Boston Banshees Announces Their Foundational Five Players Ahead of the League’s Inaugural Season

Hallie Martin • February 5, 2025

WRITTEN BY Allison Smith, WER

UNITED STATES— Women’s Elite Rugby (WER), which will be the first professional women’s rugby league in the United States, reveals their foundational five (F5) players for each of the six market teams in preparation for their inaugural season starting in March of this year.

Coming off the announcement of their team names and crests last week, WER continues to build on the momentum and excitement of the league by announcing foundational five players for each team. Each coach drafted five players for their team with the goal to build dynamic and diverse groups that span positions, but also have connections to the city and communities that they will play in. "We are thrilled to announce the foundational five players for each of our six market teams. Our head coaches selected foundational players of the highest caliber and talent in terms of their on pitch play and expertise but also their off pitch leadership and community connection to lead their teams this season. Additionally, these players have an enduring commitment to the game of rugby and continue to work to grow the game here at WER and beyond", said WER President Dr. Jessica Hammond-Graf .

For Boston, head coach Kittery Ruiz selected Cassidy “Cass” Bargell (Silverthome, CO), Yejadai “Yeja” Dunn (Apple Valley, CA), Emily “Em” Henrich (Orchard Park, NY), Akweley “Q” Okine (West Chester, PA), and Paige Stathopoulos (East Sandwich, MA). Ruiz brings a wealth of experience to the helm of WER Boston and has close ties to New England as she has previously coached as an assistant at Brown University, served as head coach of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) Beantown team, as well as serving as the WPL’s commissioner from 2019 to 2022. Ruiz also brings national team experience into her new role as both a player and coach having played for the USA Women’s National Team 15s from 2006 to 2014 and played in the 2014 World Cup in France, as well serving as an assistant coach for the team since 2023.

Boston Banshees Foundational Five Players

Cass Bargell is from Silverthorne, CO where along with being a multi-sport athlete participating in basketball, gymnastics, swimming, skiing, and snowboarding, she played for Summit High School from 2013 to 2018. No stranger to excellence, Bargell was a state champion every year at Summit and brings a wealth of experience to Coach Ruiz’s roster. Bargell played for Harvard from 2018 to 2022 where she won a National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) championship in 2019, Beantown RFC in 2024, and was a member of the USA 7s/15s development pathways from 2016 to 2024 which led to her selection to the USA Senior National 15s in 2024. For WER Boston, Bargell will play the nine, half-scrum position. “Cassidy has faced significant personal challenges to make it back onto the pitch. From the rugby fields of Harvard to representing the USA on the world stage, her story is one of extraordinary resilience. Every setback, every obstacle, became fuel for her relentless pursuit of greatness. She didn’t just overcome her challenges—she transformed them into the strength that defines her as a player and a champion”, said Ruiz.

Yeja Dunn from Apple Valley, CA brings versatility to WER Boston as they will play the hooker, two position, and eight-man for the team. Dunn is no stranger to the New England areas as they played for Dartmouth College from 2012 to 2016, where they were selected as an USA Rugby Collegiate All-American in 2015 and 2016. They also played for Beantown RFC from 2016 to 2024 and were selected to join the USA Player Pool from 2016 to 2018 and again from 2022 to 2024. According to Ruiz, Dunn’s leadership makes them stand out as an unequivocal F5 selection for Boston, “Yeja has been a cornerstone of Beantown for the past eight WPL seasons, a true leader both on and off the field. Their dedication to rugby runs deep, from their time at Dartmouth to forging their path through the USA pathways. With every tackle, every pass, and every step, they’ve shown what it means to lead with heart, commitment, and an unwavering passion for the game.”

Q Okine from West Chester, PA will play the loosehead prop, one position, and second row/lock (4/5 positions) for WER Boston. Similar to her other F5 teammates, Okine has strong ties to New England having played for Harvard from 2015 to 2019 where she became a NIRA champion in 2019 alongside Bargell. After college Okine played for the WPL’s Colorado Grey Wolves (formerly known as the Glendale Merlins) from 2019 to 2020 where she won a league championship before joining Beantown RFC in 2022 where she would play until 2024. “As a strong leader on Beantown, Q embodies the spirit of dedication, showing that true athletes don't just play the game—they elevate it. From two WPL teams to the storied fields of Harvard, she has proven that leadership extends far beyond the pitch. It’s about resilience, commitment, and the ability to inspire others to rise to their fullest potential. Her journey stands as a powerful example of how leadership is earned, not given, and how athletes redefine the game with both heart and hard work”, said Ruiz.

Emily Henrich from Orchard Park, NY has been a highly successful athlete for quite some time as she was nationally ranked aerial skier winning the USA Eastern Championships in 2014. Additionally, Henrich lettered for her soccer and basketball teams at Orchard Park High School. As a rugby player, Henrich was a three-time High School All-American (2014-2016) before moving on to play at Dartmouth from 2018 to 2023. She was named a U20 All-American in 2017 and 2018, U23 All-American in 2023. Henrich also brings international experience to WER Boston as she has 20 caps with USA Eagles 15s, the first being in November 2018 against the Black Ferns and was a silver medalist in the 2019 Pan American Games with USA 7s. In the league’s former iteration, Henrich played for Beantown RFC (2022-2024) and also plays center for the Leicester Tigers in the Premiership Women’s Rugby League. Ruiz expressed the elation of adding Henrich to her squad, stating, “From Dartmouth through the USA Rugby pathways, and now standing proudly on the world stage, her journey is defined by unwavering determination and heart. Returning from the PWR to represent Boston in its inaugural season, she’s not just playing the game—she’s shaping its future. Every setback has been a stepping stone, every new chapter an opportunity to lead and inspire. She proves that with hard work, resilience, and a relentless pursuit of excellence, anything is possible.”

Paige Stathopoulos, the hometown kid from East Sandwich, MA rounds out WER Boston’s F5 players selected by Coach Ruiz. Stathopoulos found rugby in college at Boston University where she also played ice hockey for the Terriers from 2012 to 2016. She then went on to play for Northeast Academy, a program known for developing national and international talent from 2014 to 2019 which led to her selection for the USA Falcon 7s in 2019 and selection to the USA 15s in 2023. Stathopoulos played in the WPL for the Glendale Merlins in 2019 winning a championship alongside her then and now teammate Okine before joining Beantown in 2020 where she played the next four seasons. Stathopoulos will most likely play the hooker, two position for WER Boston. “Paige’s journey is the embodiment of relentless determination. From moving across states to venturing across the pond to play in the PWR, she has never wavered in her pursuit of excellence. She has proven that with passion, perseverance, and unwavering dedication, the path to greatness is built one step at a time”, expounded Ruiz.

About WER

After the 2022 “Ignite the Change” campaign which sought to professionalize women’s rugby in the United States from the former player run and operated amateur league (WPL), Women’s Elite Rugby was founded and formed. The league announced their official launch in 2024 with the inaugural season starting in March 2025 centering six teams in Boston, Chicago, Denver, New York, San Francisco Bay Area, and Twin Cities featuring 180 athletes.

For more information, please contact:
Women’s Elite Rugby
inquiries@womenseliterugby.us

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Women’s Elite Rugby Announces Partnership with DAZN for Global Broadcast Rights

March 28, 2025

Fans will be able to watch all WER games live and on-demand for free only on DAZN UNITED STATES (March 20, 2025) – Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) , the first professional women’s rugby league in the United States, is proud to announce a groundbreaking media partnership with DAZN, the leading global sports entertainment platform, to bring all the action from the inaugural 2025 season to fans across the country and around the world. With this partnership, DAZN’s platform becomes the only place for fans to enjoy all Women’s Elite Rugby games live and on-demand for free, alongside an exclusive, new mid-week highlights program. Women’s Elite Rugby joins DAZN’s extensive offering of women’s sport content, enjoyed by fans worldwide. DAZN holds the largest portfolio of women’s football rights in the world including the UEFA Women’s Champions League, Liga F, Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga, Arkema Première Ligue and Serie A Femminile. DAZN also broadcasts top-tier women’s basketball, tennis and volleyball competitions in select markets. “We are thrilled to enter into this media partnership with DAZN,” said Jessica Hammond-Graf, President of Women’s Elite Rugby . “This collaboration marks a major milestone for Women’s Elite Rugby as we continue to grow the sport and provide a platform for our talented athletes headed into our inaugural season. With the combined reach of DAZN, we are excited to deliver top-tier women’s rugby to a global audience and bring the game to new fans around the world.” The first game of the WER season is Saturday, March 22 with the New York Exiles hosting the Boston Banshees at Memorial Stadium in Mt. Vernon at 3pm (EST). The regular season will run March 22 through June 14 with matches being played on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. To see the full schedule and purchase tickets, please visit the WER website: https://www.womenseliterugby.us/2025-schedule . "DAZN’s partnership with Women’s Elite Rugby means that fans around the world eager to watch the inaugural season of this exciting competition can do so for free, alongside other premium women’s sports,” said Esmeralda Negron, Co-CEO of Women’s Sports at DAZN . “DAZN is committed to growing the reach and popularity of women’s rugby, having already set the standard for sports entertainment and the global broadcasting of premium women’s football." DAZN’s unrivalled scale, global footprint, and significant women’s sport audience is uniquely positioned to help build an engaged fanbase for Women’s Elite Rugby, with both DAZN and the league committed to growing the product through collaborative marketing efforts. For members of the media interested in speaking to a WER representative about the broadcast rights deals and any other topics regarding the league, please contact Sam Pell at wer@lindarothpr.com . For the latest news and update, follow WER on Facebook , Instagram , Twitter and LinkedIn . 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/ . About DAZN As a world-leading sports entertainment platform, DAZN streams over 90,000 live events annually and is available in more than 200 markets worldwide. DAZN is the global home of European football, women’s football, boxing and MMA, as well as the NFL internationally. The platform features the biggest sports and leagues from around the world – Bundesliga, Serie A, LALIGA, Ligue 1, Formula 1, NBA, Moto GP, and many more, including FIFA Club World Cup 2025. DAZN is transforming the way people enjoy sport. With a single, frictionless platform, sports fans can watch, play, buy, and connect. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN. DAZN is a global, privately-owned company, founded in 2016, with more than 3,000 employees. For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit www.dazngroup.com .

USA Rugby and Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) Formalize Sanctioning Agreement Ahead of Historic Inaugural Season

March 28, 2025

Partnership Elevates Women's 15s Rugby to New Heights, Aligning with World Rugby Standards UNITED STATES — 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. This official sanctioning confirms that WER will 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 U.S. 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.

Women’s Elite Rugby Announces Partnership with Pinto Capital LLC

March 28, 2025

Pinto Capital is a sports M&A financing company, specialising in brokering sports investments UNITED STATES – Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) is delighted to announce the appointment of Pinto Capital LLP as strategic finance advisors and partners as the league progresses into Series A. With the boom of women’s sports valuations in the United States and in the United Kingdom creating exciting new opportunities, Pinto Capital is the ideal partner to support WER’s continued growth for many seasons to come. Pinto Capital is a sports M&A financing company, specializing in brokering sports investments, founded by former investment banker and hedge fund owner Laurie Pinto. Pinto Capital has been responsible for brokering ownership deals across the sports spectrum from the Premier League to the National League as well as wider work in (the) Bundesliga, USL and more. In October 2024, Pinto Capital announced the first sale ever of a county cricket team to an international group, after advising and brokering the sale of Hampshire County Cricket Club to GMR Global Pte Ltd. In January, it was also announced that Pinto Capital LLP started working with Leicestershire County Cricket Club (LCCC) to explore financing options to fund the County’s future development plans. “We are extremely excited to be working with the team at Women’s Elite Rugby to help drive the commercialisation of the sport as a whole,” said Pinto Capital Founder Laurie Pinto. “Rugby is one of the leading women’s sport - from rising social media stars to growing grassroots participation - and we look forward to taking it to new heights.” Working with WER was the perfect fit for Pinto Capital, with the growing interest and popularity of women’s rugby among the masses. Coming off the 2024 Paris Olympic Games where the USA Eagles took a Bronze medal, interest in women’s rugby spiked in the US with USA Club Rugby noting a spike of 64% in registered members for the 2024-2025 season. Men, women, non-binary and gender-diverse individuals all saw an increase in participation and registration within the organization after the Paris Olympics with women making up 45% of new players . Women’s rugby valuation is on the rise as businesswoman and entrepreneur Michelle Kang, who has invested in various women’s sports entities including the National Women’s Soccer League’s (NWSL) Washington Spirit, donated $4 million to USA Rugby 7s team. In the UK, women’s rugby is also growing with Sports England highlighting that the number of women playing rugby has grown from 25,000 to 40,000 from 2017 to 2022 . Particularly, US superstar IIona Maher has seen her stardom pay off overseas, since joining the Bristol Bears, she debuted to a sold out crowd of 9,240 fans which was double their previous crowd. Maher’s valuation continues to soar as she recently signed a multi-year deal with Adidas , demonstrating that rugby players can be featured on the world stage as global ambassadors alongside other sport athletes. Launching its inaugural season in March 2025, Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) is set to be an exhilarating new league featuring six professional teams competing across the U.S. The first game of the WER season is Saturday, March 22 with the New York Exiles hosting the Boston Banshees at Memorial Stadium in Mt. Vernon at 3pm (EST). The regular season will run March 22 through June 14 with matches being played on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. To see the full schedule and purchase tickets, please visit the WER website: https://www.womenseliterugby.us/2025-schedule . “We are thrilled to have Pinto Capital on board with us at WER,” said WER President Jessica Hammond Graf. “Pinto Capital brings a wealth of experience having worked with premier leagues and teams around the world. We have no doubt that our partnership together will elevate our league to new levels that assist us in furthering our mission to provide a world class rugby league for our athletes, coaches and fans.” For media members interested in speaking to a WER representative about Pinto Capital LLP and any other topics regarding the league, please contact Sam Pell at wer@lindarothpr.com . For the latest news and update, follow WER on Facebook , Instagram , Twitter and LinkedIn . 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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IDA Sports Become Official Footwear Partner Of Women’s Elite Rugby

March 12, 2025

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Women’s Elite Rugby Announces Partnership with Destination Sport Group

March 10, 2025

UNITED STATES (March 10, 2025) – Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) is thrilled to announce a new multi-year partnership with Destination Sport Group , as the leading sports travel management company becomes the Official Travel Partner of the premier women’s rugby league in the United States. Destination Sport Travel, the group’s specialist travel management division, will provide proactive support to WER and its six clubs, coordinating flights, accommodation and logistics for travelling teams, alongside business travel support for staff and executives. Launching its inaugural season in March 2025, Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) is set to be an exhilarating new league featuring six professional teams competing across the U.S. The first game of the WER season is Saturday, March 22 with the New York Exiles hosting the Boston Banshees at Memorial Stadium in Mt. Vernon at 4pm (EST). The regular season will run March 22 through June 14 with matches being played on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. To see the full schedule and purchase tickets, please visit the WER website: https://www.womenseliterugby.us/2025-schedule. As the partnership evolves, Destination Sport Group will also work with WER to create touring opportunities for grassroots rugby-playing organizations and fan travel experiences via its inspiresport and SportsBreaks brands. “Women's Elite Rugby is thrilled to partner with travel industry leader Destination Sport Travel for all of our travel needs for the season,” said Jessica Hammond-Graf, WER President. “This collaboration will not only provide seamless travel solutions for our teams, but it also demonstrates DST's commitment to rugby and the growth of women's sports. We are proud to call them our partners as we launch our inaugural season.” Destination Sport Group operates across North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania, establishing itself as a global leader in sports travel management. The company boasts significant involvement in professional rugby globally, including existing partnerships with Major League Rugby and elite clubs, national teams and governing bodies around the world. President of Destination Sport North America, Jeremy Parkins, added: “We are proud to be a major partner of rugby’s global footprint. Our partnership with Women’s Elite Rugby continues to exemplify our priority in the growth of Women’s sports and the sport of Rugby. In North America, we’re committed to playing our part through our successful partnership with Major League Rugby and we are eager to replicate this success with Women’s Elite Rugby.” For media members interested in speaking to a WER representative about the partnership with Destination Sport Group or any other topics regarding the league, please contact Sam Pell at wer@lindarothpr.com. For the latest news and update, follow WER on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. 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/. About Destination Sport Group Destination Sport Group (DSG) is a global leader in sports travel, offering a range of best-in-class services to teams, governing bodies, organisations and fans worldwide. Comprising seven specialist divisions, DSG offers a comprehensive solution including travel management for elite sports organisations, fan travel experiences, youth sports tours, branded travel and hospitality experiences, and mass participation event travel. With 400+ employees across UK and Europe, North America, Middle East, Asia and Oceania, Destination Sport Group combines local insights with global expertise.