Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) Celebrates National Girls and Women in Sports Day by Highlighting the Growth of the Game

Hallie Martin • February 5, 2025

WRITTEN BY Allison Smith, WER

UNITED STATES— Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) launches this March as the first professional women’s rugby league in the United States building off the incredible momentum of girls and women’s sports that has taken place within the country and across the globe over the last several years.

Since the 2021 Rugby World Cup, women’s rugby active registered participants has increased by almost 34% and more than 1.3 million young women and girls came into contact with the game in 2023.

Ushered in by the success of the USA women’s 7s rugby team in the Paris Olympics who took an unexpected bronze medal and launched a celebrity-like following of star Ilona Maher, USA Club Rugby noted 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 .

What is incredibly encouraging about the surge of rugby in the US is the post-pandemic increase in pre-teen participation highlighting the appeal of the sport to a new age group and generation, particularly, 24% of this increase belongs to girls . Sport participation to girls, especially a physical sport like rugby allows them to display characteristics that many times society messages to ignore and submerge instead of amplify. However, in rugby, girls are allowed to unleash physicality, aggression, dominance, strength, and speed.

For young pre-teen and teen girls, sports like rugby cultivate skills, traits, and experiences that lead to leadership development , as research has found that 94% of women that played sports in their youth become c-suite executives . Additionally, research has found that girls that play sports have higher self-esteem, better body image, more confidence, and do better academically than their peers that do not participate in sports.

Rugby is a unique sport as it offers a life-long sporting opportunity as it can be played at all ages and across the life-span. Rugby also provides an avenue and sense of diversity, and can establish a tight-knit community amongst teammates and the cities and towns players compete within. Bay Breakers Jade McGrath situated the importance of rugby in her life stating, “I sought out rugby for the contact but stayed for the community. Rugby has blessed me with the best people and experiences in my life. There’s no other space that allows you to grow and express yourself the way rugby does, and the people you get to do it with are really the best people you’ll meet. I love being a part of the game, and I love giving back to it however I can.” Chicago Tempest player Betty Nguyen also positioned the importance of the rugby community stating, “I play rugby because I’ve made lifelong friends on every team that I’ve played for. The rugby community is filled with fierce, fun, and inclusive people and you know that you are amongst friends if you walk into a place and there is rugby on the TV. I have found my people through rugby and that’s why I keep playing.”

As the first professional league of its kind, WER seeks to provide this sense of community not only for the players themselves, but also the fans that will be walking into the venues, stadiums and attending the matches. The league and its teams want to provide inspiration to the next generation of players, especially for young girls to be able to see it, so they can be it.

About WER

To learn more about WER, please follow the league and its teams 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
E: media@womenseliterugby.us

https://www.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.