US women’s rugby stole the spotlight this week, as incoming domestic league Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) prepares for its first-ever season while USA Rugby gears up for a newly announced series of home friendlies.
In the lead-up to the kickoff of the 2025 Rugby World Cup in England this August, the world No. 9-ranked Eagles will be playing a pair of tune-up friendlies, taking on No. 11 Japan in Los Angeles on April 26th before facing No. 2 Canada in Kansas City on May 2nd.
The national team will then play a final send-off match against No. 16 Fiji in Washington, DC, on July 19th before heading to London for the 10th edition of the international tournament.
Momentum continues with new women's rugby league
The Eagles' pre-World Cup tour aims to continue the sport's momentum that the team initially sparked during last summer's Olympic bronze medal-winning run in Paris.
That standout performance prompted increased demand for more consistent women’s rugby programming in the States, with longtime proponents of the sport welcoming fresh fans into the fold with hopes of continuing to grow the game in the US.
Some of the increased demand will be met by WER, as the new league formalized its sanctioning agreement with USA Rugby earlier this week in anticipation of their March 22nd kick-off.
With six teams representing the Bay Area, Boston, Chicago, Denver, New York, and the Twin Cities, WER will play a three-month regular season before contesting the league's first playoffs.
"We are confident that the start of WER will be a key moment in the growth of the sport," said WER president Jessica Hammond-Graf in a statement. "We can’t wait for fans to experience the excitement and intensity of high-level, professional women’s rugby in the US."
How to buy tickets to US women's rugby games
Tickets to the Eagles’ World Cup send-off tour go on sale March 28th, while fans hoping to catch WER’s debut season can purchase seats online now.
In today’s episode of The Late Sub, host Claire Watkins breaks down the ins and outs of every NWSL quarterfinal, including who to keep on upset watch and what to expect tactically between the lines.
Then, Watkins sits down with 2024 Olympic bronze medalist rugby player Sammy Sullivan to chat about the future of rugby in the US. Sullivan digs into how she balances the rugby's newfound spotlight with the day-to-day grind of being a pro athlete, plus how fans can keep up with Team USA Rugby all year-round.
The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.
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Competing for the first time since Paris, Olympic bronze medalists USA Rugby will feature in Portlands's Premier Rugby Sevens All-Star Tournament next month.
The one-day event will pit Team USA against the PR7s All-Stars across multiple 14-minute matches.
"We anticipate this event to be a record-setting tournament for rugby fans in the US," said PR7s founder and CEO Owen Scannell. "Our PR7s All-Star format ensures high-level competition as the US national teams prepare to return to international competition... We’re thrilled to make history with USA Rugby."
Premier Rugby Sevens leads the sport
The USA Rugby-sanctioned PR7s is a 16-team touring league at the highest level of rugby sevens competition in the US. Since its 2021 launch, the league has also enshrined equal pay into its fiscal model. Boasting the sport's top domestic talent, PR7s next season will kick off in summer 2025.
PR7s was well-represented in Paris as a full 21 of the league's athletes found their way onto the Olympic podium. Five helped New Zealand win back-to-back gold and four boosted silver-medalists Canada to their best Olympic result yet. Plus, a full 12 of the 14 athletes on Team USA's bronze medal-winning roster have played on the PR7s pitch.
Harnessing Olympic success to grow US rugby
Next month's PR7s All-Star Tournament aims to capitalize on this summer's Olympic medal moment in growing the sport.
"This is a great opportunity for fans to see our Olympians back in action and for rugby to continue building momentum in the US with our partners at PR7s," said USA Rugby CEO Bill Goren on Tuesday.
Even before last summer's medal matches, the Paris Games' rugby sevens competition drew sold-out crowds of over 66,000 fans and built celebrity followings.
Team USA's bronze, the first Olympic medal ever won by the US in rugby sevens, sparked instant support for the sport domestically, from fans and investors alike. Only hours after the medal ceremony, the US team received a $4 million investment from women's sports owner and new rugby sevens fan Michele Kang to support a run to LA's 2028 podium.
The PR7s All-Star Tournament is the next step in the sport's domestic growth. Even more, it's the first competition where fans can celebrate their Olympic heroes on home soil.
How to buy tickets to the PR7s All-Star Tournament in Portland
The tournament kicks off at 5 PM ET on November 17th at Portland's Providence Park, with tickets available via SeatGeek.