Club History

For the past 7 years, West Chester has enjoyed a rich tradition of well disciplined, hard fought rugby in the Eastern Pennsylvania Rugby Union.  Each year, West Chester is one of the top finishers in the EPRU Division I.

Founded originally in 1981, the team took a brief hiatus from the rugby pitch from 1984 until 1989 when the club was re-established.  As women’s collegiate rugby grew as a whole over the next ten years, so did the West Chester University team.  In 1996, with as many as 25 active players, the player influx helped the club advance to and win the EPRU Division II Championship.  After a loss to Southern Connecticut in the first ever USA Division II National Championship, West Chester moved into Division I in the Fall of 1997.  Finishing a respectable 5th out of the 8 division I teams the first year wasn’t enough for the West Chester squad, so in the Fall of 1998, the captured the EPRU Division I Championship which hasn’t been done by anyone but Princeton in the last 7 years.  WCU then headed to Colorado to represent MARFU as the 4th place seed in the National Championship Playoffs where they proceeded to lose to Stanford University, the eventual National Champion for 1998.  In the Fall of 2001, West Chester finished 2nd in the EPRU and was the MARFU 6th seed in the Spring 2002 playoffs where they lost to the University of Virginia.  The club now boasts a 40 player active roster and a growing alumni base.  With many interested rookies and experienced veterans, West Chester hopes to continue its winning tradition in the years to come.