TC Gemini Announce Their Foundational Five Players Ahead of the League’s Inaugural Season
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 .
Twin Cities head coach Sylvia Braaten designated Emerson Allen (Golden Valley, MN), Abbey Jacobs (La Farge, WI), Marisa “Ris” Hall (Cottage Grove, MN), Katrina “Trina” Nunes (Chippewa Falls, WI), and Tatyana Reed (Center Point, IA) as her foundational five players. Braaten brings to the helm of Twin Cities a wealth of championship experience as she has previously coached at Harvard University where she won National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) championships in 2019, 2023 and 2024. Additionally, Braaten has worked with the USA women’s national rugby 15s team since 2020.
TC Gemini Foundational Five Players
After playing high school soccer and volleyball Emerson Allen attended Eckerd College where she began playing rugby in 2017 until 2019, before going to play at Life University in 2019 until 2022. During her time playing at Life, Allen and her teammates were national runners-up for the NIRA Division I Elite level three years in a row. After her collegiate journey, Allen competed for the Metropolis 7s in 2018, the USA U23 team from 2021 to 2022, the San Clemente Rhinos rugby team in 2024, along with being selected to the USA 15s in 2024. In selecting Allen, Coach Braaten asserted, “I’ve witnessed first-hand Emerson’s hunger for learning and growing as a skilled rugby player and a team leader. Her experience playing with different high-level teams such as the USA WNT 15s, Railway in Ireland, and most recently in a full-time training environment with the Rhinos Academy will help us set the tone for our team as we gear up for the inaugural season. She is an incredible teammate, brings a contagious positive energy and is a physical force to be reckoned with on the field.”
Abbey Jacobs joins Twin Cities Gemini after playing collegiate club rugby at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire from 2019 to 2023 where she was a national collegiate rugby All-American. After college Jacobs joined and played for the Women’s Premiere League’s (WPL) Twin Cities Amazons the past two seasons. Jacobs has also played for the National Age-Grade Pathway with the U18s, U20s, and U23 teams. For Twin Cities Gemini fans could potentially see Jacobs playing the second row/lock or eight-man positions. When explaining why Jacobs was essential in her foundational five group, Braaten expressed, “Abbey brings a fierce, ‘take no shit from no one’ attitude on the field.’ She is a physical player who will bring gain line carries on attack and dominate collisions on defense. As someone who has been making her way through the USA pathway, I am excited to see the growth she will make in a consistent training environment surrounded by other high-level players.”
Ris Hall, a Minnesota native brings a legacy of excellence with her to Twin Cities Gemini. As a collegiate player she won two NIRA national titles over her collegiate career at Lindenwood University (2016 and 2017). After graduating from Lindenwood, Hall played for a wide variety of teams honing her skill set. She played for the Scion Sirens 7s from 2019 to this past year, the Nova 15s from 2022 to 2024, the Honeybadgers 10s in 2024, as well as stents for the Minneapolis 7s, Minnesota State Team, and East Metro. Braaten looks to lean on Hall’s high caliber play and experience at the second row/lock, blindside flanker, openside flanker, and eight-man positions as a member of her team, stating, “A Lindenwood University alum with experience playing on several other talented and successful teams such Scion, Nova 15s, Honey Badgers 10s, and most recently Rhinos Rugby Academy. Marisa brings a relentless work rate, a mean fend, and bone-crushing tackles.”
Trina Nunes has been playing rugby since 2012 when she joined the rugby team at the University of North Dakota. However, after that year she transferred to University of Wisconsin-River Falls where she played from 2013 to 2016. After her collegiate career, Nunes was selected to the U23 Minnesota Select side in 2016, the Midwest Thunderbirds U23s in 2016, Midwest Women’s Thunderbirds in 2012, 2023, and 2024 and then became a member of the WPL’s Twin Cities Amazons in 2017 until this past season. Nunes brings the ability to play the blindside flanker, openside flanker, and eight-man positions to Twin Cities Gemini. “Katrina leads from the front and her work rate and passion is unmatched. She is constantly working to improve, uplift and better those around her. In addition to her off-field leadership, she is a beast on the field where her high work rate allows her to be a defensive menace,” said Braaten.
For Tatyana Reed competing in rugby began during college as her youth interscholastic focus was on soccer. As a Midwest native, Reed stayed closer to home playing and attending college at the University of Northern Iowa where she was selected to the 2021 DI All-Championship team. After college, Reed played for the Midwest All Stars in 2022, the U23 Midwest Thunderbirds in 2022, and played for the WPL’s Twin Cities Amazons rugby team the past two seasons. As a fly-half, Braaten is excited to add Reed’s field vision to her team expounding, “Tatyana is incredibly detailed and has tremendous field vision with a high game IQ – two important skill sets to be able to thrive at this level. I’m most looking forward to seeing her use her attacking prowess and her playmaking ability to set up those around her.
About WER
To learn more about the team’s foundational five players, please follow WER on their social media platforms @rugbyevolved or check out the league’s website at https://www.womenseliterugby.us/. After the 2022 “Ignite the Change” campaign seeking to professionalize women’s rugby in the United States from the former Women’s Premier League Rugby player-run and operated amateur league, Women’s Elite Rugby was founded and formed. 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.
For more information, please contact:
Women’s Elite Rugby
inquiries@womenseliterugby.us
