Briars Women’s Rugby News

Briars Women’s Rugby – Building Global Connections in 2025

In 2025, Briars Women’s Rugby proudly entered the Sydney Women’s Rugby Premiership for the first time, competing in the prestigious Chikarovski Cup. Now in its 30th year, this semi-professional league is Australia’s premier women’s rugby competition below the Super Rugby level, with the NSW Waratahs crowned Premiers this season.

Our entry into this elite competition has opened the door to a new international partnership with Wheeling University in West Virginia, USA, home to the 2024–25 National Collegiate Rugby Champions.

Since mid-May, we’ve welcomed seven Wheeling University players to Briars for six-week stints, giving them the chance to immerse themselves in Australian rugby and club culture. With notable differences between the Australian and American styles of play, it’s been a learning experience from day one.

This exchange was made possible through collaboration with Wheeling’s Head Coach, Ken Pape a respected figure in US rugby and former scrum coach with the ACT Brumbies. He identified players who would benefit from valuable game time during their summer break.

Thanks to the support of our men’s First Grade coach, we secured local accommodation and work opportunities for the visiting players. A few even stayed with Briars teammates during their stay, building strong friendships both on and off the field.

As the players begin to return home, with three still here for another fortnight, we’re already planning the next step a visit to Wheeling University as part of our New York 7s tour in November 2025.

This exchange has been a fantastic experience for our young players, offering a unique chance to connect with rugby talent from across the globe. We look forward to continuing this relationship and hope to send some of our players to Wheeling in the future, potentially combining rugby and education.