Girls High School Rugby Nationals Expansion 2025

 As girls high school rugby continues to expand, bringing new programs into the event is a huge part of what makes the competition unique each season.

  This year's news that possible expansion could include an Oregon single-school program represents an important expansion of the tournament, adding another West competitor.  Building off Idaho's strong involvement and growth, adding a rep from a long-running league in the Pacific Northwest would rekindle memories of the competition's busiest seasons when teams from Seattle (Kent HS) and Antelope HS and another team from Oregon whose name escapes our archivist at this moment, all participated.  While not a sure-thing, including team's from places like Oregon might lend even further momentum to two and three divisions of single school competition.  This is also big news as Oregon had pulled back from national tournament competition two decades ago to focus on local growth. 

   Last year's big story of two Chicago area girls teams participating in school competition was a first.  Now Oregon's re-inclusion could mark a watershed moment of participation.  Could this be the year the event returns to 16 competing teams?

High School Girls Midwest and National Tournaments 2025

 Coaches are reminded to contact organizers for the Spring 2025 championship events.

Midwest HS Girls Championships:  April 26th-27th, 2025 @ Moose Rugby Grounds

     Three Divisions, including a JV / B bracket

      Register Here: 

      Contact:  Bob Cronquist:  mwyouthrugby@gmail.com

National High School Girls Tournament  May 17th-18th @Madison United Rugby (Cottage Grove)

    Two Divisions

    Contact:  John Klein jklein@sdsm.k12.wi.us

                   Kraig Smikel  ksmikel.ks@hotmail.com

                   Kelli Vannover  kelli.vanover@farmersinsurance.com

   MUR Contact:  Brad Dufek  murugbydirector@gmail.com

    

Level 1 Coach & Ref Courses Feb 9th, 2025

    Coaching certification courses are rare and hard to find.  The nearest scheduled certification for WGR coaches takes place Feb 8th in Minnesota.   Visit USA Rugby to register.  This link also shows all the scheduled USAR ref and coaching clinics throughout the country.

     Funding is available to league coaches.  Contact Wisconsin Youth Rugby for funding info:  info@wiyouthrugby.org

Word on the street is that there may be a referee certification course offered the same weekend.  Those are even more rare then coaching courses.  

    If interested, please fill out this Minn. Youth Rugby Clinic Interest form, to help them gauge interest:  

Feb 8

Albert Lea, MN

L1 Coach

2024 Articles of the Year

We at LLR rarely repost other articles, but to end 2024 we must reference two must-reads that put a special year in perspective.

The first article is from the Australian sporting news site The Roar.  The Roar is notable in that it covers as much women's sport as men's and offers fantastic rugby analysis, among other things.  The Roar notes that older folks (like those most likely to read this blog) need to understand Ilona and USA Women's Rugby if they are to understand how women are changing sport.  Kids get it, but if you're not on social media, you may not appreciate what a force for change women's rugby is and will continue to be:  

Iona Maher is Changing Rugby Forever

"I have never seen a player make an impact quite like Ilona Maher has in 2024. I think she’s only just getting started."

The second article of the year, What is The Future of Rugby? by Nic Bishop, is more about coaching, culture, and tactics.   Bishop is probably the most outstanding writer of the new wave of professional rugby analysts who've turned their perspective from coaching to journalism, opening a window into the game from a tactics and coaching point of view.  Along with the Irishman Murray Kinsella, these prominent journos regularly offer analysis of women's rugby.  Bishop's two analysis articles on the Women's World Cup final are classics in their own right, featuring dozens of clips of the women's matches.

Bishop notes:  "The tournament sent ripples out into the future of the game like doves from the ark. Which way will the rugby world reach under pressure? "   So much so, that Bishop is still writing about it in December.

New Zealand's Black Fern (their women's team) World Cup Championship (full match linked here) victory over England was a massive contrast in styles and coaching.  There are some fascinating statistics for players and coaches to consider, not to mention the impact on supporters.  Of additional interest are the wise observations on refereeing, that parents and coaches may want to take note of.  Enjoy. 

WGR all State Team Fall 2024

                                             Wisconsin High School Girls Rugby

                                                            2024 All State Team

The WGR All-State Team is an honor and recognition given to players nominated by league

coaches. AST players are exemplary in four areas: character, ability, skill, and commitment in

Wisconsin Fall League Play.

Overall, 40 student-athletes representing every program in Wisconsin are represented on this annual honorary team.  

Forwards

Kate Ambrose* (12) DSHA

Brin Bayer (9) Fox Cities

Kate Bolen (12) SPASH

Carleigh Craig (9) Green Bay

Maddie Demares (12) CMH

Sienna Ebo*+ (12) DSHA

Claire Foy (11) DSHA

Marigold Fritz* (12) CMH

Paula Goetz (11) DSHA

Stella Gustafson* (10) Madison

Brianna Henry* (12) DSHA

Grace Houts* (11) Hamilton

Olivia Konshak (10) Green Bay

Autumn King (10) Green Bay

Zion Lavoe (11) DSHA

Cassy Lewandowski* (11) CMH

Josie Nickel (12) SPASH

Mary Rebholz (11) DSHA

Maddie Savoie* (11) DSHA

Elle Schoenwetter (11) Hamilton

Bella Stevens* (12) CMH

Team Sportsmanship Award

Madison for persevering this entire 15's season and growing their team and fan base at the same time. They

were able to end the season on a high note at State by winning their last game and kept their heads up even

through difficult games.

Spirit of the Game Award

Michael & Aimee Walsh, Julie Rausch, Michael Anich from DSHA for all the extra help for fundraising, organizing, and volunteering for our State Tournament this year at Hart Park. Without their help, our State Tournament would not have been nearly as successful.  DSHA families volunteered at concessions during Tosa Fest in order to raise funds to cover the higher cost of the new stadium facility for the state tournament.

Backs

Lilli Bilicki (11) CMH

Camarie Brown (12) Bruisers

Ana Byrne* (11) DSHA

Caitlyn Dieman*+ (12) Hamilton

Maria Hilbert* (11) DSHA

Bella Jankowski* (11) Green Bay

Payton Krenz (12) Hamilton

Reese Lomen (12) CMH

Molly McGown (11) DSHA

Haley Meneses (12) Hamilton

Mia Minnesale (11) DSHA

Sonia Percovic* (11) DSHA

Marge Richburg (11) DSHA

Cecelia Rose*! (12) Green Bay

Kate Sheahan (11) CMH

Sophia Sommerfeld (11) CMH

Riley Vertz (12) Bruisers

Ella Vrank* (11) CMH

Jocelyn Widrig* (12) Green Bay

*2023 All State Member, +2022, !2021

WGR Athletes Still Playing

 Huge congratulations and best wishes to Green Bay Banshee Cece Rose representing the USA, in NEW Zealand!    Playing Olympic Sevens for the u18 squad, she’s one of only a few high schoolers in the squad, which also features several college freshman.   The USA continues to do well, going 2-0-1 so far.  Checkout a subscription to The Rugby Breakdown to follow the ladies and other women's’ rugby more closely.

Props as well to Notre Dame University freshman and WGR alumn Lucy Wilson, a freshman, who was armed to the Big Ten all star 7’s tournament squad co petting the winter in the annual NCR 7s all star tournament.  Info here: https://www.ncr.rugby/teams/womens-all-stars

2025 Midwest and National Tournaments

The 2025 Midwest High School Girls Championship Tournament takes place April 26th-27th, 2025 at the Moose Rugby Grounds in Elkhart, Indiana.

Info and contacts can be found at Midwest Youth Rugby.   The longest running regional high school girls-only tournament in the country, continues for it's 26th year.  Last year's results can be found here

The 2025 National (single-school) Girls High School Tournament takes place May 17th-18th, 2025 at the Madison United Rugby Complex in Cottage Grove, Wisconsin.  This will overlap with the Friday-Saturday club event at the same location.  The combined event was such a success with attendees, fans and scouts, that both 15's events will once again convene centrally on the same weekend.

For more information on:

• Madison, the facility, and logistics contact Brad Dufek: murugbydirector@gmail.com

• Single-school nationals, contact John Klein: jklein@sdsm.k12.wi.us

• High school club nationals, contact Chris Kovac: chris.kovac1@gmail.com