The six Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) teams have announced their extended rosters, and now the founding members of the first U.S. women’s rugby professional 15s league are known. WER also just released its league schedule and venues ahead of a late-March kickoff. [lead photo: Taufoou, Brody and Johnson head to WER / Johan Rynners – World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images]
As one might imagine, all six rosters feature mostly Women’s Premier League (WPL) players who have remained in their cities as they transitioned into WER hubs — but some more than others. There are 15s Eagles returning from the U.K.-based Premier Women’s Rugby (PWR); players swapping coasts; recent collegians starting two professional tracks post graduation; as well as international players from Brazil, Canada, Mexico, England and Australia.
Find an overview of each WER team below, including links to each player’s Instagram profile, where known.
BAY BREAKERS
Bay Breakers Head Coach Hannah Stolba had both the WPL Berkeley and Life West player pools from which to pull, and those two clubs are very well represented on the 30-player roster (17 forwards and 13 backs). Also read: Foundational Five players’ profiles
Of note, Isabela Gonzalez Berazueta Burgos brings Mexico national team experience to the squad and counts Aimee Ramos as a Serpientes teammate. Miri Marawa is of course a well known Fijian international who has been playing with Life West for years. Evan Hoese, Shelby Lin, Taina Tukuafu and Mona Lisa Tupou are all capped 15s Eagles who have been playing in the Bay.
A trio of Loughborough PWR players — Eagles Alev Kelter, Bulou Mataitoga, Kathryn Treder — join the team. Mataitoga has All Blues roots, and Treder knows the West Coast through Stanford rugby. Kelter is interesting because the crossover athlete did not play college, senior club or WPL rugby before representing both USA 7s and 15s national teams. For 15s in particular, that is truly incredible. So the Breakers and WER will mark the Olympian’s first domestic 15s competition.
It is worth noting that the U.K.-based PWR has adjusted its season this year to account for the Rugby World Cup 2025 in England. The semifinals are March 1-2, and the final is March 16. As such, most of the Americans who are playing in the PWR overseas league are available for WER selection, but that might not be the case next year when the PWR calendar reverts to a season that culminates in June.
Dana Alimena is back on the West Coast, where the Pennsylvania native first played college ball and later in the WPL. She also played WPL with New York and has spent multiple season overseas in Spain. Aly Namosimalua has traveled for high-level and residency 7s (Rhinos, Chicago Lions, PR 7s), but it’ll be good to see the Sacramento Amazons product back on the 15s pitch.
ROSTER
Dana Alimena
Isabela Gonzalez Berazueta Burgos
Olivia Bernadel-Huey*
Naomi Carrillo
Kathryn Clark
Hope Cooper
Elena Edwards*
Paris Hart
Evan Hoese
Ari Jurkowski
Alev Kelter
Sophie Lamphier
Shelby Lin
Celine Liulamaga*
Miriama Marawa
Monica Marquez
Bulou Mataitoga
Jade McGrath*
Aly Namosimalua
Roz Okpara
Aimee Ramos
Kristen Siano
Roxelle Thomas*
Cassandra Tong
Kathryn Treder
Taina Tukuafu
Mona Lisa Tupou
Sierra Watkins
Tonya Wessman
Abby Vogel
*Foundational Five player
BOSTON BANSHEES
Boston Banshees Head Coach Kitt Ruiz has selected 27 players (15 forwards, 12 backs) for the inaugural squad. Twenty-one of those players have represented the WPL’s Beantown team. Also read: Foundational Five players’ profiles
Home from the PWR are 15s Eagles Catie Benson (Sale Sharks) and Foundational Five (F5) players Emily Henrich (Leicester) and Paige Stathopoulos (Trailfinders). Fellow F5 Cassidy Bargell as well as Jenny Kronish are also capped 15s Eagles. Natalie Armatage brings cross-the-border experience from the Univ. Guelph and has been part of the Canada’s age grade pathway.
Boston and New York are the top contenders to absorb that NIRA-NCAA rugby experience, and the Banshees are rich in DI Brown, Harvard and Dartmouth rugby grads. USA age grade standout Ashley Cowdrey had been playing with DII NCAA Davenport University and has re-emerged in the professional WER setup. There are many collegiate programs obviously, and DIA has alums from Life University (Nickky Ngyuyen, Angie Owen) and Penn State (Eliza Altobelli, Kaitlyn Sosa), too.
“Building the Banshees isn’t just about creating a team — it’s about creating a legacy,” Ruiz said. “When our players step onto the field, they carry more than just our gameplan. They carry the spirit of every woman+ who ever dreamed of playing professional rugby but never had the chance. Being part of the first-ever women’s+ professional rugby league in America isn’t just an honor, it’s a revolution. We’re not just playing games, we’re breaking barriers. Our trailblazing athletes are rewriting what’s possible in American rugby. Like the banshee of legend, our presence will be felt, our impact will be unmistakable, and our voice in this sport will echo far beyond Boston.”
ROSTER
Eliza Altobelli
Natalie Armatage
Cassidy Bargell*
Catie Benson
Salma Bezzat
Ashley Cowdrey
Morgan Cunningham
Yeja Dunn*
Lauren Ferridge
Rachael Harkavy
Emily Henrich*
Jenny Kronish
Jenni Laferriere
Katie Lohaus
Nickky Nguyen
Q Okine*
Angie Owen
Alexandra Pipkin
Genevieve Quirion
Emma Santosuosso
Abbey Savin
Amanda Schweitzer
Kaitlyn Sosa
Paige Stathopoulos*
Shelby Vance
Caitlin Weigel
Oliver Wright
*Foundational Five player
CHICAGO TEMPEST
Chicago Tempest Head Coach Bryan Colbridge has filled all 30 player spots with 17 forwards and 13 backs. Cienna Jordan is one of the Foundational Five players but sustained an injury that has forced a move to the Injured Reserve List. Also read: Foundational Five players’ profiles
“With a huge amount of talent declaring for the WER, I am thrilled with the squad that we have assembled for Chicago Tempest, with players from around the U.S. and beyond that fit the style of rugby we’re building towards,” he said. “We have selected players with a rich blend of cultures, backgrounds and experiences, exciting young players recently out of college and a handful of leaders with a large number of rugby years under their belt. With a focus on attacking flair and fluidity and relentless defensive commitment, all players bring a super-strength to the table, offering a range of complementary skills and the ability to gel quickly as a group.”
Chicago rugby is certainly present within the Tempest, with Chicago North Shore and Chicago Lions both showing well, but folks did some traveling to boot up in the Windy City. From the Midwest, there’s a solid contingent from Ohio, and standouts from the Univ. Iowa and Univ. Michigan. Erika Farias and Adriana Mendoza Silva , both of whom are capped Mexico athletes, and Hali Deters relocate from the Pacific Northwest. Abby Albrecht heads north from Houston. Kit Buzby (Life, Atlanta), Sarah Curvin (Raleigh), Christen Jackson (James River), Taylor White (Memphis), Ilene Andrade (Queens, Life) and the Marines’ Ubaida Ahmed have all played in the South.
As for international players, two hail from Australia — Brooke Walklate and Ellie Reiter — and Isla Alejandro has most recently been playing with the PWR Saracens. A lot of different elements, which will be really fun to watch come together.
ROSTER
Ubaida Ahmed
Abby Albrecht
Isla Alejandro
Sarah (Esther) Anderson
Ilene Andrade
MarCaya Bailous
Kit Buzby
Sarah Curvin
Hali Deters
Anabel Diaz*
Jess Dombrowski
Erika Farias
Emma Farnan*
Nicole Fisch
Tito Harrison
Christen Jackson
Narcisse Jordan
Lauren Kuffel
Katie Lamont
Amaryha McGowan
Ashley Mencke
Betty Nguyen*
Olga Niyibizi
Indigo Niznik-Darden
Ellie Reiter
Kadie Sanford*
Adriana Mendoza Silva
Jayla Twitty
Brooke Walklate
Taylor White
*Foundational Five player
DENVER ONYX
Denver Onyx Head Coach Sarah Chobot has named 29 players (16 forwards, 13 backs) to the roster. The vast majority of players hail from the WPL Colorado Gray Wolves. Also read: Foundational Five players’ profiles
“I am very excited to push this team to play a fun brand of rugby,” Chobot said. “Top to bottom, they’re good rugby players, and tremendous humans! This team is spicy, so bring the milk and get ready to be entertained!”
Onyx leads in the way of USA 15s experience. F5 players Rachel Ehrecke, McKenzie Hawkins and Maya Learned, as well as Saher Hamdan, KB Slaughter, Hallie Taufoou and Carly Waters have all earned caps while playing with the Gray Wolves. Taufoou is returning from the PWR’s Loughborough, and Eagles Tahlia Brody (Leicester) and Rachel Johnson (Exeter) are also back stateside. Eagle flyhalf Kristin Bitter, who played at Dartmouth and then WPL Life West, is in Denver as well. Also excited to see Lindenwood grad Kapoina Bailey on the pitch. The Hawaii native spent five seasons in St. Charles, Mo., while working through the USA age grades, and WER will be the loose forward’s first step into senior club 15s rugby.
Alessandra Bender Cruz and Monique Coffey bring international experience from Mexico and Canada, respectively.
ROSTER
Kapoina Bailey
Jeanna Beard
Alessandra Bender Cruz
Kristin Bitter
Tahlia Brody
Monique Coffey
Erica Coulibaly*
Sheila Decker
Rachel Ehrecke*
Denali Graham
Saher Hamdan
Carson Hann
McKenzie Hawkins*
Rachel Johnson
Kianna Lally
Laura LaVigne
Maya Learned*
Hannah Long
Kelsie O’Brien
Evie Oglesby
Justine Perl
Gabby Rivera
KB Slaughter
Gianna Solomon
Amy Spafford
Hallie Taufoou
Julie Tordonato
Carly Waters
Tahna Wilfley*
*Foundational Five player
NEW YORK EXILES
New York Exiles Head Coach Diego Maquieira maxed out his 30-player allotment, signing 15 backs and 15 forwards. Also read: Foundational Five players’ profiles
“This roster is loaded with a mix of upcoming stars and grizzled vets who are looking to establish an exciting brand of rugby that will make the city proud,” Maquieira said. “We’re looking forward to putting on a show for our fans and stamping our place amongst the storied professional sports franchises that call New York home.”
New York Rugby Club features heavily on the roster — primarily from the WPL side but also from its DII side. Cam Osses is an in-state pickup from DII Albany. Pennsylvania’s Faith Morley, a recent grad and co-captain for NCAA DII West Chester University Women’s Rugby, is also a nearby addition. Scout Cheeks is a Penn State product who linked with DI NOVA for 15s, and she’ll reunite with former Nittany Lions teammate Tess Feury, who returns from the PWR Leicester Tigers. The USA 15s Eagle and Morris, N.J., native has represented NYRC in the WPL before.
A few players have made big moves to join the Exiles, including Univ. Central Florida alum Gabby Pennino, Berkeley transfer Emily Brower, and Washington state’s Kayla Hunkin-Clark, who has also represented Samoa 15s internationally. Gio Cruz, F5 Adriana Castillo and Denisse Zambon-Regalado have all donned the Dominican Republic national team kit, and F5 Jenn Salomon-Clayton is a familiar Mexico 7s member.
ROSTER
Kristin Aliberto
Liz Berridge
Emily Brower
Nic Carroll
Adriana Castillo*
Scout Cheeks
Chloe Correia
Gio Cruz
Justina DeBruzzi
Tess Feury
Sophie Frick
Misha Green-Yotts*
Jade Greenfield
Kayla Hunkin-Clark
Corina Kaiser
Matilda Kocaj*
Jordyn Marlin
Sarah Minahan
Faith Morley
Caoimhe O’Sullivan Roche
Cam Osses
Jetta Owens*
Gabrielle Pennino
Nikki Richardson
Shamira Robles
Jessie Ruiz
Cari Pick
Jenn Salomon-Clayton*
Daisy Titus
Denisse Zambon-Regalado
*Foundational Five player
TC GEMINI
TC Gemini Head Coach Sylvia Braaten has chosen 29 players — 17 forwards and 12 backs — for the inaugural squad. Nineteen athletes have WPL experience and 12 hail from the Twin Cities Amazons. Also read: Foundational Five players’ profiles
“We couldn’t be more excited about our team and the upcoming inaugural WER season,” Braaten said. “Our players are hungry and have proven they are ready to put in the work and build this pre-season. Some of the key factors we were looking for when selecting our team was work rate, ability to beat defenders and dominate collisions. We’re excited to showcase that tenacity and aggression on both sides of the ball this season. We’ve brought in several players from outside our market to join with our local talent pool so we are putting a lot of focus into building cohesion and connection on and off the pitch. When we get that right, we’ll have the ability to turn heads this season.”
Those “outside our market” players include Sam Black and Tonia O’Neill, key personnel from the reigning DII club national champion, Tampa Bay Krewe; and a SoCal trio in USA 15s-capped Kayla Lawson, USA age grader Sam Brackett, and Ventura stalwart Desiree Leaupepe. Bianca Curtis is also from SoCal and an USA age grade player, and spent the last few years driving the DI Grand Canyon University program in Arizona. Serena Liu has represented WPL Berkeley but recently spent two solid months in SoCal (San Clemente) for Rhinos residency. Nonetheless, a big move to Minnesota, and same for Kailynn Hampton, who ships north from the Colorado Gray Wolves.
Curtis is part of a larger contingent of recent college grads. Notre Dame College standout Lucy Leatherman is in the Twin Cities. The No. 8 is the younger sister to USA 15s prop Alivia Leatherman, who is also returning from PWR Trailfinders to boot up alongside her sibling. (F5 Emerson Allen is the third USA 15s Eagle on the squad.) The duo are originally from Ohio. Hannah Pfersh played high school ball in Wisconsin before heading to NCAA DI Quinnipiac University, and now she’s back in the area after graduating last spring. Izzy Currie was a regular try-scorer for Univ. Wisconsin Eau Claire as it grew in national stature, and F5 Abbey Jacobs is a former Blugold teammate. And finally, Indiana native Emily Mack helped Life University to its first-ever DI Elite (now DIA) 15s National Championship last spring, and then stayed active with Life West and the Rhinos Academy before joining WER.
And to round it all out, Gemini has a few international athletes in Calgary’s Trinity Todd, University of Exeter’s Mikey Williams, and Brazil’s Joanne Marrese, who also played scrumhalf with WPL Berkeley for a season.
ROSTER
Emerson Allen*
Sam Black
Sam Brackett
Ciara Clawson
Isabelle Currie
Bianca Curtis
Brooke Doerscher
Ali Gillberg
Marisa Hall*
Kailynn Hampton
Abbey Jacobs*
Emilee Jalosuo
Emily Juhl
Maggie Kleyer
Kayla Lawson
Alivia Leatherman
Lucy Leatherman
Desiree Leaupepe
Serena Liu
Emily Mack
Joana Marrese
Katrina Nunes
Tonia O’Neill
Hannah Pfersch
Tatyana Reed*
Josie Rogers
Trinity Todd
Tara Viken
Mikey Williams
*Foundational Five player