🏉 Women's Rugby Quick Guide

via WER

What Is Women’s Professional Rugby?

Women’s professional rugby consists of organized leagues and international competitions where elite female players compete at the highest level. Rugby is a fast-paced, physical sport with two main formats: Rugby Union (15 players per team) and Rugby Sevens (7 players per team, shorter matches).

Women's Rugby Quick Guide

The top global competitions in women’s rugby include:

• Women’s Rugby World Cup – Held every four years, featuring the best national teams globally.

• The Six Nations Championship – An annual tournament featuring England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Wales.

• Premier 15s – England’s top women’s club competition, one of the strongest leagues in the world.

• Super W – Australia’s premier women’s rugby competition.

• USA’s Premier Rugby Sevens (PR7s) – A growing professional league in the U.S., featuring both men’s and women’s teams.

And now Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) the first professional women’s rugby league in the U.S. launches their inaugural season on AWSN this month! Check the schedule for match-ups!

🏉 Basic Rules of Rugby

• Passing – The ball must be passed backward; forward passes are not allowed.

• Scoring – Teams earn points through tries (5 points), conversions (2 points), penalty kicks (3 points), and drop goals (3 points).

• Tackling – Only the ball carrier can be tackled, and players must wrap their arms around the opponent when tackling.

• Offside Rule – Players must remain behind the ball during play; being offside results in penalties.

• Game Length – Rugby Union matches consist of two 40-minute halves, while Rugby Sevens matches have two 7-minute halves.

Rugby Terms to Sound Like a Pro

To help you follow the action, here are some common rugby terms and slang:

• Try – The main way to score points, worth 5 points, achieved by grounding the ball in the opposing team’s in-goal area.

• Conversion – A kick taken after a try, worth 2 points if successful.

• Scrum – A formation where eight forwards from each team pack together and push against the other team to compete for the ball.

• Lineout – A way to restart play when the ball goes out of bounds, where players lift a teammate to catch the throw-in.

• Ruck – A contest for the ball on the ground after a tackle, where players bind together and attempt to secure possession.

• Maul – A formation where a ball carrier is held up by both teammates and opponents, moving forward while staying on their feet.

• Knock-on – A rule violation where the ball is accidentally knocked forward with the hands or arms.

• Sin Bin – When a player is temporarily sent off the field for 10 minutes due to an infringement.

• Caps – The number of times a player has represented their national team.

Women’s Rugby in the U.S.

The United States has a proud rugby tradition, with the women’s national team, the USA Eagles, consistently competing on the world stage. The Eagles won the first-ever Women’s Rugby World Cup in 1991 and continue to be a competitive force internationally. Rugby Sevens has also gained popularity in the U.S., especially since it became an Olympic sport in 2016. The U.S. Women’s Sevens team is often among the world’s best, competing in the World Rugby Sevens Series and the Olympics.

Ilhona Maher for Team USA

Professional opportunities for American women in rugby are expanding, with more players joining top leagues overseas in England, France, and New Zealand. Domestically, the Premier Rugby Sevens (PR7s) provides a growing platform for professional women’s rugby in the U.S., with high-speed, tournament-style play that’s great for new fans.

Icons of Women’s Rugby

To know a sport is to know the icons that shaped the game. If you want to follow some of the sport’s biggest names, here are a few international stars making waves:

• Maggie Alphonsi (England) – A former England flanker and Rugby World Cup winner, now an influential commentator and advocate for women’s rugby.

Maggie Alphonsi

• Portia Woodman (New Zealand) – One of the most electrifying wingers in rugby history, starring in both Sevens and XVs for the Black Ferns.

Portia Woodman

• Emily Scarratt (England) – A key playmaker for England, with a lethal boot and game-changing ability.

Emily Scarratt

• Alev Kelter (USA) – A dual-sport athlete who has become a star for the USA Women’s Sevens team, known for her powerful running and fearless tackling.

Alev Kelter

• Naya Tapper (USA) – One of the fastest and most dominant American Sevens players, helping push U.S. rugby into the spotlight.

Naya Tapper

Sign up for our newsletter to get updates on games and schedules!