WGR 2024 Fall Girls HS Rugby League Schedule

The 2024 Fall Conference 15's season in Wisconsin Girls Rugby is one of great transition into a new era.   

Coming in are new programs:  Greenfield HS in Milwaukee and Fox Cities from the Fox River Valley area.

Moving on are some long-term coaches like the retired Boris Turcinovic (assistant coach at DSHA).

Every year sees many great kids and standouts graduate, but this past May's graduation includes an unusually significant number of standouts.

Three-time all state players like the veteran 9-10-12 combination at DSHA of Walsh, Coffu, and Okeef have all graduated. It seemed like they had been starting in league play forever.  Three time all state flyhalf Lucy Wilson has also graduated from CMH and is moving on to Notre Dame University.  

The tall #8 Melanie Sanchez has moved on to Quinnipiac University where she started in their NIRA opener on 9/31 against Brown.

Gone as well is one of the faces of the SPASH program in Stevens Point as standout Scout Spadoni, a two-time all stater, has moved on to college rugby too, joining the fast-growing Frostburg St.  She started at number eight as well in a notable two-try debut.

Visible players like scrumhalf Grace Beatty from Hamilton (headed to Lander U.) and Cece Stowers (Davenport) are moving on to the next level.

In their place are many unknowns.  New combos at flyhalf and tight head prop and 15 are scattered throughout the league.  In their place are 19 juniors form DSHA, many of whom move up from JV.  In the place of graduates and standouts are talented youth from flag programs at Hamilton HS and Madison and Green Bay who've moved up to contact rugby.  In their place is a lot of excitement and hope.  It's anyone's year.

Week One: (League Opening Weekend) Saturday Sept 14th

Green Bay @ DSHA 10am Brown Deer Park

Catholic Memorial @ DSHA JV 12pm Brown Deer Park

Hamilton @ Bruisers 10am Nashotah Park

Greenfield @Stevens Point 

Week 2 Saturday Sept 21st

Hamilton HS @ Catholic Memorial HS  10am  Minooka Park

Bruisers @ Madison Furies  10am  Nashotah Park

DSHA @ Stevens Point Area HS 10am  600 Maria Drive

Fox Cities @ Green Bay

Week 3 Saturday Sept 28th

Greenfield HS @ DSHA 930am  Brown Deer Park

Bruisers @ DSHA JV 1045am Brown Deer Park

Hamilton HS @ Madison Furies 10am Cottage Grove

Stevens Point Area HS @ Fox Cities 10am Greenville Lions Park

Week 4 Saturday Oct 5th

Catholic Memorial HS @ Bruisers  10am Nashotah

Stevens Point Area HS @ Green Bay 10am Barney Williams Field

Greenfield HS @ Fox Cities 10am Greenville Lions Park

DSHA jv @ Madison Furies 10am Cottage Grove

Week 5 Saturday Oct 12th

DSHA jv @ Hamilton 10am Nashotah Park

DSHA @ Fox Cities 12pm Nashotah Park

Madison Furies @ Catholic Memorial HS 10am Minooka Park

Green Bay @ Greenfield 10am TBD

Women's Premier League Semifinals Saturday Sept 7th at Cottage Grove 2024

 The Women's Premier League are holding their semifinal matches at Cottage Grove on Sept. 7th, 2024.

(Editor's Comment: It seems like every major rugby competition except for NCAA women and the National Teams are holding their playoffs at the all-grass Madison United Complex.  It's well-earned as the club house, facility, and staff have been outstanding in every way.  We know we're a little biased but it seems like everyone is jumping on board and it's raising the quality standards of the game).

The matches will be held at 1pm and 3pm, CST.  The WPL details can be found here as they get determined in greater detail.

A comprehensive weekend info sheet can be found here.  Interested volunteers should visit this page!  Organizers are also interested in volunteer ball boys and girls as well as interested flag rugby participants to play exhibition matches at halftime of each match.

In addition, there will be a MIDDLE and HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS CLINIC held from 10am-12pm that day. Click here to sign up.

Kudos to MUR and the women's rugby leaders of Wisconsin for putting this together.  The timing is perfect as Monona Grove expands it's flag rugby program.  It appears inevitable that the Madison area will be starting a second high school girls contact team in the very near future.  In fact, the Monona Grove Silver Sprinters were frequent champions of multiple flag rugby divisions at multiple flag rugby tournaments this summer.  If their numbers and development continue, we could be seeing more high school participants in the Madison area in the very near future.  This is also on the heels of a new girls high school team joining the WGR Fall Conference competition from Fox Cities.  

Wisconsin Girls Rugby Fall 2024 League Play

 The 2024 WGR Fall League starts up in a few weeks.

Of note is the inclusion of two new girls teams:

The Fox Cities Iron Maidens, who have been building through a youth flag program for several years, will play out of Greenville, Wisconsin north of Oshkosh.  They have a solid foundation from years of development in the Fox Cities flag rugby program which competes each summer in Wisconsin Flag Rugby.

In addition, Greendale HS is starting a school-supported team.  Sadly, this team essentially replaces the Muskego HS program, which never fully gained traction.  Encouragingly, Greendale's support stems from Assistant Athletic Director Niina Rouse, who's involvement in girls wrestling and rugby has built some significant positive momentum for improving athletic opportunities for high school girls.  The KM rugby alumn has already done some impressive things in her young career..

Conference A

DSHA HS

Green Bay

Stevens Point Area HS

Greenfield

Fox Cities

Conference B

Catholic Memorial HS

DSHA HS JV

Hamilton HS

Bruisers

Madison Furies

League play begins September 14th and concludes with the State Tournament October 27th.  The location of the state tournament is still to be determined but the league semifinals will be held October 19th at Cottage Grove.  Some teams have some pre-season scrimmages in the works before conference play kicks off.

Week One: (League Opening Weekend)

Green Bay @ DSHA 10am Brown Deer Park

Catholic Memorial @ DSHA JV 12pm Brown Deer Park

Hamilton @ Bruisers 10am Nashotah Park

Greenfield @Stevens Point