Sunday, December 24, 2023
DSHA's Yesenia Morales to attend USA u20 Camp
Saturday, December 23, 2023
WGR 2023 All State Awards
WGR All-State Award winners display exemplary character, ability, skill, and commitment in Wisconsin Fall League Play. This is an honorary individual award separate from the Wisconsin HS All-Star program under head coach Jeff Noe, which is determined by players trying out and their availability. DSHA’s two teams were undefeated this fall leading to some unprecedented representation with AST awards.
Backs
Mary Grace Bohne (11) CMHS
Aleah Breed (12) SPASH
Anastasia Byrne (10) DSHA
Liv Chavez (12) Muskego
Evelyn Coffu*+ (12) DSHA
Caitlyn Dieman+ (11) Hamilton
Pam Domres+ (12) SPASH
Maria Hilbert (10) DSHA
Bella Jankowski (10) Green Bay
Addison Josetti (9) DSHA JV
Molly McGown (10) DSHA JV
Flannery O’Keef*+ (12) DSHA
Sydney Pendowski* (11) CMH
Sonia Perkovich (10) DSHA
Cece Rose* (11) Green Bay
Madeline Savoie (10) DSHA
Scout Spadoni+ (12) SPASH
Ella Vranak (10) CMHS
Meghan Walsh*+ (12) DSHA
Jocelyn Widrig (10)Green Bay
Lucy Wilson*+ (12) CMHS
Forwards
Kate Ambrose (11) DSHA
Gissell Arenal (12) DSHA JV
Milana Commare+ (12) Bruisers
Payton Corr (12) DSHA JV
Sienna Ebo+ (11) DSHA
Meghan Finerty*+ (12) DSHA
Molly Flanagan* (12) CMHS
Mary Foy (12) DSHA
Marigold Fritz (11) CMHS
Stella Gustafson (9) Madison
Breanna Henry (11) DSHA
Grace Houts (10) Hamilton
Cassy Lewandowski (10) CMHS
Dorothy Newman (12) CMHS
Greta Rehmann+ (12) DSHA
Ashlynn Rzepka (12) SPASH
Melanie Sanchez+ (12) DSHA
Mary “Trixie” Setliff (12) DSHA
Bella Stevens (11) CMHS
Madison Turcinovic*+ (12) DSHA
Sydney Worzalla (12) SPASH
*2021 All State Team Member
+2022 All State Team Member
2023 WGR League Awards
Team Sportsmanship Award
MadTown Furies/Muskego for working together to ensure their teams girls could still get the opportunity to play. It was great to see them develop throughout the season and grow from two separate teams into one. The girls and their coaches worked hard to do joint practices when they could to ensure they were able to play 15s rugby.
Spirit of the Game Award
Joe Garcia serves his community as an RN on nights but during the day he is found advocating for the players in our league. You can find Joe on the sideline offering his medical skills as a covering trainer. He cares about Wisconsin girls rugb, and it’s much appreciated.
Friday, December 15, 2023
Girls High School Rugby Nationals 2024 Announcement
December 15th, 2023
This spring marks a landmark year in American girls rugby. The 25th Annual Girls High School Rugby National Tournament will take place the weekend of May 18th-19th, 2024.
Madison United Rugby will host the event at the Cottage Grove, Wisconsin Rugby Complex. With two grass fields, club house, locker rooms, stands for fans, and newly installed lights, the facility has recently hosted multiple high-level events. In 2023 the facility hosted USA Rugby Club 7’s Nationals, Great Midwest Men’s Collegiate Playoffs, Badgerland Wisconsin High School Boys State Tournament, and the Girls High School National Tournament.
Organizers are planning for a Division I of 8 teams as well as a Division II or developmental bracket of 8 teams. Teams interested in JV matches should also register to express interest.
Brad Dufek, Director of Madison United Rugby noted that "After a successful first run-out last Spring, we're pleased to once again provide a platform for young women from across the country to showcase their skills on a National stage. Madison United is well prepared to welcome the best teams in the U.S. to Cottage Grove."
“Having teams represent different territories makes this tournament a National event,” noted NGCC Chair John Klein. The early list of probable teams include: Catholic Memorial HS, City Honors HS, DSHA HS, Eagle HS, Grandville HS, Hamilton HS, St Joseph’s Academy HS, and Warsaw HS. The early “possibles” list includes notable additions such as Taft HS and Honohegah HS, both from Illinois. This would be the first national girls tournament appearance for any teams from Illinois.
Questions regarding registration and policies should be directed to National Girls Coaches Committee member John Waliszewski. Venue and city information should be directed to Brad Dufek.
Tournament Host NGCC Registration Contact
Brad Dufek John Waliszewski
Event registration, mission statement, and past event results linked below:
Interested teams register here
Event Site with hotel info & schedules
Entry fee and Team Agreements due 3/15/24
The National Girls Coaches Committee Mission Statement & Nationals Historical Records
2023 Nationals Results and Schedule
Friday, November 24, 2023
WGR Alumni Rugger Studies Abroad and Immerses Herself in Rugby
Rugby Communities at Home and Abroad
Rugby is an international sport with communities all over the world. I am beyond blessed to have grown up in Wisconsin so I could get involved in the Wisconsin Girls Rugby community. I have learned from and enjoyed every minute of my rugby experience. I started in the Waukesha tag rugby program and progressed to coach and referee that program when I went on to play rugby at Catholic Memorial throughout my entire high school career. During that time I played for the WI All Stars team 3 times. After graduation I moved to Wales- a proud rugby nation of the UK- and have continued my rugby career at Cardiff University. I thought I would take a moment to reflect on my rugby communities and what makes them unique.
The most notable thing about WGR is that it is truly a welcoming and tight knit community. Rugby is not as popular in the USA as it is in the UK. While this can make it difficult to find opportunities, it allows those who do play to form a strong community. By the end of my high school career I knew at least one player on every high school girls rugby team in the state- whether it was from playing with them as apart of Wisconsin All Stars or sharing a meal with them after a match. Almost everyone I met through WGR was friendly, kind, and welcoming.
Why? Rugby is a particularly inclusive sport- something unfortunately rare.
Rugby is a sport that encourages different types of brains and bodies- requiring diverse skills, physical abilities and mindsets. I found that this inclusivity made me a much more confident person and I imagine it did the same for others. Especially in a country where few know about rugby, newcomers are eagerly welcomed. When I entered as a freshman there were several hardworking, kind, and confident girls in the years above me welcoming me and teaching me the sport. As I matured in the sport, I gained the confidence and knowledge to give back to the WGR community and do the same for newcomers. I can only hope this cycle continues in Wisconsin girls rugby.
Women’s rugby in Wales is likewise a strong community, but it is a much bigger one.
While you are unlikely to know everyone in the area playing your sport, there are sort of universal customs surrounding rugby. Rugby is a system in the UK. There are age grade pathways beginning contact rugby at under 9s- everyone starts at their home club and could then potentially play for their university team or county team (which is like playing for your state).There is a common conception of rugby initiations and club houses that serve food and drink after matches. When international matches are on the pubs fill up with red jerseys and everyone at training is talking about the match. It is a community because it is part of a national identity- similar to American Football in the USA. This means there are professionals to look up to and always someone to chat with about rugby.
While there is lot of excitement around men’s rugby, in recent years this is changing, particularly as the home nations (England, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland) professionalize their women’s teams. The Women’s Six Nations tournament continues to gain media attention- with Tik Tok as it’s first major sponsor. In fact, one of my favorite rugby experiences in university was going to see the Women’s Six Nations with my teammates in Cardiff Arms Park- to a sell out crowd of enthusiastic supporters. And just this month, world rugby launched a new international women’s rugby competition, the World XV, with the USA competing in division 2 and Wales competing in Division 1.
As my dad-a founder of the WGR league- always said, you can always find a community by finding the local rugby team.
I was lucky enough to have an approachable community like WGR to introduce me to the sport- particularly in a way that is centered around the women and girls game. The Wisconsin Girls Rugby community is a home I know I can always come back to. Meanwhile, the rugby community in Wales has allowed me to expand my mindset, connect with many people, and experience flurries of excitement around my favorite sport. As different as these two communities are, they are both amazing experiences I have been beyond lucky to have.
Editor's Note:
Stay tuned from further notes and observations from abroad throughout the course of this school year.
Thursday, November 9, 2023
College Signings Fall 2023
It's the time of year where some high school seniors are already making college decisions. Two WGR student athletes have made commitments for next year, adding to the long history of WGR collegiate student athletes. Congrats to these ladies. The commitment to being a collegiate student-athletic is special: it's a commitment to hard work on many levels. Best wishes to each of them.
Grace Beatty Sussex Hamilton HS Lander University NCAA D2
Scout Spadoni Stevens Point Area HS Frostburg St University NCAA D2
While in need of an update, here's a link to an earlier post listing WGR college commitment history.
Sunday, November 5, 2023
2024 Girls Rugby Calendar Taking Shape
The big regional girls rugby events are set for their traditional weekends in the spring.
April 27th-28th, 2024 at the Moose Rugby Grounds in Elkhart, Indiana
May 18th-19th, 2024 The Girls National Tournament (for single community teams)
The bids for locations are under review by the NGCC. Bids include Madison United Rugby Complex in Cottage Grove, WI, Chicago area girls rugby, and Warren Wilson College. Organizers are working on details and reviews of these options.
Monday, October 30, 2023
WGR State Final Results 2023
Championship
Divine Savior Holy Angels HS 38
Catholic Memorial HS 7
3rd Place
Divine Savior Holy Angels HS jv 19
Stevens Points Area HS 10
5th Place
Green Bay Banshees 21
Hamilton HS 7
7th Place
Madison-Muskego HS 38
Bruisers 31
Historical Notes:
This is DSHA's 19th State Title. Combined, DSHA and DSHA jv were undefeated in Fall WGR competition.
This was the first state final held at Didier Field in Saukville.
By mutual league agreement, DSHA jv does not play DSHA in playoff matches. Even though they won their semifinal, it was deemed healthier for everyone in the league that they not play their own teammates in a final. For context, in some past seasons DSHA jv would've been matched up against DSHA varsity in the championship semifinal; instead they were moved down to the 5th place bracket in order to be consistent with this agreement. Whatever the matchups end up being each year, having another quality 15s team in the DS jv side benefits everyone in the league. They've introduced hundreds of kids to rugby over the years. It's also noted that CMH took on the challenge and the pressure of a final after a tough defeat. We list all teams based on their finish in their final matches. All these teams did not disappoint, with competitive matches in each final.
While we'll never know how every fall team stacked up at the end of their season, it's always interesting to consider how some teams that didn't have a chance to play would've matched up against each other. These are some of the good challenges faced in a growing, grassroots sport. We want to thank league leadership and the coaches for their foresight and understanding in trying to guide league growth as best they can. It's also understood that standings may at times be muddy and need context; it may not be quite so clear cut some years. It rarely ever is.
Maybe more importantly, we're reminded that last year's fifth place finisher at state finished 4th at the national tournament last spring. It's only halftime for every program in Wisconsin. Best of luck to all these programs: we wish them success bringing more kids to rugby all winter and spring season long. We have faith that leadership will continue to keep these factors and many others in mind when making tough decisions. Parents keep supporting them; they need your support and help so that many more girls will continue to have opportunities to play.
Final Results Standings
1 DSHA HS
2 Catholic Memorial HS
3 DSHA jv
4 Stevens Point Area HS
5 Green Bay Banshees
6 Hamilton HS
7 Madison-Muskego HS
8 Bruisers
9.Pulaski: (Only fielded a 7's team this fall)
WGR State Championships (15's, Fall)
Year 1st 2nd 3rd
2023 DSHA CMHS DSHA jv
2022 DSHA Hamilton HS Brookfield/Kettle M.
2021 Catholic Memorial DSHA Hamilton HS
2020 -------------------------COVID WON-------------------------
2019 DSHA CMHS Kettle Moraine
2018 DSHA CMHS Hamilton HS
2017 Catholic Memorial DSHA Brookfield
2016 DSHA CMHS Oak Creek HS
2015 Catholic Memorial DSHA Brookfield
2015 Catholic Memorial DSHA Brookfield
2014 DSHA CMHS Brookfield
2013 DSHA CMHS Kettle M.
2012 DSHA CMHS Kettle M.
2011 DSHA CMHS Kettle M.
2010 DSHA Kettle M. Brookfield
2009 DSHA Brookfield Vernon
2008 DSHA CMHS Vernon
2007 DSHA Vernon CMHS 1st State Tourney
2006 DSHA Vernon
2005 DSHA Vernon
2004 DSHA Kettle Moraine
2003 DSHA Kettle Moraine Northshore
2002 Kettle Moraine DSHA Northshore
2001 DSHA Northshore Kettle Moraine
2000 DSHA Kettle Moraine
Monday, October 23, 2023
WGR Finals at Didier Field Oct 29th, 2023
The 2023 WGR State Championship Tournament takes place Sunday Oct 29th at Didier Field in Saukville.
The former home field of the now-defunct Saukville Rebels Youth Football Program, the lighted, grass facility has been taken over by Ty Wade, a local chiropractor and rugby veteran in the community.
The Lineup of Matches Includes:
1:30pm Muskego/Madison 38 vs Bruisers 31 7th Place Match
3:00pm Green Bay 21 vs Hamilton HS 7 5th Place Match
4:30pm DSHA HSjv 19 vs Stevens Point Area HS 10 3rd Place Match
6:00pm DSHA HS 38 vs Catholic Memorial HS 7 Championship
As the first rugby event held at the facility, WGR is looking forward to making the partnership beneficial for everyone.
This is DSHA's 21st championship appearance, with 18 title's won. This is Catholic Memorial's 12th championship appearance, with 3 title's won.
Neither Stevens Point nor DSHA jv has ever won a bronze medal at state. Whoever wins, it will be a historic moment for their programs.
A few reminders:
--Location: Didier Field, Rebels Road, Saukville, WI 53080
--Admission: Volunteers at the admission gate will be asking for an entry fee. Thank you! This helps cover the cost of the facility, athletic trainers, and referee staffing.
--Parking: Due to limited space, carpooling is recommended. Please be conscious of the neighborhood around the stadium. WGR depends on volunteers to run this event.
--Fan Behavior:
For fans new to rugby, yelling at the referee is not acceptable.
For fans new to rugby, silence during field goal kicks and conversion kicks after tries is the classy way rugby supporters display the spirit of the game. This is not what is seen at typical high school sporting events where yelling during free-throws or field goals is the norm. Remind your neighbors in the stands that rugby is different; we try to respect both the game and our opponents.
Didier field has less bleacher space than the Milwaukee County Sports Complex. Come early or bring a folding chair if you come late. All fans will be on one side of the field near the facilities.
--Event Volunteers Are Essential: Anyone willing to volunteer to help the day of (with admissions, parking, concessions, or anything else) should contact their coach. A volunteer sign-up should've been received by all team members on behalf of the league leadership.
Saturday, October 21, 2023
Playoff Results
Championship Semifinals
DSHA jv. 15* Catholic Memorial 10
DSHA 86 Stevens Point 0
Consolation Semifinals (5th Place Bracket)
Hamilton 61. Bruisers 0
Green Bay 38 Muskego/Madison 0
State Finals Oct 29th
Championship: DSHA v Catholic Memorial
3rd Place: DSHA jv v Stevens Point
5th Place: Green Bay v Hamilton
7th Place: Madison/Muskego v Bruisers
*by league agreement, DSHA jv will not match up against DSHA in the final round.
Saturday, October 14, 2023
WGR Playoff Weekend 2023
The 2023 Wisconsin Girls Rugby playoff weekend takes place this coming Saturday October 21st, 2023. Based on the final conference standings below, the anticipated matchups are listed below.
Congrats to the DSHA JV team for their first conference title. Their program has brought a ton of new girls to the game of rugby over the years.
Check back as times, matchups, and fields at the Madison United Rugby Complex in Cottage Grove are confirmed:
(G4) - EAST PITCH - 9am - Hamilton (Oliver 3) vs Bruisers (Noe 4)
(G2) - WEST PITCH - 10am - DSHA B (Oliver 1) vs CMH (Noe 2)
(G3) - EAST PITCH - 11am - Green Bay (Noe 3) vs Muskegon/Madison (Oliver 4)
(G1) - WEST PITCH - 12pm - DSHA A (Noe 1) vs SPASH (Oliver 2)
This will determine the state games for the following weekend as well:
7th place - loser of G3 vs loser of G4
5th place - winner of G3 vs winner of G4
3rd place - loser of G1 vs loser of G2
1st place - winner of G1 vs winner of G2
Semifinal Playoff Pairings @Madison United Rugby (Cottage Grove)
The winners of these matchups play for the championship while the losers play for 3rd place.
DSHA HS vs Stevens Point Area HS
DSHA HS jv vs Catholic Memorial HS
Consolation 5th Place Semifinal Pairings @Madison United Rugby (Cottage Grove)
The winners of these matchups play for 5th place while the loser play for 3rd place.
*Interesting Note: last year's 5th place winner finished 4th at the National Tournament in 2023. There are many good teams and well-coached programs involved in fall conference play.
Green Bay vs Madison-Muskego
Hamilton HS vs Bruisers
Jeff Noe Conference
Divine Savior Holy Angels HS 3-0
Catholic Memorial HS 2-1
Green Bay 1-2
Bruisers 0-3
Tony Oliver Conference
Divine Savior Holy Angels JV 2-0-1
Stevens Point Area HS 2-1
Hamilton HS 1-1-1
Madison/Muskeg HS Co-op 0-3
JV Developmental Programs
Pulaski
In Development
Fox Cities Iron Maidens (contact: jawalt16@yahoo.com)
To debut Spring 2024
Monday, October 9, 2023
WGR Conference Schedule Final Week 2023 (10/14/23)
WGR Conference play ends this weekend. It's a short season with only three conference matches. Playoff pairings will be determined at the conclusion of league play this weekend.
The top two teams in each conference square off in semifinals on Oct 21st.
The next four will play in the consolation 5th place brackets also on Oct 21st.
The finals will be contested on Sunday Oct 29th at the Saukville Rebels Stadium:
Didier Field - Rebel Rd, Saukville, WI 53080
More details coming. Each team will play to determine their final standing, 1st place through 8th place. There may also be JV matches to begin the day. Note the change in location from the last few years.
Final WGR Conference Matches: Saturday Oct 14th, 2023
Green Bay @ DSHA 945am @ Catholic Memorial HS
GB 0 DSHA 40
Musk/Madison @ DSHA JV @Catholic Memorial HS
Musk/Mad 7 DSHA jv 27
Hamilton HS @ Stevens Point Area HS 11am @307 Michigan Ave, Stevens Point
Hamilton 0 SPASH 19
Bruisers @ Catholic Memorial HS 10:30am @ Minooka Park (may move to CMH due to rain)
Bruisers 0 CMHS 68
League Standings (standings reported here are UNOFFICIAL. Final records & tie-breakers are determined by WGR board members. We calculate what they appear to be based on scores unofficially reported. Refs report the official scores and we don't have access to those. The Official league website and standings may be found here: https://wigirlsrugby.org/ )
Jeff Noe Conference
Divine Savior Holy Angels HS 3-0
Catholic Memorial HS 2-1
Green Bay 1-2
Bruisers 0-3
Tony Oliver Conference
Divine Savior Holy Angels JV 2-0-1
Stevens Point Area HS 2-1
Hamilton HS 1--1-1
Madison/Muskeg HS Co-op 0-3
JV Developmental Programs
Pulaski
In Development
Fox Cities Iron Maidens (contact: jawalt16@yahoo.com)
To debut Spring 2024
***Upcoming Playoff Matchups October 21st, 2023
Semifinal Playoff Pairings @Madison United Rugby (Cottage Grove)
DSHA HS vs Stevens Point Area HS
DSHA JV vs Catholic Memorial HS
Consolation 5th Place Semifinal Pairings @Madison United Rugby (Cottage Grove)
Green Bay vs Muskego-Madison
Hamilton HS vs Bruisers
Annual State Tournament Program 2023
State tournament sponsorship/booklet
With only three weeks left in the fall season, we are preparing for yet another State 15s tournament. This event is our main fundraiser as a league, please share this information with your players and parents.
League organizers are putting together the event program complete with rosters, schedules, league history, ads, and league contact info. College teams in particular find great value in this info. Businesses and collegiate programs interesting in placing an ad in the program should contact league organizers below:
Due Date: All ads to Katie McNeil (coachmac@hamiltonrfc.org) by Friday, October 20th
Money: All checks made out to Wisconsin Girls Rugby and sent to:
*Anyone who purchased ad space will receive a receipt once payment is received.
Venmo Payments: @alex-glorioso
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 Katie McNeil (coachmac@hamiltonrfc.org)
Monday, October 2, 2023
WGR Conference Week Two 2023 (10/7/23)
Week 3: Oct 7th WGR Conference Round-Two:
A full slate of 15's matches coming up this weekend. With only three conference matches for each team, conference leaders should be clear after this week.
DSHA JV @ Hamilton HS 10am Nashotah Park
Tied: DSHA JV 31 Hamilton HS 31 (score unconfirmed. DSHA was up 31-10)
DSHA @Bruisers 12pm Nashotah Park
DSHA 29 Bruisers 0 (fft)
CMHS @Green Bay 10am Barney Williams Field (Howard, WI)
CMH 22 Green Bay 19 (CMH reportedly scored twice in the last 5 minutes to pull off a dramatic win. GB reportedly played down a player)
Pulaski JV @Green Bay & CMH JV 12pm Barney Williams Field
Madison/Muskego @Stevens Points Area HS 11am (at 600 Maria Drive)
SPASH 58 Mad/Muskego 0
WGR Conference Standings Fall 15's 2023 (only includes conference records)
Jeff Noe Conference
Divine Savior Holy Angels HS 2-0
Catholic Memorial HS 1-1 (CMH holds the very important head-to-head tie breaker over GB)
Green Bay 1-1
Bruisers 0-2
Tony Oliver Conference
Divine Savior Holy Angels JV 1-0-1
Hamilton HS 1-0-1
Stevens Point Area HS 1-1
Madison/Muskeg HS Co-op 0-2
JV Developmental Programs
Pulaski
In Development
Fox Cities Iron Maidens (contact: jawalt16@yahoo.com)
To debut Spring 2024
October 14th, 2023 Week Four:
A look ahead. Check back to confirm times as they are partly based on ref availability.
Green Bay @ DSHA 1030am Greenfield HS
DSHA jv @Muskego-Madison 1145am Greenfield HS
DSHA jv2 vs Pulaski 7s 1pm Greenfield HS
Bruisers @ Catholic Memorial 10am Minooka Park
Monday, September 25, 2023
2023 WGR Conference Openers this Weekend (9/30)
After two weeks of non-conference matches to help teams gain experience and bring new players along, it's time for matches to start counting towards standings. Kudos to league organizers for focusing on developing young players and valuing growth with the league structure this fall. Word on the street is that several teams have continued to gain new players these last two weeks as school ramps up and word spreads. Hamilton HS has reportedly gotten around the 30 player mark with some new recruits since school started. This flexibility and being-open-to-growth fuels strong leagues.
On to the conference openers this weekend:
The league jumps right in to some HUGE matchups with the DSHA varsity taking on long-time rival Catholic Memorial.
Green Bay playing the Bruisers features one of the older programs in the league (Bruisers) against one of the youngest up and coming programs (Green Bay).
and where will DSHA JV finish in conference this year? With a strong core of returning players, DSHA jv versus SPASH should give us a good idea of how that conference may play out.
Week 2: Sept 30th WGR Conference Match Openers
Stevens Point Area HS (0-1) @ DSHA JV (1-0) 1030am at Brown Deer Park
SPASH 7 DSHA JV 27
Catholic Memorial HS (1-0) @ DSHA (1-0) 12pm at Brown Deer Park
CMHS 0 DSHA 50
Muskego/Madison (0-1) @ Hamilton HS (0-1) 945am at Nashotah Park
Musk/Madison 0 Hamilton HS 48
Pulaski JV (0-0) @ Hamilton JV (0-0) 1100am at Nashotah Park
Green Bay (1-0) @Bruisers (0-1) 1145am at Nashotah Park
Green Bay 54 Bruisers 7
SPASH has a bye week.
Week 3: Oct 7th WGR Conference Round-Two (a look ahead)
DSHA JV @ Hamilton HS 10am Nashotah Park
DSHA @Bruisers 12pm Nashotah Park
CMHS @Green Bay 10am Barney Williams Field (Howard, WI)
Pulaski JV @Green Bay & CMH JV 12pm Barney Williams Field
Madison/Muskego @Stevens Points Area HS 10am (at 600 Maria Drive)
WGR Conference Standings Fall 15's 2023
Jeff Noe Conference
Divine Savior Holy Angels HS 1-0
Green Bay 1-0
Bruisers 0-1
Catholic Memorial HS 0-1
Tony Oliver Conference
Divine Savior Holy Angels JV 1-0
Hamilton HS 1-0
Madison/Muskeg HS Co-op 0-1
Stevens Point Area HS 0-1
JV Developmental Programs
Pulaski
In Development
Fox Cities Iron Maidens (contact: jawalt16@yahoo.com)
To debut Spring 2024
Monday, September 18, 2023
WGR Sept 23rd Matches
Week 1: Sept 23rd WGR Non-Conference & JV Matches
Brookfield (0-0) @ DSHA JV (0-0) 10:00am at Brown Deer Park
Bruisers 7 DSHA jv 37
Stevens Points Area HS (0-0) @ Green Bay (0-0) 11am at Barney Williams Field in Howard, WI
Green Bay 31 SPASH 0
Pulaski JV match vs SPASH & GB JV 1230pm at Barney Williams Field
Week 2: Sept 30th WGR Conference Match Openers
Stevens Point Area HS (0-1) @ DSHA JV (1-0) 1030am at Brown Deer Park
Catholic Memorial HS (1-0) @ DSHA (1-0) 12pm at Brown Deer Park
Muskego/Madison (0-1) @ Hamilton HS (0-1) 945am at Nashotah Park
Pulaski JV (0-0) @ Hamilton JV (0-0) 1100am at Nashotah Park
Green Bay (1-0) @Bruisers (0-1) 1145am at Nashotah Park
SPASH has a bye week.
WGR Conference Standings Fall 15's 2023
Jeff Noe Conference
Bruisers
Catholic Memorial HS
Divine Savior Holy Angels HS
Green Bay
Tony Oliver Conference
Divine Savior Holy Angels JV
Hamilton HS
Madison/Muskeg HS Co-op
Stevens Point Area HS
JV Developmental Programs
Pulaski
In Development
Fox Cities Iron Maidens (contact: jawalt16@yahoo.com)
To debut Spring 2024
Thursday, September 7, 2023
WGR Opening Weekend: Non-Conference Matches Sept 16th
Saturday Sept 16th WGR Non-Conference Matches
Hamilton HS @ Catholic Memorial 9am at Catholic Memorial HS
Hamilton 0 Catholic Memorial 40
Muskego/Madision vs DSHA HS 11am at Catholic Memorial HS
Madison/Muskego 0 DSHA 75
A look ahead to Sept 23rd WGR Matches
Brookfield @ DSHA JV 1030am at Brown Deer Park
Stevens Points Area HS @ Green Bay 11am at Barney Williams Field in Howard, WI
Pulaski JV match vs SPASH & GB JV 1130am at Barney Williams Field
Tuesday, August 22, 2023
Wisconsin Girls Rugby Fall 2023 Conference Season Kicks-off Sept 16th
The Wisconsin Girls Rugby (WGR) Fall State Championship season begins with a series of non-conference warm-up matches for the first two weekends of play beginning on Sept 16th.
These matches do not count for conference standings and give the teams involved a chance to develop their teams for the upcoming 15's competition.
When league play begins on Sept. 30th, teams will only have three conference matches that will determine standings. Conferences will have four teams in them which will lead to a semifinal playoff round Oct 21st at the Madison United Rugby Complex. The State Championship will take place Sunday Oct 29th, 2023 at the Milwaukee County Sports Complex.
Non-conference Matches: Sept 16th and Sept 23rd
Conference Matches: Sept 30th-Oct 14th.
Playoff Semifinals: Oct 21st @Madison United Rugby in Cottage Grove
State Championship: Oct 29th @The Milwaukee County Sports Complex
Tuesday, August 15, 2023
Girls National Tournament 2024 Date Set: May 18th-19th
The annual Girls High School Rugby National Tournament is scheduled for the weekend of May 18th-19th, 2024. Matches are played on Saturday with finals on Sunday.
Organisers are planning multiple tiers of competition including the opportunity for JV matches.
Friday, August 11, 2023
Fox Cities Girls Rugby & a WGR History of the Area
Fox Cities is an area of central-south-eastern Wisconsin nestled around the Fox River which flows north from Lake Winnebego, Wisconsin largest freshwater lake, up to Green Bay.
The Fox Cities area includes communities like Appleton, Kaukana, and Oshkosh.
This area has a long and rich history of womens and girls rugby.
A little to the south lies Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin. Using French for "the end of the lake", the community rests at the southern end of the huge Lake Winnebego.
In the late 90's a Penn St alumn named Angie Sellers started a women's adult club team in Fond Du Lac. In the early days, this women's club played multiple games against DSHA HS girls when both programs were both starting. While that would be unheard of today, opportunities for games for female teams were so few and far between that teams were creative and had to work together for friendly competition. DSHA and others might not have survived had they not found ways to get matches. Fond Du Lac Women's rugby fielded a full 15s squad for several years, a note-able accomplishment in this era.
From there, the first Fond Du Lac girls high school team was formed in 2004. At the very beginning they boasted a roster of around 40 players. Traci Smet was an early leader of this effort. For several years, hopes were high for this program. Unfortunately, coaching changes contributed to a lack of consistency and their numbers faltered. Some reported a lack of support from the men's community; others challenged that perception noting that the local men's club helped them use their field and equipment to train and that the team would not have gotten off to such a good start without such support.
While league records are spotty, it appears the Fond Du Lac team was dormant or essentially folded for a time until several years later when new leadership under Amanda Pohle (a WGR alum and eventual WGR President) led a resurgence of the program and renewed participation numbers. The team competed for several years in WGR league play before folding for a second time.
As interest in the Fond Du Lac area waned or shifted geographically, a separate team emerged in Appleton, officially founded in 2013. Under coaches like Patrick Harrington (now at UW-Platteville Women's Rugby) and AJ Wiesseler, they fielded a full-15's side that competed in league play for several seasons.
The point of this is that history shows a long-standing, positive culture of female athletic participation in this part of Wisconsin; one that's led to a fast rise in teams in the area. With consistent leadership and support, there's great potential for growth. What remains to be solved is how to continue this female sports culture in the long-term.
To that end, the newly formed Fox Cities Girls High School team is aiming to compete in spring of 2024. This girls team will be called the IRON MAIDENS. Reports indicate that they have a strong class of middle school players coming through their flag rugby program. They are expected to field a 7s team this spring and then a 15s team in Fall of 2024 bolstered by a strong group who they are anticipating graduating middle school.
Anyone interested in playing or supporting them should contact their coach:
John Walt
jawalt16@yahoo.com
Monday, July 24, 2023
Summer Rugby Happenings
USA u23s:
Congrats to Sacred Heart University's Aly Cuningham (CMHS '21), who travelled to Brazil with the USA u23 team in June, playing tests against Brazil (tied 15-15) and Colombia (27-24 win). Reports are that the girls travel was fully funded, a rarity in women's rugby and a notable improvement over past tours.
Cunningham recently made the cut for the end of July "Border Battle" with Canada at the end of July. The schedule says the USA u23's will be playing the Canadian u20 side twice in Quincy, Mass on July 26th and July 30th. Matches can be streamed free on The Rugby Network here.
Also making the team are Olivia and Reece Woods, recent high school grads of Eagle HS (the only ones on the u23 side) who competed in Wisconsin in May at the National High School tournament, defeating Hamilton HS and losing to Catholic Memorial HS on kicks
Update:
Cunningham came off the bench in the 1st Border battle match against Canada.
In the second match on July 30th, Cunningham started at 15. Congrats on the u23 cap!
Summer 7s
The Badger Rugby Academy lost all four of its matches at the NAI 7's over the weekend. Congrats to the girls involved for competing hard.
BRA 17 Sac Pal Amazons 26
BRA 7 Atlantis
BRA 0 The Rugby Advantage "Black" 29
BRA 0 Utah Majestic 22
The Conferences for the WGR Fall Season have been set:
(A) DSHA, Brookfield, Catholic Memorial, Green Bay/Pulaski
(B) Hamilton, SPASH, DSHA JV, Madison/Muskego
The season begins Sept 16th.
Sadly, Green Bay will be co-oping wth Pulaski and Madison will co-op with Muskego.
Kettle Moraine, Wisconsin's second-longest running team, has folded after combining with Brookfield, last fall.
USA Rugby HP Camps
Hamilton's Olivia George attended the July high school talent identification East Camp this July. Congrats.
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