The Chicago Tempest professional women’s rugby team begins its inaugural season on Sunday, March 23 in Evanston.
The Tempest will face the Twin Cities Gemini at 1 p.m. at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium, a 5,000-seat field that’s currently home to Northwestern University’s football team. General admission tickets start at $25.
In announcing the schedule and venues for the league’s first full season on Wednesday, Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) said that the locations were chosen for their ability to bring people together, their relative intimacy — and their power to make a statement.
“Stepping onto these elite level pitches isn’t just about the game — it’s about showing the world that women’s rugby deserves the same stage, the same respect, and the same opportunities to shine,” WER President Jessica Hammond-Graf said in a release. “The excitement is more than just in playing the game; it’s in knowing we’re elevating the sport with every match.”
Women’s Elite Rugby, the first first professional women’s rugby league in the United States, launches this spring with six teams, including the Tempest and: Bay Breakers, Boston Banshees, Denver Onyx, New York Exiles and the Twin Cities (TC) Gemini. The season begins March 22 as the Exiles host the Banshees and ends June 14 with the Breakers hosting the Onyx. Games will be played on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Bryan Colbridge will serve as the Chicago Tempest’s head coach. The team’s five foundational players include Anabel Diaz, Emma Farnan, Betty Nguyen and Kadie Sanford, and Cienna Jordan, who had previously been announced, has been moved to the injured reserve list.
The Tempest roster has 30 players – 17 forwards and 13 backs. They are:
Forwards: Ubaida Ahmed, Abby Albrecht, Sarah (Esther) Anderson, Ilene Andrade, Kit Buzby, Sara Curvin, Anabel Diaz, Tito Harrison, Christen Jackson, Narcisse Jordan, Katie Lamont, Amaryha McGowan, Ashley Mencke, Olga Niyibizi, Ellie Reiter, Kadie Sanford, Jayla Twitty
Backs: Isla Alejandro, MarCaya Bailous, Hali Deters, Jess Dombrowski, Erika Farias, Emma Farnan, Nicole Fisch, Lauren Kuffel, Betty Nguyen, Indigo Niznik-Darden, Adriana Mendoza Silva, Brooke Walklate, Taylor White
The Tempest will join other women’s sports teams in Chicago, including the Chicago Red Stars soccer team, Chicago Sky women’s basketball and roller derby leagues the Windy City Rollers and Chicago-Style Roller Derby.
For more information about the Chicago Tempest, visit the team’s website, womenseliterugby.us/chicago-tempest and follow the team on Instagram @wer_tempest.
