longer sustainable", 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. The campaign led to a board of directors being formed in mid-2023 to establish a for-profit professional league, 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. 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; 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.
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. 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, along with other unnamed family offices and private equity firms. 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. In the months leading up to the start of their inaugural season in March 2025, the league promoted its launch with publicized unveilings of each team's brandings, co-designed by the league and British advertising agency Matta; head coaches; and first five signings, referred to as the teams' "Foundational Five". They include Rachel Ehrecke, McKenzie Hawkins, and Maya Learned, who all signed for the Denver Onyx.

## 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, while former Dallas Jackals general manager Phil Camm is its executive adviser. Stacy Carone, Koma Gandy, Jenny Houlihan, and Hallie Martin also sit on the league's board of directors alongside Hammond-Graf and Aversano. The league and its teams' front office staff will be paid on a full-time basis.

## Teams

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." An expansion to eight teams or more within its first ten seasons is planned. 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. Up to thirty players can be signed to a team, with each player compensated with monthly stipends throughout the season.
2025 Women's Elite Rugby teams :
| Team | Location | Venue(s) | Joined |
| Bay Breakers | Lodi, California | Grape Bowl | 2025 |
| Boston Banshees | Quincy, Massachusetts | Veterans Memorial Stadium | 2025 |
| Chicago Tempest | Evanston, Illinois | Northwestern Medicine Field | 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 |
* ↑ Three matches of the 2025 season will be played at the Tidewater Landing Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.