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Women's Elite Rugby

Women's Elite Rugby is where fearless athletes and fierce action collide, proving that strength takes every shape. More than a game, it’s a movement driving progress for players, fans, and communities alike.

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News & Updates

July 7, 2026
UNITED STATES — Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) , the premier professional women’s rugby league in the United States, today announced a series of midseason roster and staffing updates as the league continues its second season.  Highlighting the next generation of talent, Tiahna Padilla , selected by the TC Gemini in the spring draft, recently won the MA Sorensen Award , given to the top collegiate rugby player in the country. Her recognition underscores the strength of emerging talent entering the WER pipeline. The TC Gemini also adds international experience to its staff with Laura Delgado , a former Spanish rugby union international, joining as an assistant coach. Delgado will also be playing for the Barbarians before she arrives. Across the league, teams are making key midseason additions. The Boston Banshees picked up two mid-season transfers in Kelsie O’Brien (from the Denver Onyx) and Sophie Lamphier (from the Bay Breakers), strengthening its roster for the second half of the season. The New York Exiles added Kailynn Hampton , a top try scorer from the Gemini last season, bringing even more offensive production to the squad. WER also welcomes back elite talent, with three USA Eagles returning to league play: Rachel Ehrecke (Denver Onyx), Paige Stathopoulos (Boston Banshees), and Cheta Emba (Boston Banshees). Ehrecke and Stathopoulos return following a successful season in the Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) with Loughborough Lightning, further elevating the level of competition across the league. Several WER athletes and coaches will also represent the United States on the international stage this summer. Denver Onyx Head Coach Sarah Chobot joined the USA Eagles on their South Africa tour on July 4 and will continue to do so on July 11. Current WER players on the USA roster are: Kapoina Bailey (Denver Onyx), Lauryn Carlton (Boston Banshees), Rachel Ehrecke (Denver Onyx), Paige Stathopoulos (Boston Banshees), Bulou Mataitoga (Bay Breakers), Taina Tukuafu (Bay Breakers) and Telesi Uhatafe (Bay Breakers). Kristin “Ham” Zdanczewicz will represent the USA U20 women’s team on their South Africa series on July 18 and July 25. Additionally, the USA Eagles will compete on a Brazil tour in July/August that is expected to feature a number of WER players. Coaching adjustments will accompany these international call-ups. While Chobot is out, Rachel Johnson will serve as acting Head Coach for the Denver Onyx, and Kaitlyn Kelly will serve as acting Head Coach in Chicago while Zdanczewicz is on tour. These updates reflect the continued growth of Women’s Elite Rugby and its role in developing and elevating top domestic and international talent, while contributing to the broader USA Rugby pathway. For the latest news and update, follow WER on Facebook , Instagram and LinkedIn . About Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) is redefining the future of the sport in the United States as the first professional women’s rugby league. Officially launched in 2024, WER’s inaugural season kicked off in March 2025 with six founding teams across Boston, Chicago, Denver, New York, Northern California, and the Twin Cities, featuring 180 of the world’s top athletes. Built on the competitive legacy of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), WER evolves the game from amateur roots into a professional stage built for longevity, unlocking new opportunities for athletes, partners, and fans. With a focus on elite competition, commercial growth, and cultural relevance, WER is ushering in the next stage of rugby in the United States. For further information visit: https://www.womenseliterugby.us/ .
April 30, 2026
On the back of her highly anticipated new album, Toy With Me, Trainor expands her impact beyond music with a strategic investment in women’s rugby.
March 3, 2026
WER’s second season kicks off the first week of May UNITED STATES — Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) today announced a series of key leadership and governance advancements as the league enters its Series A raise on the back of its successful inaugural season. The league is strengthening its leadership bench with proven operators, people who have built audiences, grown revenue, and run businesses with fiscal discipline, to help WER scale faster. Over the past several months, WER has also significantly bolstered its executive leadership team. Dr. Jessica Hammond-Graf has transitioned into the role of Chief Sporting Officer, while continuing to serve as President, with oversight of high-performance planning, rugby operations, athlete development, and events. Phil Camm has moved into the role of Chief Commercial Officer, leading the league’s growth strategy. This new leadership structure will report to an already impressive board. At the board level, the league welcomes Priya Oberoi , representing Goddess Gaia Ventures. Her addition deepens the board’s expertise as WER enters its next phase of growth. Oberoi joins board members Randy Little , co-founders Koma Gandy and Jenny Houlihan , and lead investor Deb Henretta. In parallel with these leadership advancements, WER has established a Commercial Advisory Council composed of seasoned industry leaders Teresa Palladino , Liz Anderson , Stacy Jolna , and Rob Candelino . The Council is a senior-advisor group made up of WER stakeholders helping to sharpen the league's commercial plans, focused on marketing, partnerships, broadcast, and investment strategy. More information about the members of WER’s Commercial Advisory Council can be found below. Teresa Palladino Teresa Palladino is a senior marketing executive with global experience building sports and media brands that grow audiences, deepen fan engagement, and drive revenue. She spent a decade at Red Bull creating athlete-led campaigns and partnerships with measurable commercial impact. Most recently, she led brand marketing, storytelling, community engagement, and partnerships for Grand Slam Track’s launch, and earlier helped ONE Championship expand across the Americas through digital and broadcast partnerships. Liz Anderson Liz Anderson is an entertainment and sports marketing leader with 20 years of experience shaping global campaigns. At Netflix, she led strategy for live sports and events, partnering with leagues like the NFL and WWE. She also built the “Netflix is a Joke” brand and marketed comedy worldwide, after leading digital and social strategy at Disney/ABC. Stacy Jolna Stacy Jolna is a C-suite media innovator working across TV, AI, streaming, and social. At TiVo, he built the brand nationwide, secured strategic media investments, and helped drive a successful IPO to a $1B market cap. At News Corp, he created and scaled TV Guide SPOT from concept to a $650M market cap. He also launched CNN Presents and Special Reports, and now leads enViibe, an AI guidance platform for streaming consumers. Rob Candelino Rob Candelino is a globally accomplished Consumer Products executive, investor, advisor and Board member. Most recently, Rob served as CEO of PetSafe Brands, the world’s largest PetTechnology company. Prior to that Rob spent decades at Unilever where he served in a variety of executive roles, most notably as CEO of Thailand and Inland ASEAN. Rob is a Board member of The Scott’s Miracle-Gro Company, where he Chairs the Innovation and Technology Committee, and the Tennessee Theatre. If you have any questions about WER or would like to speak to members of the leadership team please email wer@lindarothpr.com . For the latest news and updates, follow WER on Facebook , Instagram , and LinkedIn . Media images of Women’s Elite Rugby are available HERE . Headshots of WER leadership are HERE . About WER Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) is the first American professional women’s 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/ .
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