Women's Premier League Rugby Explained

Women's Premier League Rugby
Sport:Rugby union
Current Season:2023 Women's Premier League Rugby season
Pixels:200px
Inaugural:2009[1]
Teams:7
Country:United States
Gov Body:USA Rugby
Championtag:Champions
Champion:Colorado Gray Wolves
Season:2023
Most Champs:Colorado Gray Wolves
Count:4
Tv:YouTube Page
Website:wplrugby.org

The USA Rugby Women's Premier League (WPL or WPL Rugby) is the top annual American women's rugby union competition. It is player-run and operates in partnership with USA Rugby. It involves the top 10 clubs in the country. The league was founded in 2009.

The League initially began from 8 different Division 1 Women's Sides coming together in 2009. In 2017, the League grew to 10 clubs. In 2023, the League reduced their club numbers to 7.

The 2020 Season was canceled on June 1, 2020 due to the worldwide coronavirus pandemic. The League started up again in 2022.

History

Founding

The WPL was founded in 2009 with 8 of the top Division 1 Women's Teams in the US. The organization was created with the leadership of Kathy Flores, USA Eagle and Head Coach of the USA Women's Team, and Alex Williams in order to grow the Women's game and develop more potential players for the Women's National Team.

The League began with 8 clubs: Beantown Rugby, Berkeley All Blues, New York Rugby Club, Washington DC Furies, Twin City Amazons, Keystone Rugby Club, Minnesota Valkyries, and Oregon Sports Union (ORSU).[2]

Promotion and relegation

In 2010, the league began its promotion/relegation opportunities for Division 1 Teams to join the WPL in 2010, whereby the top-ranked Division 1 Team would challenge the bottom-ranked WPL Team for their position in the WPL.[3] From the end of the 2016 Season until the 2019 season, the WPL stopped its relegation due to their expansion.[4]

Expansion and beyond

For the 2017 Season, the WPL allowed for the Leagues first expansion, growing the League from 8 to 10 teams, adding Beantown RFC and Chicago North Shore Rugby into the competition.[5]

In 2017, the WPL created their Inaugural All-Stars Team, composed of top players from the season who would compete in preparation for the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup.[6] In 2018, the WPL decided to create two All-Star Teams, one for the Eastern Conference and one for the Western Conference, allowing more players to compete at the top level of competition.[7]

On June 1, 2020, the 2020 Season was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.[8] The season was later cancelled on July 8, 2020 and the WPL has resumed in 2022.[9]

Professionalism

In 2023, the WPL changed their season schedule outline and moved forward towards a more professional structure. Unfortunately, this led to three teams, the San Diego Surfers, Atlanta Harlequins, and Oregon Sports Union, specifically, to leave the WPL to focus on their club teams.[10] With that, the Conference structure that was in place throughout most of the WPL's timeline was left behind for a cohesive league structure.[11]

Women's Premier League teams

Map


Current teams

style=background:white scope="col"Teamstyle=background:white scope="col"Metro Areastyle=background:white scope="col"Joinedstyle=background:white scope="col"Stadiumstyle=background:white scope="col"CoachWebsite
Beantown RFCBoston, Massachusetts2009Union Point Sports ComplexKelly Searyhttp://beantownrugby.com/
Berkeley All BluesBerkeley, California2009Gabes FieldTheo Bennetthttp://berkeleyallblues.com/
Chicago North Shore RugbyChicago, Illinois2017CIBC Fire PitchParisa Asgharzadehhttp://www.northshorerugby.com/
Colorado Gray WolvesDenver, Colorado2012Infinity ParkKittery Ruizhttps://www.cograywolves.com/
Life West GladiatrixHayward, California2019Ray Sheeran FieldAdriaan Ferrishttps://www.lifewestrugby.com/womens/
New York Rugby ClubNew York, New York2009Randall's IslandJames Englishhttp://newyorkrugby.com/
Twin Cities AmazonsMinneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota2009Eagan Community CenterRoger Bruggemeyerhttp://www.amazonrugby.org/

Timeline

DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyyImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:25Period = from:2009 till:2024TimeAxis = orientation:horizontalPlotArea = right:200 left:0 bottom:55 top:5

Colors = id:barcolor value:rgb(0.99,0.7,0.7) id:line value:black id:bg value:white

PlotData= width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s

bar:1 color:black fontsize:M from:12/15/2016 till:01/15/2017 text: Expansion to 10 Teams bar:1 color:white fontsize:M from:01/15/2017 till:12/15/2019 bar:1 color:black fontsize:M from:12/15/2022 till:01/15/2023 text: Reduction to 7 Teams bar:1 color:white fontsize:M from:01/15/2023 till:end bar:2 color:skyblue fontsize:M from:01/01/2009 till:12/31/2013 text: Beantown RFC (2009–2013) bar:2 color:skyblue fontsize:M from:01/01/2017 till:end text: Beantown RFC (2017-present) bar:3 color:skyblue fontsize:M from:01/01/2009 till:01/15/2022 text: New York Rugby Club (2009–present) bar:3 color:skyblue fontsize:M from:01/01/2022 till:end text: New York Rugby Club (2009–present) bar:4 color:skyblue fontsize:M from:01/01/2009 till:01/15/2022 text: Twin Cities Amazons (2009–present) bar:4 color:skyblue fontsize:M from:01/01/2022 till:end text: Twin Cities Amazons (2009–present) bar:5 color:skyblue fontsize:M from:01/01/2009 till:01/15/2022 text: Berkeley All Blues (2009–present) bar:5 color:skyblue fontsize:M from:01/01/2022 till:end text: Berkeley All Blues (2009–present) bar:6 color:pink fontsize:M from:01/01/2009 till:12/31/2010 text: Oregon Sports Union (2009-2010) bar:6 color:pink fontsize:M from:01/01/2014 till:12/31/2022 text: Oregon Sports Union (2014-2022) bar:7 color:pink fontsize:M from:01/01/2009 till:12/31/2011 text: Minnesota Valkyries (2009-2011) bar:8 color:pink fontsize:M from:01/01/2009 till:12/31/2012 text: Keystone (2009-2012) bar:9 color:pink fontsize:M from:01/01/2009 till:12/31/2018 text: DC Furies (2009-2018) bar:10 color:pink fontsize:M from:01/01/2011 till:12/31/2022 text: San Diego Surfers (2011-2022) bar:11 color:powderblue fontsize:M from:01/01/2012 till:12/31/2016 text: Glendale Raptors (2012-2016) bar:11 color:black fontsize:M from:01/01/2017 till:01/02/2017 bar:11 color:powderblue fontsize:M from:01/03/2017 till:12/31/2021 text: Glendale Merlins (2017-2021) bar:11 color:skyblue fontsize:M from:01/03/2022 till:end text: Colorado Gray Wolves (2022-present) bar:12 color:pink fontsize:M from:01/01/2013 till:12/31/2022 text: Atlanta Harlequins (2013–2022) bar:13 color:skyblue fontsize:M from:01/01/2017 till:end text: Chicago North Shore Rugby (2017–present) bar:14 color:skyblue fontsize:M from:01/01/2019 till:end text: Life West Gladiatrix (2019–present)

ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:1 start:2009


Promotion/relegation

YearRelegated Team(Out)Promoted Team(In)
2011Oregon Sports UnionSan Diego Surfers
2012Minnesota ValkyriesGlendale Raptors
2013Keystone Rugby ClubAtlanta Harlequins
2014Beantown RFCOregon Sports Union
2015––
2016––
2017N/A+ Chicago North Shore Rugby+ Beantown RFC
2018N/AN/A
2019Washington DC FuriesLife West Gladiatrix
2020(Season Cancelled)(Season Cancelled)
2021(Season Cancelled)(Season Cancelled)
2022- San Diego Surfers- Atlanta Harlequins

- Oregon Sports Union

N/A
2023N/AN/A
2024N/AN/A

Former teams

style=background:whiteTeamstyle=background:whiteMetro Areastyle=background:whiteJoinedstyle=background:whiteLeftstyle=background:whiteWebsite
DC FuriesWashington DC20092018https://dcfuries.com/
KeystonePhiladelphia, Pennsylvania20092012http://keystonerugby.org/
Minnesota ValkyriesMinneapolis, Minnesota20092011http://www.valkyriesrugby.org/
San Diego SurfersSan Diego, California20112022http://sdsurfersrugby.com/
Atlanta HarlequinsAtlanta, Georgia20132022http://ahwrfc.com
Oregon Sports UnionPortland, Oregon20142022http://orsu.org/

League champions

YearFinal
ChampionScoreRunner-up
2009New York Rugby Club20–10Berkeley All Blues[12]
2010New York Rugby Club33–8Beantown RFC[13]
2011Berkeley All Blues17–8Twin Cities Amazons[14]
2012Berkeley All Blues39–5Glendale Raptors[15]
2013Twin Cities Amazons25–12Berkeley All Blues[16]
2014Glendale Raptors16–15Twin Cities Amazons[17]
2015Glendale Raptors26–17Berkeley All Blues[18]
2016San Diego Surfers26–16Glendale Raptors[19]
2017New York Rugby Club27–26Glendale Merlins[20]
2018San Diego Surfers34–28Glendale Merlins[21]
2019Glendale Merlins39–31Life West Gladiatrix[22]
2020Not held due to COVID-19
2021
2022Berkeley All Blues29–7Beantown RFC[23]
2023Colorado Gray Wolves29–24Berkeley All Blues[24]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Young. Wendy. 2009-09-01. Preview of Teams in the USA Rugby Women's Premier League (WPL). 2020-06-12. YSCRugby Women's Rugby News. en-US.
  2. Web site: About the WPL. 2020-06-12. WPL Rugby. en-US.
  3. Web site: Young. Wendy. 2010-09-22. WPL promotion/relegation. 2020-06-12. YSCRugby Women's Rugby News. en-US.
  4. Web site: Gillberg. Alicia. 2018-06-13. WPL to Reinstate promotion/relegation. 2020-06-12. WPL Rugby. en-US.
  5. Web site: 2017-03-20. Women's Premier League expands to 10 teams for 2017 season. 2020-06-12. USA Rugby. en-US.
  6. Web site: 2017-06-21. WPL All-Stars roster announced. 2020-07-11. USA Rugby. en-US.
  7. Web site: Gillberg. Alicia. 2018-07-05. 2018 WPL All-Stars Rosters Released. 2020-07-11. WPL Rugby. en-US.
  8. Web site: Gillberg. Alicia. 2020-06-01. 2020 WPL Season Officially Postponed. 2020-06-12. WPL Rugby. en-US.
  9. Web site: Gillberg. Alicia. 2020-07-08. WPL Season Postponed Until 2021. 2020-07-11. WPL Rugby. en-US.
  10. Web site: YSCRugby Women's Rugby News WPL Releases 2023 Schedule and Participating Teams as they continue to 'Ignite the Change' . 2023-02-22 . scrumhalfconnection.com.
  11. Web site: YSCRugby Women's Rugby News 2023 USA Women's Premier League (WPL) – Schedule & Results . 2023-02-22 . scrumhalfconnection.com.
  12. Web site: Women's Premier League Rugby. 2020-06-11. womenspremierleaguerugby.blogspot.com.
  13. Web site: USA Rugby. 2020-06-11. www.facebook.com. en.
  14. Web site: 2011-11-14. USA Rugby Women's Club National Champions Crowned [VIDEOs]]. 2020-06-11. YSCRugby Women's Rugby News. en-US.
  15. Web site: Young. Wendy. 2012-10-29. 2012 EMIRATES AIRLINE USA RUGBY WOMEN'S PREMIER LEAGUE, DI AND DII CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS. 2020-06-11. YSCRugby Women's Rugby News. en-US.
  16. Web site: Young. Wendy. 2013-10-29. 2013 EMIRATES AIRLINE USA RUGBY WOMEN'S PREMIER LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS. 2020-06-11. YSCRugby Women's Rugby News. en-US.
  17. Web site: USA Rugby Stats. 2020-06-11. usarugbystats.com.
  18. Web site: USA Rugby Stats. 2020-06-11. usarugbystats.com.
  19. Web site: USA Rugby Stats. 2020-06-11. usarugbystats.com.
  20. Web site: USA Rugby Stats. 2020-06-11. usarugbystats.com.
  21. Web site: USA Rugby Stats. 2020-06-11. usarugbystats.com.
  22. Web site: USA Rugby Stats. 2020-06-11. usarugbystats.com.
  23. Web site: YSCRugby Women's Rugby News 2022 USA Women's Premier League (WPL) . 2023-02-22 . scrumhalfconnection.com.
  24. Web site: WPL Instagram 2023 USA Women's Premier League (WPL) . "center","center","center","center" .,.

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