SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.  -  Former Coast Guard Academy women's rugby standout LTJG Ari Jurkowski '22 has been selected to play for the Bay Breakers of the newly established Women's Elite Rugby league. LTJG Jurkowski joined Bears women's rugby during her freshman year and excelled throughout her time at the Academy. She was voted team MVP in 2021 and continued to represent Coast Guard at the Annual Armed Forces Rugby Tournament following her graduation.

WER is the United States' first semi-professional women's rugby league, consisting of six teams based around the United States - Bay Breakers, Boston Banshees, Chicago Tempest, Denver Onyx, New York Exiles, and Twin Cities Geminis. Women's rugby is one of the fastest-growing team sports in the world, with over 2.7 million women playing at professional and collegiate levels and in the Olympics. 

The Bay Breakers team features 26 players with experience in the Women's Premier League; 19 of the players, including LTJG Jurkowski, have played for the Berkley All-Blues rugby club. Additionally, the roster includes four athletes with experience on the U.S. National Team. WER seeks to provide a space that allows athletes to pursue their rugby aspirations at the highest level in the United States while delivering young players a pipeline to professional leagues.

LTJG Jurkowski and the Bay Breakers will play throughout the east Coast on Sunday, April 13, in New York and Saturday, May 31, in Boston.

WER schedule: https://www.womenseliterugby.us/2025-schedule

Further info about the Bay Breakers and WER: https://www.womenseliterugby.us/bay-breakers