Rugby in the United States has flown under the radar for a long time. After the United States 2024 women’s rugby team won bronze in Paris, their first Olympic medal in program history, the Denver women’s rugby scene and other programs around the country are finally gaining attention.
“Whenever they won, I lost my full mind,” said Mindy Elizabeth, a rugby player for the local Denver rugby team Black Ice. “It blew my mind. I was so excited, like over the moon.”
Black Ice is a Division I squad that plays out of Infinity Park in Glendale. Elizabeth and her teammates understand how critical this moment is for the development of the sport.
“I think it grows [women’s rugby] exponentially,” said Jen Johnson of the Black Ice, who goes by JJ. “You could see it on social media; all the local teams took the opportunity to reach out and recruit. Everyone’s posting videos from the Olympic Games being like, ‘[Reach out] if you want to try rugby.’ It really just puts [women’s rugby] on a larger scale.”
The Denver women’s rugby scene currently finds itself in an opportune spot. A brand-new professional women’s league is being created in the United States called Women’s Elite Rugby (WER), which will be headquartered in the Mile High City.
Denver is positioning itself to become the United States’ biggest hub for women’s rugby, and the women who represented the United States in Paris this July have played no small part in that. “I don’t know that this growth in rugby would be possible if these women hadn’t gone to the Olympics and represented as well as they did,” Elizabeth said. “It’s perfect timing, honestly.”
Playing a full-contact sport like rugby can seem intimidating at first, but Noel Keyes of the Black Ice says that couldn’t be further from the truth. The rugby community welcomes any and all players of every level of experience, making the community inclusive to all.
“They advertise rugby as something everyone can do,” Keyes said. “We’ll teach you what you need to know, and we’ll go from there. It’s not as intimidating as other club sports, where people have been playing soccer since they were five.”
While people join the Denver rugby scene because of the action on the field, many end up staying because of the tight-knit community. Members go out of their way to help each other in times of need, because that’s what teammates are for.
“To me, rugby means community,” Keyes said. “I found some of my best friends through rugby. I’ve been able to rely on the community in times of hardship, whether that’s mental hardship or financial hardship. Those people have always stepped up and helped me.”
Even with the tremendous growth brought to the sport from the Olympics, Keyes, JJ and Elizabeth still say there’s a long way to go. Unlike other professional sports, most pro women’s rugby players don’t get paid for their efforts on the field.
“We have to pay dues to play rugby on a team, and we also pay for all of our traveling,” JJ said. “We pay for all of our food. People who [play rugby], they really have to love it, because we’re not getting paid to do this. We’re doing this out of the pure love for the sport.”
Local rugby clubs like the Black Ice rely on fundraising to keep going, which is the best way that the Denver community can support the club. Even if people can’t donate, showing up to local games to root for women’s rugby goes a long way too.
“The best way to support women’s rugby, and rugby in general, is to show up and donate if you have the money,” Keyes said. “And if you don’t, be there in person and bring your friends.”
Fortunately, it seems as though the days of unpaid women’s rugby are coming to an end. With the new WER league and increased attention to women’s sports, the possibilities for women’s rugby are expanding to previously unthinkable heights.
“I think that women rugby athletes are some of the most passionate and hardworking people that I’ve ever met,” Elizabeth said. “So knowing that we’re on this pathway to professionalizing the sport where players actually get paid to play instead of having to pay to play is really encouraging. That’s where I hope we continue.”
The future of women’s rugby in America is bright, and it might only be getting brighter. With the influx of new players joining the sport, Team USA is expected to get stronger. Players like Elizabeth think the bronze medal is only the beginning.
“[Our future] is probably a gold medal,” Elizabeth said.
