Women’s Elite Rugby to Launch Pro League in 2025

April 10, 2024 — Today marks the official announcement regarding the launch of Women’s Elite Rugby (WER), the first professional women’s rugby league 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 that was established in 2009. With the creation of WER, 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.

This new, professional league will provide a space that enables athletes to pursue their rugby goals while being fairly compensated for their dedication to elite performance. WER will also deliver younger players a pipeline to a professional league, helping to increase and promote the next generation of women’s rugby athletes.

WER is led by a diverse team of veterans of the U.S. rugby market, experienced sports business professionals and media experts. WER President Dr. Jessica Hammond-Graf is currently an Assistant Professor in the Sport Management & Athletic Leadership programs at Vermont State University at Castleton. As a former International rugby player & NCAA Athletic Director, she is one of a handful of dedicated women that have spearheaded the efforts to launch this league.

“For 15 years, women’s rugby players in the Women’s Premier League have played in an amateur, pay-to-play, cross-country league and the consensus is this model is no longer sustainable,” stated Hammond-Graf. “The mission of the WER is to be the defining standard of rugby in the United States. We are so proud of everything the WPL has done since 2009 to become such a strong blueprint for us, and we’re ready to take our bold, exciting, and empowering sport to the next level.”

WER’s inaugural season is slated to start in 2025.

WER is in active conversation with all current WPL teams for the inaugural season. The WER has the intention to start with 6-8 teams, with a target model of 30 players per team, and then looks to build toward a strategic expansion plan over the next ten years. Locations are still being determined at this time. WER is funded by private investors and is currently 50% through their Pre-Seed round of funding. The league plans to open the Seed round this summer. Along with athlete compensation, the WER will have paid full-time front office staff that will take on team administrative responsibilities.

Women’s rugby is now one of the fastest growing team sports in the world. In total, more than 2.7 million women play in professional leagues, at the Olympics, and in universities.

Attendance records and viewership numbers have continued to increase for women’s sports. In rugby specifically, during the 2023 Women’s Six Nations Championship, England averaged 27,166 spectators at home in 2023, including a record 58,498 in their match against France. Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team broke their attendance record last year with over 10,000 spectators and in the professional women’s club game, teams in England have been repeatedly pulling in thousands of fans.

WER Vice President Katherine Aversano is an experienced legal professional committed to elite operation standards and development of women’s+ sport. She also serves as an Information Specialist and Legal Historian for the federal government in Washington, D.C With the growth and enthusiasm for the sport, she shared how the creation of the WER is timelier than ever before.

“On the women’s rugby side of things, with WER, we really wanted to build a strong presence ahead of the 2033 Women’s Rugby World Cup in the United States,” expressed Aversano. “It’s such fantastic news that the international spotlight will be on rugby in America really starting from 2028 on with the Olympics, and then World Rugby will host the 2031 Men’s Rugby World Cup before the Women’s in 2033.”

With the creation of WER, it will ultimately become the pinnacle of women’s sports for the next generation. WER’s aim is to champion, inspire and empower the next generation of athletes – specifically women. WER will be more than the professional league; it is about building a future for the robust club participants, making a positive impact on young girls who can now have role models playing at the highest level and giving back to their respective communities. WER also wants to be that resounding voice in the sports world that emphasizes the need to be inclusive and the league welcomes and celebrates athletes of all shapes, sizes, and diversity.

About WER
Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) is the first American professional women’s rugby league. 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.