Women’s Elite Rugby Announces Player Declaration Process for 2025 Season
By Priscilla Jepchumba
The framework for the player-declaration process ahead of the 2025 professional 15s season in the U.S. has been announced by the Women’s Elite Rugby (WER). Answers to questions regarding benefits, league structure, selection process, and more have also been provided by the organization.
WER is an envisaged annual American semi-professional rugby union club competition to replace the amateur Women’s Premier League at the top level of the United States rugby union system. Six to eight clubs run by investor operators will participate, with all front-office staff being paid full-time and players receiving monthly stipends.
Players interested in participating must complete the WER Player Declaration process, opening on Monday, Sept. 23 at 8 p.m. ET and closing on Sunday, Oct. 20 at 10 p.m. ET. During the application process, applicants will need to fill out a player survey, medical questionnaire, and HIPAA waiver and provide links to 2-3 matches with a minimum of 40 minutes of playing time. Coaches will utilize this information to select their 30-player rosters between November and January.
Eligibility implications for high school and college players are varied. WER encourages individuals to consult with their coaching staff about participating in a pro league. A collegiate selection process will also take place in May. WER cannot currently support player visas for international players.
The first round of selections will take place in November, during which each of the six teams will name five foundational players representing their local rugby community. Two more selection rounds will follow in December, and players will be notified to sign their initial league agreements after each round. Complete rosters will be finalized in January 2025. For those not selected for the 2025 season, a limited number of
For those who fail to make the cut for the 2025 season, a few spots for On-Call Athletes will be offered to local rugby players, who could be called up to the training squad depending on the numbers.
Players who do not wish to move and have valid reasons to stay in a rugby town can apply for an In-State Athlete Designation. Nevertheless, that status does not mean that an athlete’s local rugby market will automatically choose them.
This competition will feature six teams and will be held in the form of a round-robin, where each team plays host to the other from the end of March until the end of June, including Boston, Chicago, Denver, New York, SF Bay Area, and Twin Cities. Pre-season commences in the middle of February, depending on the FIFA recommended calendar.
WER is presently in the start-up category and is already seeking funds. To the best of its ability until this point, players are guaranteed quality training and coaching, flights, accommodation, transportation and meals during travel, and medical expenses.
This involves having access to athletic trainers, sports performance coaches, and team physicians. Further, WER will deliver the sports science database, which will contain wellness information, load management, team lifts, and communication spots. WER will also provide wearable devices and can work hand in hand with wearable technology to ensure that WER has the best offering in metric provision.
