Wasps Women
{{Short description|English women's rugby union team}}
{{Infobox rugby team
| teamname = Wasps Women
| image =
| imagesize = 100px
| union = RFU
| fullname = Wasps Women
| nickname = Wasps
| shortname =Wasps
| founded = 1984
| region =
| ground =Twyford Avenue Sports Ground
| league = Premier 15s
|location=Acton, London, England|Head coach=LJ Lewis|General manager=Kasey Allen|Captain=Liz Crake}}
Wasps Women are a women's rugby union based in Acton, London, England.{{cite web|url=http://www.scrumqueens.com/news/day-named-wasps-president |title=Day named Wasps President |publisher=Scrum Queens |date= 18 July 2013|access-date=2014-02-28}} They were founded in 1984 and play in the Premier 15s.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/23978080 |title=Women's Premiership: England captain backs revamp |work=BBC Sport |date= |access-date=2014-03-10}}{{cite web|url=http://www.scrumqueens.com/news/womens-premiership-round-one-wrap |title=Women's Premiership: Round One Wrap |publisher=Scrum Queens |date= 10 September 2012|access-date=2014-03-11}} They are the women's team of Wasps FC,{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/63404621 |title=Wasps & Worcester women's teams to continue playing after getting RFU permission |publisher=BBC Sport |date=2022-10-26 |access-date=2022-10-27}} who are affiliated to Premiership Rugby team Wasps.{{cite web|url=http://r2hmagazine.com/2011/10/22/wasps-ladies-meet-the-team/ |title=Wasps Ladies: Meet the Team |work=Ryding 2 Health Magazine |publisher=Ryding 2 Health Magazine. |date= 22 October 2011|access-date=2014-02-28}} They play their home matches at Wasps FC's Twyford Avenue Sports Ground.{{cite web|url=http://www.kentsportsnews.com/ton-up-for-rampant-bulls-ladies-14-01-2013/ |title=Ton up for rampant Bulls ladies |publisher=Kent Sports News |date=2013-01-14 |access-date=2014-02-28}}
History
Wasps Women was founded in 1984 by Sue Martineau and have played in the top flight of English women's rugby union since 1991 as they were not involved in the first season of the Women's Premiership in 1990.{{cite web|url=http://www.rfu.com/womensrugbyportal/rfuwabriefhistory |title=Women's Rugby – Then and Now |work=RFU |date= |access-date=2014-02-28 |author1=Sitecore\Hayesm }} In 1992, they won the Women's National 7s title.{{cite web|url=http://www.waspslegends.co.uk/WomensSquads.ink |title=Women's Squads Players |publisher=Wasps Legends |date= |access-date=2014-02-28}} They have won league titles including three consecutive wins between 2001 and 2004,{{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyworld.com/news/blogs/giselle-mather-breaking-new-ground-blog/ |title=Giselle Mather breaking new ground |publisher=Rugby World |date=2011-11-28 |access-date=2014-02-28}} including a league and cup double in 2004.{{cite web|url=http://rugbyfootballhistory.com/wasps.html |title=Wasps |publisher=Rugby Football History |date= |access-date=2014-02-28}} Aside of their local rivalries with fellow London clubs Saracens Women and Richmond Women, Wasps Women also have a rivalry with Bristol Bears Women, formally Clifton Ladies.{{cite web|author=womensportreport.com |url=http://www.womensportreport.com/women-sport_wasps-ladies-finally-find-their-form-to-beat-bristol_3533 |title=Wasps Ladies finally find their form to beat Bristol |publisher=Women Sport Report |date= |access-date=2014-02-28}} Wasps Women run two teams with Wasps Women II playing in Championship 2 South West after being relegated from Championship 1 South in 2013.{{cite web|last=Herald |first=Plymouth |url=http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/Albion-Ladies-sting-Wasps-bad-tempered-battle/story-19837298-detail/story.html |title=Albion Ladies sting Wasps in a bad-tempered battle for third place |publisher=Plymouth Herald |date=2013-09-24 |access-date=2014-02-28}}
Being affiliated to Wasps, Wasps Women have played matches at the Coventry Building Society Arena in Coventry and Wasps' former home ground, Adams Park in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.{{cite web|url=http://www.rugbynetwork.net/main/s96/st22173.htm |title=Double header, Wasps Women then Wasps Men |publisher=Rugbynetwork.net |date=2003-03-25 |access-date=2014-02-28}} Wasps Women also take part in charity games, including playing against Guernsey Ladies in Sark.{{cite web|url=http://www.channelonline.tv/channelonline_sportnews/displayarticle.asp?id=490802 |title=Wasps help with Wooden Spoon |publisher=Channel Online TV |date=2010-09-13 |access-date=2014-02-28}}
In July 2021; in line with a company wide rebrand, the team were rebranded Wasps Women having previously been called Wasps Ladies.{{Cite web|title=Wasps Logo Evolves|url=https://www.wasps.co.uk/news/wasps-logo-evolves/|access-date=2021-07-19|website=www.wasps.co.uk|language=en}}
Notable players
Wasps Women have provided a number of players for international teams. Sue Day and Shelley Rae played for both Wasps Women and the England women's national rugby union team. Stephanie Te Ohaere-Fox played for both Wasps Women and the New Zealand women's national rugby union team.{{cite web|url=http://www.rfu.com/thegame/competitions/womenspremiership/waspsladies |title=Wasps Ladies |publisher=RFU |date= |access-date=2014-02-28}} Giselle Mather (née Prangnell), played for Wasps from 1992 to 1998 and later coached the team from 2001 to 2004 and also from 2016 to 2022. She is a former English rugby union international and coach, won 34 caps for England, part of the 1994 Women's World Cup winning side, first woman to achieve level 4 coaching status from the RFU, first woman to coach a male rugby union side, first coach of the Women's Barbarians and from 2024 coach of the Great Britain women's national rugby sevens team squad.[https://www.waspsfc.co.uk/news/giselle-mather-joins-wasps-fc-as-director-of-rugby-1694463.html Giselle Mather Joins Wasps FC as Director of Rugby, Waheed Aslam, 22 Sep 2016]