Chicago is getting a women's professional rugby team

Chicago will boast one of the nation's first women's professional rugby teams, the Women's Elite Rugby league announced Wednesday.

Why it matters: Interest in women's rugby has surged in recent years and especially after this week's spectacular U.S. women's rugby performance at the Paris Olympics .

State of play: Boston and Denver will also host teams that start play in spring 2025, with official team names and stadium announcements to come.

• "WER prides itself in putting founding teams in markets that have a strong foundation and grassroots efforts in both the rugby and women's sports space," the league said in a statement.
• The league and teams will be funded by private investors, including members of the rugby community, sports-focused venture capitalists and former Procter & Gamble executive Deb Henretta.

The backstory: Women have played rugby in Chicago for decades, even hosting the first Women's National Championship in 1978 .

• Today Chicago women play on amateur teams including North Shore, which is part of the Women's Premier League, and the Chicago Lions , who are part of a Midwestern league.

What they're saying: "As WER builds a strong presence ahead of the 2033 Women's Rugby World Cup in the U.S., it's fantastic that the international spotlight will shine on rugby here," Phil Clement, president and CEO of World Business Chicago, said in a statement.

The latest: Last week, Chicago's professional men's rugby team, the Chicago Hounds, secured a spot in the national playoffs.

• And tonight the Lions women's team is hosting a meet-and-greet for prospective players.

What's next: More WER cities will be announced in coming weeks with the intention of starting the league with six to eight teams composed of about 30 players each.