Background & History

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

Born from the New York Rugby Club of the WPL, the New York Exiles played in the very first WER game, facing the Boston Banshees on 22nd March, 2025. The Exiles enjoyed a competitive inaugural season, finishing with a 6-4 record and 33pts, putting them 2nd place by a single point thanks to a bonus point victory over the Chicago Tempest in their final game of the regular season. This victory clinched a spot for the Exiles to compete for the WER Legacy Cup against the Denver Onyx. Although the Exiles got out to a 0-10 lead early, the dominant Denver Onyx rallied to blow New York away. The Exiles finished as Runners-Up in WER’s inaugural season, and have already had a taste of the final. They took a step back the following year, going from 6-4 in 2025 to 4-6 in 2026 and dropping from 2nd place with 33pts to 4th place with only 20pts. The Exiles struggled to get going early in the season, picking up just 1 win in the first half of the regular season before recording 3 of their 4 victories in the final 5 games of the year to secure 4th place on a bit of an island in the standings. The Exiles finished the 2026 WER season 7pts above the Boston Banshees in 5th, but 14pts behind the TC Gemini in 3rd.

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Foundational Five

• Adriana Castillo
• Misha Green-Yotts
• Matilda Kocaj
• Jetta Owens
• Jenn Salomon-Clayton

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records & Record Holders

2025 Legacy Cup Runners-Up

All-Time:

Top Scorer: Jetta Owens (123pts)
Top Try Scorer: Misha Green-Yotts, Caoimhe O’Sullivan-Roche (8)
Most Appearances: Jetta Owens, Sarah Minahan, Cari Pick, Emily Brower (21)
Most Starts: Jetta Owens (21)

Single Season:

Top Scorer: Jetta Owens (72pts – 2025)
Top Try Scorer: Scout Cheeks (7 – 2025)

Historical Performance

2025: 6-4 (-3) – 33pts: 2nd (Legacy Cup Runners-Up)
2026: 4-6 (-134) – 20pts: 4th

Overall Regular Season Record: 10-10
Overall Legacy Cup Record: 0-1
Legacy Cup Appearances: 1 (2025)

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Head Coach & Captain

Head Coach:

• Diego Maquiera (2025-2026)

Captain:

• Misha Green-Yotts (2025)
• Misha Green-Yotts / Jetta Owens (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. They were unveiled in January 2025. The New York Exiles logo plays on the Statue of Liberty’s nickname as the ‘Mother of Exiles’, with New York being a new start for many exiles from elsewhere in the world. The crest features a trio of hooded heroes, both playing on New York’s reputation as the home of heroes, as well as the journey to a new life in the new world. The use of the ‘liberty and shadow teal’ help to tie this logo to the Statue of Liberty further, and features Lady Liberty’s torch at the bottom. The Exiles are a new start to those exiled from main stream sport.

VEnue

The New York Exiles home venue is the 3,900 seater Mount Vernon Memorial Field in Westchester County, NY. The field is the home of Mount Vernon High School and also used by the Monroe University Mustangs football team, and Westchester Soccer Club of the USL League One. Mount Vernon Memorial Field was also home to the Rugby New York Ironworkers of Major League Rugby during their final season in 2023, so already has a rugby history.