Life West Gladiatrix are a women's
rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
club based in
Hayward, California
Hayward () is a city located in Alameda County, California in the East Bay subregion of the San Francisco Bay Area. With a population of 162,954 as of 2020, Hayward is the sixth largest city in the Bay Area and the third largest in Alameda Coun ...
. The Gladiatrix are named after ancient female Gladiators who were fierce and ruthless in combat and were the equivalent of their male counterparts. They were formed in the fall of 2014 and took the field for the first time in January 2015.
They have won several National Championship titles since then, they won the 2016 Division 2, and, 2017 and 2018 Division 1 championships. 2019 saw them entering the
Women's Premier League for the first time and reaching the finals.
History
Life West Rugby
Dr. Brian Kelly (former President of
Life Chiropractic College West
Life Chiropractic College West is a private chiropractic school in Hayward, California, US, known for its Doctor of Chiropractic degree program. Founded as Pacific States Chiropractic College in 1976 by George E. Anderson, the name was changed i ...
) and his colleague Dr. Bruce Chester, established Life West Rugby in late 2013. Dr. Kelly grew up in New Zealand and wanted to establish a top-level rugby program which was realized on January 11, 2014, when the Life West Men's team, the Gladiators, played their first ever league match.
Dr. Kelly wanted to develop a program from the beginning that showcased excellence in rugby and chiropractic. He also wanted to enhance college pride and introduce chiropractic to a wider community. The program provided opportunities for students, alumni, chiropractors and the local community to be involved with the team.
References
External links
Official site
{{Women's Premier League (WPL Rugby)
Women's Premier League Rugby teams
Women's sports in California
Sports in Hayward, California
Rugby clubs established in 2014
2014 establishments in California