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USA Rugby, WER Announce Sanctioning Agreement

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USA Rugby, WER Announce Sanctioning Agreement

Team logos for the six WER teams.

USA Rugby and Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) have announced the formalization of a 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 U.S.”

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.

2025 WER Schedule
DATE TIME HOME SCORE AWAY VENUE
Sat, Mar 22 3:00 PM EDT New York Exiles vs Boston Banshees The Stadium at Memorial Field
Sun, Mar 23 1:00 PM CDT Chicago Tempest vs TC Gemini Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium
Sat, Mar 29 7:00 PM EDT Boston Banshees vs TC Gemini Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Stadium
Sat, Mar 29 1:00 PM MDT Denver Onyx vs Bay Breakers Infinity Park
Sun, Mar 30 12:00 PM CDT Chicago Tempest vs New York Exiles Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium
Sat, Apr 5 1:00 PM MDT Denver Onyx vs New York Exiles Infinity Park
Sat, Apr 5 5:30 PM PDT Bay Breakers vs TC Gemini Grape Bowl Stadium
Sun, Apr 6 12:00 PM CDT Chicago Tempest vs Boston Banshees Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium
Sat, Apr 12 1:00 PM MDT Denver Onyx vs Chicago Tempest Infinity Park
Sun, Apr 13 2:00 PM EDT New York Exiles vs Bay Breakers The Stadium at Memorial Field
Sat, Apr 19 2:00 PM EDT Boston Banshees vs New York Exiles Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Stadium
Fri, Apr 25 7:00 PM CDT TC Gemini vs Bay Breakers TCO Stadium
Sat, Apr 26 2:00 PM CDT Chicago Tempest vs Denver Onyx Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium
Sat, May 3 3:00 PM CDT Chicago Tempest vs Bay Breakers Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium
Sat, May 3 7:00 PM CDT TC Gemini vs New York Exiles TCO Stadium
Sun, May 4 4:00 PM EDT Boston Banshees vs Denver Onyx The Stadium at Tidewater Stadium Landing
Fri, May 9 7:00 PM CDT TC Gemini vs Denver Onyx TCO Stadium
Sat, May 10 2:00 PM PDT Bay Breakers vs Boston Banshees Grape Bowl Stadium
Sat, May 17 2:00 PM EDT Boston Banshees vs Chicago Tempest The Stadium at Tidewater Stadium Landing
Sun, May 18 2:00 PM EDT New York Exiles vs TC Gemini The Stadium at Memorial Field
Sat, May 24 1:00 PM MDT Denver Onyx vs Boston Banshees Infinity Park
Sun, May 25 2:00 PM PDT Bay Breakers vs New York Exiles Grape Bowl Stadium
Sat, May 31 2:00 PM EDT Boston Banshees vs Bay Breakers The Stadium at Tidewater Stadium Landing
Sat, May 31 7:00 PM CDT TC Gemini vs Chicago Tempest TCO Stadium
Sun, June 1 12:00 PM EDT New York Exiles vs Denver Onyx The Stadium at Memorial Field
Sat, June 7 1:00 PM MDT Denver Onyx vs TC Gemini Infinity Park
Sat, June 7 2:00 PM PDT Bay Breakers vs Chicago Tempest Grape Bowl Stadium
Fri, June 13 7:00 PM CDT TC Gemini vs Boston Banshees TCO Stadium
Sat, June 14 12:00 PM EDT New York Exiles vs Chicago Tempest The Stadium at Memorial Field
Sat, June 14 2:00 PM PDT Bay Breakers vs Denver Onyx Grape Bowl Stadium