Women's Elite Rugby (WER)

What Women's Elite Rugby (WER) does

Women's Elite Rugby (WER) is the first professional women's rugby league in the United States, founded in April 2024 and launching its inaugural season in March 2025 with six teams — Bay Breakers, Boston Banshees, Chicago Tempest, Denver Onyx, New York Exiles, and TC Gemini — and 180 athletes competing across a 10-week regular season culminating in the Legacy Cup championship. The league operates a single-entity ownership model through Women's Elite Rugby LLC and six market-specific subsidiary LLCs, centralizing team operations, player development, and commercial functions to enable uniform standards and operational efficiency. Its products span the live match competition, the Legacy Cup championship property, season passes and individual game tickets sold through the Universe platform, a custom made-to-order merchandise store, and free ad-supported broadcast streaming delivered via an exclusive partnership with the Women's Sports Network across more than 10 major CTV platforms including Roku, Tubi, Amazon Prime Video, and Pluto TV.

WER monetizes through a diversified mix of one-time ticket sales, recurring sponsorship arrangements (local, regional, and league-wide), merchandise transactions, broadcast content licensing, and private investment. Distribution relies on direct-to-consumer ticketing, free CTV streaming for reach, and social/email/community channels for fan engagement, supplemented by grassroots youth clinics and player appearances. The league has raised approximately $5.6M cumulatively across 2024-2026 funding rounds led by Deb Henretta, with a Series A raise opened in March 2026 to fund Season 2 and team expansion from six to a planned six-to-eight teams. Strategically, WER is positioning ahead of the 2033 Women's Rugby World Cup hosting in the US, with reported viewership of 10,000+ per broadcast across 80 countries and a record 2,779 fans at the Denver Onyx home opener as early engagement indicators.

Name

Women's Elite Rugby (WER)

Legal name

Women's Elite Rugby LLC

Website

https://womenseliterugby.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Women's Elite Rugby (WER) is the first professional women's rugby league in the United States, operating six teams and 180 athletes under a single-entity model, and monetizing via tickets, sponsorships, merchandise, and broadcast licensing through the Women's Sports Network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Sports League

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Rugby (Union & League) Leagues (MPAKAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Team Sports Clubs (Football/Soccer, Basketball, Baseball, Hockey, Rugby, Cricket, etc.) (MPAKABAA), Professional Live Sports Leagues & Tours (MPAGAMAA)

Keywords

• Professional women's rugby
• Sports league operations
• Live sports broadcasting
• Rugby merchandise
• Athlete development programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Direct-to-consumer ticket sales for regular season matches and championship games through Universe ticketing platform. Season passes available for all six teams.
2. Sponsorships: Local and regional brand partnerships managed through VP of Business Development roles in each market, plus league-wide sponsor deals.
3. Merchandise: Custom, made-to-order merchandise including team hoodies, tees, sweatshirts, and hats sold through the WER merchandise store.
4. Broadcast Rights: Exclusive content licensing deal with Women's Sports Network for live and delayed match coverage across major streaming platforms.
5. Private Investment: Funding from private investors including pop star Meghan Trainor and venture firms like Goddess Gaia Ventures.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Women's Elite Rugby operates the first professional women's rugby league in the United States, a single-entity competition with six market-based teams and 180 athletes playing a 10-week regular season that culminates in the Legacy Cup championship. The league generates revenue through season and individual match ticket sales, a custom made-to-order merchandise store, an exclusive free ad-supported broadcast deal with the Women's Sports Network, and league-wide and local sponsorship partnerships. Supporting offerings include the player declaration/recruitment process and per-market team websites.

Product overview

Women's Elite Rugby (WER) is a single-entity professional women's rugby league operating as a unified platform with multiple product offerings. The core product is the semi-professional rugby league featuring six teams (Bay Breakers, Boston Banshees, Chicago Tempest, Denver Onyx, New York Exiles, TC Gemini) competing across the United States. Supporting products include live match streaming via the Women's Sports Network broadcast partnership, ticket sales through season passes and individual game purchases, an official merchandise store, and the annual Legacy Cup championship. Additional offerings include a player declaration/recruitment system for athlete onboarding and team-specific websites.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Women's Elite Rugby League Season The first professional women's rugby league in the United States, a single-entity semi-professional competition with six market-based teams and approximately 180 athletes playing a 10-week regular season (5 home, 5 away) culminating in the Legacy Cup championship.
• Season Passes and Match Tickets Season ticket packages and individual game tickets for all six WER teams (Bay Breakers, Boston Banshees, Chicago Tempest, Denver Onyx, New York Exiles, TC Gemini), sold through the Universe ticketing platform for fans in each market.
• WER Merchandise Store Official e-commerce merchandise store offering custom made-to-order team hoodies, t-shirts, sweatshirts, and hats for all WER teams; ships within the US with 3–4 week processing time.
• WER Streaming Broadcast on Women's Sports Network Free, ad-supported live and delayed match coverage of WER matches via The Women's Sports Network (WSN) across Roku, Samsung TV Plus, Tubi, Amazon Prime Video, Pluto TV, VIZIO WatchFree+, LG Channels, Fubo, Plex, and My Free DirecTV; reaches 80 countries with 10,000+ viewers per broadcast.
• Legacy Cup Championship End-of-season championship competition where the top teams from the regular season compete for the Legacy Cup trophy (designed by Colorado landscape designer and former rugby player Amy Root), including the championship final match.
• Player Declaration Process Online athlete recruitment and selection system where prospective players submit declaration materials (player survey, match film links, and highlight reels) for team consideration.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 10,000 viewers per broadcast across 80 countries with average watch times of 70+ minutes
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Women's Sports Network (WSN)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 February 2026Exclusive content licensing deal making WSN 'The Home of WER' for 2026 season. WSN delivers live and delayed match coverage on its free, ad-supported channel available across major streaming platforms including Roku, Samsung TV Plus, Tubi, Amazon Prime Video, Pluto TV, VIZIO, LG, Fubo, Plex and DirecTV.
• DAZNminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStreaming partner for Bay Breakers home games in 2025 season. Due to unforeseen venue challenges, Bay Breakers home games were not available for live stream on DAZN in 2025.
• Teresa PalladinominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSenior marketing executive with experience at Red Bull, Grand Slam Track, and ONE Championship. Member of WER's Commercial Advisory Council.
• Liz AndersonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEntertainment and sports marketing leader with 20 years experience at Netflix, Disney/ABC. Member of WER's Commercial Advisory Council.
• Stacy JolnaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerC-suite media innovator with experience at TiVo, News Corp. Member of WER's Commercial Advisory Council.
• Rob CandelinominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsumer Products executive, former CEO of PetSafe Brands, former Unilever executive. Member of WER's Commercial Advisory Council.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Premier Lacrosse League (PLL): A single-entity professional lacrosse league in the US with tour-based and city-based formats. Highly comparable as a US professional team sports league using single-entity architecture, free streaming distribution, and grassroots community development - similar stage and scale as WER.
• Athletes Unlimited: A women-led sports venture operating multiple league formats (rugby, lacrosse, volleyball, basketball) with player-centric and single-entity structures. Direct competitor in the women's rugby space (Athletes Unlimited Rugby launched in 2023) and similar early-stage professional women's league operator with comparable broadcast and sponsorship models.
• Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL): A single-entity professional women's ice hockey league launched in 2024 with 6 teams across North America. Directly comparable single-entity structure, team count, launch timing, viewership model, and women's professional sports league economics; useful benchmark for Season 2-3 commercial trajectory.
• Major League Rugby (MLR): The men's professional rugby league in North America with 12 teams (US and Canada). Closest direct peer in terms of sport-specific category, target sponsors, and broadcast dynamics, though men's league at larger scale - useful benchmark for rugby-specific sponsorship pricing and venue economics in the US.

Broad incumbents

• National Women's Soccer League (NWSL): The top professional women's soccer league in the US, operating 14 teams with a single-entity-adjacent structure. Highly comparable as a US-based women's professional sports league with similar broadcast, sponsorship, and ticketing dynamics, but in a more established and mainstream sport.
• Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA): The dominant US women's professional sports league with 12 teams, generating record viewership and valuations in 2024-2025. Comparable as a professional women's team sports league with centralized structure and growing media rights value, though operating at far greater scale in a mainstream sport.

Emerging players

• USL W League: A pre-professional women's soccer league operated by United Soccer League as a development pathway to NWSL. Comparable as an emerging women's team sports league with similar player development and community outreach focus, though positioned below the top-tier professional league in its sport.

Others

• Women’s Sports Network (WSN): The free, ad-supported streaming network that holds WER's exclusive broadcast rights. Not a peer but an ecosystem enabler - the distribution platform is critical to WER's reach (80 countries, 10K+ per broadcast) and represents both a partnership opportunity and a competitive dependency for the league.
• Goddess Gaia Ventures: An early-stage venture firm focused on women's sports and women's health investments. Sits on WER's board (Priya Oberoi) and co-invested in the Series A - useful comparator for women's sports investment thesis and capital partner profile.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/womenseliterugby
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/womens-elite-rugby
• Instagraminstagram.com/womenseliterugby

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Women's Elite Rugby (WER)