State 2025

State Tournament Scores 2025

Catholic Memorial 7  DSHA 22 (Championship)

Fox Cities 43   Madison 29 (3rd Place)

Hamilton 26 DSHA jv 19 (5th Place)

Bruisers defeated Stevens Point Area HS (7th Place)

WGR 2025 Final Standings

1 DSHA HS

2 Catholic Memorial HS

3 Fox Cities

4 Madison

5 Hamilton HS

6 DSHA HS jv

7 Bruisers

8 Stevens Point Area HS (SPASH) 

Finals and Season Notes:

This is Divine Savior Holy Angels' 4th consecutive state championship.  

The scores of the last three state finals between the Dashers of DSHA and CMH Crusaders:

   22-7 (2025)

   21-5 (2024)

   38-7 (2023)

This was Catholic Memorial's 3rd consecutive state final appearance and their 11th second place finish.

Madison went from playing an exhibition game at last year's tournament to playing in the 3rd place game, showing significant progress as a program.  Improved playing numbers make a huge difference to any program.  This was their first appearance in a medal-placing playoff final.

While it was sad to see Green Bay unable to field a 15's team this fall after a strong start to their conference participation, several of their players went to great lengths to pick up game time with the Bruisers.  It's a 2 hour drive from Green Bay to the Milwaukee area.  Hopefully both programs can continue to build on their participation levels.

Fox Cities is an ascending program.  While still very new at the WGR conference membership level, a strong middle school tackle program as well as a youth flag program give them an exciting base from which to build.

Rugby Referee Clinic Oct 26th

 While WGR players, staff, board members, coaches, family, and fans will all be packing the house at the State Tournament this Sunday, if there are any alumni players out there, RUGBY needs referee help.

There is a clinic this Sunday in the Chicago area.

Info here:

World Rugby Level 1 Referee

Time: 8:30am - 5:00pm

Location: Lions for Hope Sports Complex

2637 W Polk St, Chicago, IL 60612

To Register:

• Access the USA Rugby Learning Center from your "My Profile" page in Rugby Xplorer.
• Once logged in, click on "Learning Center" from the left-hand menu.
• Click on the name of the person who is going to register for the course to enter the Learning Center
• From there, click "Course Catalog" to see the available courses.

*Young alums, contact the Wisconsin Referee Society if financial support needed: wrrsboardp@gmail.com 

WGR 2025 State Tournament Pairings

 At Haertel Field in Waukesha, the WGR season concludes with four fifteens matches on Sunday Oct 26th, 2025.   This is not the main Carroll University football stadium.  This is an auxiliary university field with artificial turf.

11:00am  Bruisers vs SPASH              (7th Place)

12:30pm  DSHA jv vs Hamilton HS   (5th Place)

2:00pm    Furies vs Fox Cities            (3rd Place)

3:30pm    Catholic Memorial vs DSHA  (Championship)

*There is very limited parking that will likely only be available for WGR staff, volunteers, refs, coaches, and a few handicapped attendees.  Carpool if able.  Most of the parking is in the surrounding neighborhood.    Bring lawn chairs as seating is also limited.

Playoff Scores Oct 18th, 2025

2025 WGR Playoff Semi-Final Pairings Oct 18th, 2025

All matches held at Cottage Grove, Madison United Rugby Complex

Furies vs Catholic Memorial (won) HS       (Championship Bracket)

DSHA HS jv  57  vs Brookfield 5               (5th Place Bracket)

DSHA HS 91 vs Fox Cities 5                      (Championship Bracket)

Hamilton 48 vs Stevens Point Area  0 HS  (5th Place Bracket)

Scores Week 5 WGR 2025

 Saturday Oct 10th, 2025

Bruisers 0 at DSHA 136            Brown Deer Park

CMHS 59  at DSHA jv o         Brown Deer Park

Fox Cities (forfeit)  at Hamilton            Nashotah Park

Jeff Noe Conference

Divine Savior Holy Angels HS 4-0

Madison Furies 3-1

Stevens Points Area HS 1-1

Bruisers 1-3

Green Bay 0-4 (all forfeits)

Tony Oliver Conference

Catholic Memorial HS 4-0

Fox Cities 2-2

DSHA HS jv 1-3

Hamilton 1-3

Unofficially, for the upcoming playoffs it appears DSHA (A) will play Fox Cities in one semifinal, while Catholic Memorial would play Madison in the other semifinals at Cottage Grove on Oct 18th.  Stay tuned for confirmation as well as the consolation brackets.

WGR 2025 State Details: Location, Schedule, & Sponsorship

  Due to the flooding damage at Hart Park, the 2025 WGR State Championship tournament will take place at Carrol University in Waukesha, Wisconsin.  Normally played under the lights (which Carrol has), the games will be played during the afternoon of Oct 26th, 2025.

The 10/26 State Tournament Match Schedule:

11:00am        7th place

12:30pm        5th Place            

2:00pm          3rd Place

3:30pm          Championship

The 10/18 State Playoff Schedule:  all matches held at Cottage Grove Rugby Complex

    All times at TBD.  Last year matches started at 9am but are referee availability dependent.

Championship Bracket (1st thru 4th Place)

Noe 1 v Oliver 2

Oliver 1 v Noe 2

Consolation Bracket (5th-8th Place)

Noe 3 v Oliver 4

Oliver 3 v Noe 4

Sponsorship Info:

WISCONSIN GIRLS RUGBY STATE TOURNAMENT SPONSORSHIP & AD INFO       

                               

Due Date: All ads to Betsy Wendelberger (WendelbergerE@Gmail.Com) by Monday, October 20th          

Money: All checks made out to Wisconsin Girls Rugby.  

*Anyone who purchased ad space will receive a receipt once payment is received.

Advertisement in tournament brochure:

·      $200  Full Page (7"  X 9 ½")      

·      $100  ½ Page (7" X 4 ½”)

·      $50     ¼ Page (3 ½ " X 4 ½ ")             

·      $25    Business Card (3 1/2 “X 2 ¼ ")

                  

**Black and White camera-ready artwork is preferred, but we are able to assist in ad creation. Please have everyone send artwork to Betsy Wendelberger (WendelbergerE@Gmail.Com) 

 

PARENT ADS: If any parents want to buy ad space to cheer for their daughter/team, they may for the same prices as listed above. Great way to shout out your favorite player/team PLUS all proceeds go to Wisconsin Girls Rugby. This money is used for coaching certification grants, coach/player training, start-up grants for new teams, and many more opportunities to grow the game in our state.

                               

Table space for Collegiate Rugby Recruiters:                

Cost: $50 for a table at the tournament to hand out information and interact with parents and players. You will need to provide a table, the recruitment materials and chairs. Feel free to be creative with handouts and visual appeal. No t-shirt sales please.

Thank you for all your efforts to make this tournament as successful as it has been! We greatly appreciate your support and generosity!

Retirement Celebration: A Quarter Century of Inspiration

 After over a quarter century of coaching rugby with unparalleled success, DSHA's John Klein retired at the end of the 2024-2025 school year.  The 2007 USA Rugby National Coach of the Year and the 2013 Goff Rugby Coach of the Year, serves as an inspiring force in the lives of many, many lives.  

Decades of alumni, coaches, refs, and family supporters are invited to the celebration.  Fill out the interest form here if you want to attend or help plan.  Volunteers are needed for what's shaping up to be a massive, special night on Dec 28th, 2025 in Milwaukee.

Klein's inspiring family journey:

From  the "My Faith" podcast by Milwaukee sportscaster legends Steve "The Homer" True and Tom Pipines:

Standings and Week 5 Schedule

 Jeff Noe Conference

Divine Savior Holy Angels HS 3-0

Madison Furies 3-1

Stevens Points Area HS 1-1

Bruisers 1-2

Green Bay 0-3 (all forfeits)

Tony Oliver Conference

Catholic Memorial HS 3-0

Fox Cities 2-1

DSHA HS jv 1-2

Hamilton 0-3

Sat October 11th, 2025

Fox Cities at Hamilton      10am     Nashotah Park

Bruisers    at DSHA          10am     Brown Deer Park

CMHS      at DSHA jv       12pm     Brown Deer Park

*SPASH    at Green Bay   10am     Barney Williams Field 

     (likely forfeit by GB, who has not played a league match this fall)