WER Ready to Ruck n Roll Into Second Year
After USA Eagles' valiant Pac 4 effort, US women's league kicks off; MLR hits mid-season.
Update, May 3: The Bay Breakers have upset the defending Women’s Elite Rugby champions, the Denver Onyx, 36-19. The Boston Banshees beat the New York Exiles 38-19 and the TC Gemini beat the Chicago Tempest 78-22.
May 1, 2026: Women’s Elite Rugby kicks off its second season this weekend, with all six teams playing their first matches in a year. The Boston Banshees take on the New York Exiles, the only team to beat the Onyx in 2025, on Saturday May 2, at Massachusetts Veterans Stadium in Quincy, Mass. It seats 5000. Later on Saturday, the Chicago Tempest host the Twin Cities Gemini at Benedictine University in Isle, Illinois, whose stadium holds 3000 people. Defending champions the Denver Onyx will be looking to maintain last year’s form against the Bay Breakers at Heart Health Park in Sacramento, California, which holds 11,569 fans, on Sunday, May 3. Average attendance in 2025 for the league was 1200; the attendance record was 2,770 at the Onyx v Breakers match on March 29th at Infinity Park in Glendale, Colorado.
All matches will be broadcast on the Women’s Sports Network.
Ahead of her team’s opener against the Gemini, Tempest Coach Kristin “Ham” Zdanczewicz told me that WER is developing its own brand of rugby: “fast, physical, and ambitious.”
“There’s a strong willingness across teams to move the ball and play with intent, which makes for an exciting product and reflects the evolution of the women’s game in the U.S,” she said via email.
Ahead of this season, the Chicago Tempest, who finished 0-10 last season, have been focusing on “alignment — physically, tactically, and culturally,” Ham said.
“We’ve spent time developing speed and repeat-effort capacity while continuing to build clarity around how we want to attack space and defend collectively,” she explained. “Just as importantly, we’ve leaned into our team values of community, joy, and grit as anchors for how we train and compete.”
“Ham” — given that nickname because her last name sounded like “sandwich” when her teammates mispronounced it — earned 26 caps playing flanker with the USA Women’s Eagles before turning her attention to coaching.
The Tempest will play “connected, high-tempo rugby that keeps the ball alive and applies pressure across the field” this season, Ham said. The team’s more experienced players have been teaching the newcomers how to better understand rugby, Ham said, while the newcomers “bring fresh energy and perspective.”
“That balance has helped accelerate chemistry and trust across the squad.”
With three experienced assistant coaches at her side — Kaitlyn Kelly (backs), DJ Williams, and Ricardo Ramirez (forwards), Ham is confident that the Tempest will pose a challenge for the rest of the league. Adriana “Coco” Mendoza Silva returns at fly-half. Mendoza Silva, who played college rugby at Life University before heading to the Oregon Sharks and then the Tempest, has also played 7s for Mexico. Mendoza Silva “brings game management and the ability to shift pressure quickly,” Ham said. Nicoleta Mesina debuts with the Tempest at scrum-half, and Ham thinks she’ll “set the tempo and connect phases effectively.” Isla Alejandro, who joined the Tempest on loan from Saracens in the UK last year and was their top scorer with six tries, is not with the team this year, so Emily Krahn will have to step up at fullback. Krahn will give the team “coverage and transition strength” while wings Gracie Anderson and Katherine Lohaus (who scored three tries with the Banshees last year) will “bring speed and finishing ability when space opens,” Ham said.
Other players to watch, according to Ham: Hannah Trommer (a bit of early coverage here in 2016 from Alex Goff) and lock Julia Wallace, who “provide physical presence” and create “the platform for how we want to play.”
My top players to watch, based on last season’s performance and stats compiled by the North American Rugby Database:
Boston Banshees’ No. 8 and captain Yeja Dunn led the WER with 12 tries.
Denver Onyx wing/fullback KB Slaughter scored eight tries last year.
New York Exiles fly-half and captain Jetta Owens scored four tries and kicked 23 conversions and two penalties in eleven matches in 2025.
Exiles scrum-half Scout Cheeks scored seven tries.
Onyx flanker Kennedy Feasby scored six tries last year.
Bay Breakers prop Mona Lisa Tupou scored fives tries last year, as did Exiles No. 8 Misha Green-Yotts.
USA Women’s Eagles End Pac 4 With Tough Loss
The USA Women’s Eagles XV scored first against Canada in Chicago April 24. Prop Hope Rogers gave the Eagles the first lead for the third match in a row, showing the Eagles know how to start strong. But Canada proved simply too much in the second half, winning 50-12 in spite of solid performances from under-20s Anabelle Vogel at fly-half and Abigail Paton at scrum-half. Alev Kelter helped lead the backs from the No. 15 position. Wing Erica Coulibaly looked threatening at times but couldn’t quite capitalize on her speed along the touchline (although she did manage to drag a few defenders on occasion, which could prove a smart move in the future if the Eagles choose to develop it).
(Wing Erica Coulibaly takes a pass from No. 8 Freda Tafuna against Canada. Credit: Malcolm Beith)
Ultimately, the responsibility fell to captain Erica Jarrell-Searcy and her pack, which lost three scrums and at times struggled on defense. “We’re in a reset year, and sometimes that gives you an excuse to say, ‘We’re young, but tonight our scrum wasn’t good enough,” coach Jack Hanratty told USA Rugby. “You can’t bring in magic dust and make the scrum better; you have to work at it and be challenged in training, then you have to play against high-level teams. We’re just trying to get more of these opportunities to play high-level so we can learn and feel what it’s like to keep growing with success.” Canada’s inside center Alex Tessier told a reporter after the match that “from the outside view [the Canadian scrum] were pretty amazing. They showed dominance in the scrum and they were going forward every single time which I was really pleased about because as a back you get an amazing platform to play from.”
The Black Ferns won the Pacific Four Series, but the Eagles can regroup knowing that they held their own in the first half against three of the best teams in the world. Their 33-12 victory over Australia’s Wallaroos should keep them confident going into their two-match tour of South Africa in early July. The Women’s Eagles were founded in 1987; the Springbok women played their first match in 2004. The Women’s Eagles have won six out six matches against the Springbok Women since their first meeting in 2009.
“This program has been yearning to express themselves on the pitch, and I think that’s really showing through,” Jarrell-Searcy told USA Rugby after the Pacific Four tournament. “Jack has brought in a really special culture that would be hard to walk away from. It’s something that we have done intentionally and have stepped into, and I think’s it starting to show on and off the pitch.”
(The Eagles kept the pressure on throughout the match against Canada. Outside Center Emily Henrich’s try in the 72nd minute was too little too late, but got the Chicago crowd back on its feet. Credit: Malcolm Beith)
Malcolm’s Match of the Week
Three-time defending Major League Rugby champions the New England Free Jacks go into their match against the Seattle Seawolves on Sunday, May 3, needing a win at the halfway point of the 2026 season. The Free Jacks beat Anthem RC last weekend for their first win of what has been a difficult season. They opened 2026 with a 43-5 loss to the California Legion, who are playing some exciting, open rugby this year, and are currently No. 2 in the standings with a 3-2 record. The Chicago Hounds, who beat the Free Jacks 50-26 on April 19, lead the table with a 4-0 record. The Seawolves, who won the first two MLR championships, are 1-3, just a point behind the Free Jacks at the bottom of the table. The Hounds beat the Seawolves 59-22 last week, proving once again that their offense is nearly unstoppable.
(The Free Jacks finally won against Anthem RC last weekend. Credit: MLR)
Free Jacks center Wayne Van der Bank told MLR that his team is bouncing back. “You have a choice to either be negative about the result or you can fix it,” he said this week. “I think the response from the boys was awesome, and it’s awesome to be a part of a team that will not stop fighting.”
Van der Bank, 29, started with the Free Jacks in 2022, coming from Pretoria in South Africa. He has played 60 matches, scored 18 tries, made 582 tackles and gained 3420 meters, according to the NARDB.
Last year, the Free Jacks started the season 2-3 but ended with an 11-5 record before marching through the playoffs to the title. This year, the season will be only 10 games because five MLR teams dropped out of the league, mainly for financial reasons.
Nearly 70 percent of the Free Jacks players are new to the team this year. “I think if you set a standard, people have to follow that standard,” Van der Bank told MLR. “Coming into the season, everyone had a huge expectation of the team that the management put together. I think this is one of the Free Jack sides that probably has the most potential. We know we had a lot of potential, but we’ve had to rise to the occasion.”
The Free Jacks vs Seawolves rivalry is known as the Coffee Cup. “It’s an exciting game,” Van der Bank said. “It’s a game where you know it’s going to be a dogfight until the end. Seattle’s a big, physical team, and the Free Jacks pride themselves on being a very physical team as well… You have to try to go show them what you got.”
The Chicago Hounds play Old Glory DC at home, also on May 3. The Legion and Anthem RC enjoy a bye week. All MLR matches are broadcast live on ESPN +.
DraftKings odds: Free Jacks -300, Seawolves +235; Hounds -550, Old Glory DC +425
WER Gets Investment Boost
Grammy-award winning pop start Meghan Trainor joined WER’s growing list of investors on April 30.“Meghan’s investment in WER is a game-changer,” Phil Camm, WER’s Chief Commercial Officer said. “Her example as a role model for women who are powerful, uncompromising, and unapologetic about their talent makes her an extraordinary partner and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have her on board. Joining us at this pivotal moment, Meghan amplifies the momentum behind women’s rugby and the confidence in the sport’s future.”
See Martin Pengelly’s The National Maul for details.
US rugby fans can and should watch the College DI Championship at 7 pm EDT on Saturday, May 3, featuring Cal and Navy. It will be broadcast live from Indianapolis here:
See Goff Rugby Report for details.
Foot Firmly in Mouth
CEO of Bristol Bears Tom Tainton said recently that his club is “a marketing agency that plays rugby,” prompting outcry on social media from rugby fans the world over, especially in Bristol. Appointed CEO at Ashton Gate in 2025, Tainton had previously served as the club’s chief operating officer and head of communications. His comments come at a time when rugby is struggling financially and many clubs — even in countries where rugby has a long history and is one of the more competitive sports — are increasingly unable to maintain good financial standing or attract loyal crowds. Bristol Bears women signed USA Eagles superstar Ilona Maher mid-season in 2025 and almost immediately doubled their attendance. But Maher has not played rugby since the World Cup in England last summer. She has been all over social media promoting rugby and supporting her teammates and has said she wants to return to the 7s team for the 2028 Olympics but has remained quiet regarding her XVs future.
@T2Rugby wrote on @X that Tainton’s comment is “a bit of an insult to [the Bears’] most loyal fans is it not? (And ironically utterly terrible marketing).” Lee from the @bearsbeyondthegate podcast posted: “We wanted our listeners to know we have read the recent comments from Tom Tainton, and we are digesting and reflecting on these. Rest assured, we will talk about this subject on the next Pod.
We are a Rugby Club with a proud tradition and heritage, and we always will be.” Others simply called for the CEO’s head, while others defended him, saying his comments might have been misinterpreted.
Update: On May 3, Tainton released a statement on @x
Clean Cash vs Dirty Money
It’s not every day my alma mater, Occidental College, bests Harvard. But last week, Occidental College rugby players both past and present learned that one alum, Larry Lane ‘71, left 30 percent of a more than $9 million endowment to the Occidental College rugby program. (Read article here.) That’s a princely sum, and everyone I’ve talked to who played rugby at Oxy, including me, is eternally grateful. I don’t think I ever met Larry, but by all accounts, he was a great guy, who made his money legitimately in the storage business.
Which is more than can be said about one of Harvard rugby’s donors, who gave $25,000 in 2004. His name? Jeffrey Epstein. Yes, the Jeffrey Epstein. Harvard established the “Jeffrey E. Epstein Fund for Women’s Athletics,” noting a preference for women’s rugby, according to the Harvard Crimson. Then-University President Lawrence H. Summers apparently wrote to Epstein “to thank him for the contribution.”
Emily Riehl, Harvard ’06, said the first time she heard the gift was from Epstein was in 2019. She told the Crimson that the team “believed the money had come from Massachusetts Hall, routed through Summers’ office after players confronted him over a disparity between the men’s and women’s rugby programs.”
“There’s absolutely no way we would have touched a dime from him had we known the source of this funding,” Riehl told the Crimson. “But that information was never provided to us.”
American 7s Stars to Play in India
USA Men’s 7s stars Lucas LaCamp and Aaron Cummings will play with a professional Indian 7s team, the Kolkata Banga Tigers. This will be LaCamp’s second season with the Banga Tigers; Cummings played for the Mumbai Dreamers last year. Nia Toliver of USA women’s 7s fame has also signed on with Kolkata, local media reported on April 30, when India’s Rugby Premier League teams announced their squads. The teams play ten matches in June. Mike Friday, who coached the USA men’s 7s team from 2014 to 2024, is currently the Kolkata men’s coach.