Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) has announced the framework for the player-declaration process ahead of the 2025 professional 15s season in the U.S. The organization has also answered questions regarding benefits, league structure, selection process, and more. Read the full FAQ section.
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APPLY
If you’re interested in participating in the 2025 pro season, then you must complete the WER Player Declaration process, which opens on Monday, Sept. 23 at 8 p.m. ET and closes on Sunday, Oct. 20 at 10 p.m. ET.
During the application process, you’ll be expected to fill out a player survey, medical questionnaire, HIPAA waiver and supply links to 2-3 matches with a minimum of 40 minutes playing time. Coaches will use this information to make selections for their 30-player rosters between November-January.
In terms of eligibility, there may be implications for high school and collegians, but the scenarios are vast. So WER encourages individuals to check in with their coaching staffs regarding participation in a pro league. There will also be a collegiate selection process in May. And for international players, WER cannot yet support player visas.
SELECTIONS
The first round of selections will occur in November, when each of the six teams will name five foundational players who represent their local rugby community. Two more selection rounds will follow in December, and players will be notified after each round to sign their initial league agreements. Complete rosters will be finalized in January 2025. For those not selected for the 2025 season, a limited number of On-Call Athlete positions will be available to local rugby players, who may be called into the training squad when numbers are impacted.
If players do not want to move and have a compelling case to remain in their current rugby town, they can request an In-State Athlete Designation. That status, however, does not guarantee that an athlete’s local rugby market will select them.
THE SEASON
The six-team league (Boston, Chicago, Denver, New York, SF Bay Area, Twin Cities) will play home-and-away matches from late March to late June. Pre-season begins in mid February.
Outside of travel to/from games and the games themselves, the work week will be 16 hours. The weekly schedule provides space for three two-hour training sessions; three 1.5-hour S&C sessions; and three one-hour team meetings for film review, game analysis, etc. Players will have a minimum of two days off per week.
BENEFITS
WER is in start-up mode and fundraising is on-going. That said, players are guaranteed the following thus far:
- elite training/coaching
- compete travel coverage (flight, hotel, ground transportation, meals)
- medical coverage, including access to athletic trainers, sports performance coaches and team physicians
- sports science database that will include wellness data, load management, team lifts and communication hubs, and partner with wearable technology to provide state-of-the-art metric tracking
TOWN HALLS
Have a bunch of questions? Then tune into one or all of the three town halls being held on Zoom: