WER 2025 – Legacy Cup: Denver Onyx v New York Exiles

The Inaugural Women’s Elite Rugby season concludes with the first ever Legacy Cup Match between the Denver Onyx and the New York Exiles at TCO Stadium in Minnesota!

The #1 seeded Denver Onyx enter this game on the back of a phenomenal 9-1 regular season, earning 46 of a maximum 50pts in the standings with a huge points differential of +367. Their only loss of the season came against the New York Exiles, their opponents in this game. The Exiles scraped into the Legacy Cup by a single point, recording 33pts and a 6-4 record with a points difference of -3. These teams have met twice in the past, splitting the 2025 regular season series 1-1. Now meeting for a 3rd time on neutral ground, who will be crowned as Women’s Elite Rugby Legacy Cup Champions?

The New York Exiles came out firing, and opened the scoring through a Misha Green-Yotts try 12 minutes in, converted by Jetta Owens. Aly Cunningham added a penalty 5 minutes later and the Exiles took a 0-10 lead early on. The Onyx shook this off and hit back through a Kapoina Bailey try just before the first hydration break, and Carly Waters added a second just after, to erase the deficit and take a 14-10 lead. Both sides settled into the game, and Cunningham added another 3pts for New York to reduce the Onyx lead to just 1pt. A few minutes later however, Onyx Winger Nana Fa’avesi decided that the fun was over. She scored in the 37th minute and again right before half time to give Denver a commanding 24-13 lead at the break.

Unfortunately for the Exiles, the Denver Onyx started the second half just as they finished the first. Tries in the 45th and 48th minutes took the score to 38-13 and seemed to shatter the morale of the Exiles side. Just as they had done almost all season, the Onyx showed little mercy, adding another score in the 58th minute and despite already being up by 32pts they showed no mercy, adding an 8th try in the 83rd minute to cement a dominant 53-13 victory and claiming the first Legacy Cup title!

WER 2025 – RD 13: Twin Cities Gemini v Boston Banshees

The Twin Cities Gemini host the Boston Banshees at TCO Stadium to close out the inaugural Women’s Elite Rugby season for both sides!

With the TC Gemini sitting 5th with a 3-6 record and , and the Banshees 4th with a 5-4 record and 26pts, both sides have already been eliminated from Legacy Cup contention. Nevertheless, both sides will want to finished their first WER seasons strong. The Gemini are hoping for a bounce back from the heaviest defeat in WER history, a 75-14 massacre at the hands of the relentless Denver Onyx, while the Banshees are hoping to halt a 2-game skid and enter the off-season with a victory.

It was a low scoring affair, with the Banshees dominant in the first half running out to a 0-15 lead. That scoreline held until half-time and in the 2nd half, the roles were reversed. a Gemini try from Natayah Bauer got them on the board in the 52nd minute to cut the deficit to 10, but the Banshees defence was too solid. The Gemini broke through one last time in the 79th minute through Marissa Hall, but it was too little too late. The Banshees hold on for a 12-15 victory to end the season, and the Gemini walk away with a losing BP.

WER 2025 – RD 11: Twin Cities Gemini v Chicago Tempest

The Chicago Tempest travel south to face the TC Gemini at TCO Stadium in a midwestern melee during Round 11 of WER’s inaugural season!

This match sees the two teams at the bottom of the WER standings scrap to pick up valuable table points. The TC Gemini sit with a 2-5 record following their most recent match, a 31-22 road loss against the New York Exiles. The Chicago Tempest are desperate for a victory, sitting with a 0-7 record and only a single point in the standings. They fell 49-12 to the Boston Banshees in their last game. These teams have met once in the past, during WER’s opening weekend when the Gemini fought hard for a 15-20 victory in Chicago.

It was another low scoring, tight affair in the second meeting between these sides. The Tempest took a 7-10 lead thanks to a 61st minute Vanessa Ciappetta score on debut, and were within 8 minutes of their first victory before KJ Johnson bagged her 2nd of the game in the 73rd minute to take a slender 12-10 advantage. The Tempest could not respond and the Gemini escape with their 3rd win of the season in the lowest scoring game of WER to date!

WER 2025 – RD 8: Twin Cities Gemini v Denver Onyx

The Denver Onyx continue their road trip, travelling to the Twin Cities to face the Gemini in Round 8 of WER’s inaugural season, just 5 days after facing the Boston Banshees in Rhode Island! The Onyx are coming off of a 7-25 win over the resilient Banshees, and are looking to remain undefeated. The TC Gemini are looking to bounce back after a 28-34 home loss to the New York Exiles in which they salvaged 2 bonus points.

This is the first ever meeting between these two sides in Women’s Elite Rugby.

WER 2025 – RD 7: Twin Cities Gemini v New York Exiles

The Twin Cities Gemini host the New York Exiles during Round 7 of the inaugural season of Women’s Elite Rugby!

The Gemini are looking good after a tough, low scoring victory over the Bay Breakers last week for their 2nd win of the season, and are looking to build on that momentum. The Exiles are also coming off of a victory, defeating the Boston Banshees down in Quincy, and sit just ahead of the Gemini in the standings heading into this game. This marks the first meeting between these sides in the WER.

The Exiles came flying out of the games, scoring in the first minute and securing the try bonus point just after the half hour mark. The shell shocked Gemini got on the board just before half time through Samantha Black-Keels, before scoring the first two tries of the second half to make things interesting. Fortunately for the Exiles, they added another two scores either side of the 70 minute mark to seal the victory, but not before a Bianca Curtis try in the final minutes of play secure both bonus points for the Gemini, which could prove crucial.

Final score is 28-34 in favour of the New York Exiles.

WER 2025 – RD 6: Twin Cities Gemini v Bay Breakers

The Bay Breakers travel to the twin cities to face the Gemini in Round 6 of WER’s inaugural season!

The Breakers are coming off of a convincing victory over the New York Exiles and are on a 2-game in streak that includes a huge 66-12 victory over the Gemini in Round 3. The Gemini will be looking to get some revenge for that defeat, as that was their most recent game before this clash.

This time around it was a much lower scoring affair, with the Gemini indeed getting that revenge with a 17-12 home victory to even up the all-time series between these two sides.