Background & History

The Boston Banshees are a founding member of Women’s Elite Rugby (WER), based in New England. Following the announcement of WER in April 2024, the Boston Banshees team name and logo were announced in January 2025 alongside the other 5 founding WER teams. In addition to the name and logo, the Boston Banshees announced their ‘Foundational Five’, a group of 5 players that made up the team’s first signings. The Foundational Five for the Boston Banshees can be found below.

An evolution of Beantown RFC of the WPL, the Boston Banshees played in WER’s first ever game on 22nd March, 2025 against the New York Exiles at Mount Vernon Memorial Stadium. They finished WER’s inaugural season in 4th place with a record of 6-4, missing out on the chance to compete for the Legacy Cup by just a couple of points. After a promising first season, the Banshees struggled in their sophomore year. Although they only dropped 1 place from their 4th place finish in 2025, they fell from a positive 6-4 record with 30pts, to a 2-8 record and 13pts. The Banshees finished above the Chicago Tempest, splitting the season series 1-1 and picking up their only other victory against the New York Exiles.

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Foundational Five

• Cass Bargell
• Yeja Dunn
• Akweley Okine
• Paige Stathopouos
• Emily Henrich

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records & Record Holders

All-Time:

Top Scorer: Yeja Dunn (70pts)
Top Try Scorer: Yeja Dunn (14)
Most Appearances: Emma Santosuosso (20)
Most Starts: Emma Santosuosso (20)

Single Season:

Top Scorer: Yeja Dunn (60pts – 2025)
Top Try Scorer: Yeja Dunn (12 – 2025)

Historical Performance

2025: 6-4 (+79) – 30pts: 4th
2026: 2-8 (-195) – 13pts: 5th

Overall Regular Season Record: 8-12
Overall Legacy Cup Record: N/A
Legacy Cup Appearances: 0

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Head Coach & Captain

Head Coach:

• Kitt Ruiz (2025-2026)

Captain:

• Jenny Kronish (2025)
• Yeja Dunn (2026)

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Logo

All of the WER logos and branding for the league’s inaugural season were co-designed by the league and British advertising agency MATTA. The Boston Banshees logo ties in with New England’s relationship with witches and folklore, depicting a wailing banshee under a crescent moon. The Banshee is an excellent fit for a Women’s team in New England, tying in with local customs and culture while symbolising an unstoppable female force that the Banshees hope to be on the field.

VEnue

The Boston Banshees played the majority of their home games out of Veteran’s Memorial Stadium in Quincy, MA, just south of Boston. This is also the venue of 3x Major League Rugby Champions, the New England Free Jacks, cementing the culture of rugby in the area. The Banshees also played a number of their home games at Centreville Bank Stadium in Rhode Island just northeast of Providence. In keeping with the venue links to MLR, Centreville Bank Stadium was the venue for the 2025 MLR Championship game in June 2025.