At a party in 1974, the girlfriends and wives of the Chesapeake Rugby Football Men’s Club got together and played a game of what they called “powder-puff rugby.” While at the time it was all in good fun, the rugby bug had bit several of the participants who later in1975, formed Baltimore’s first women’s rugby football club, the Chesapeake Women’s Rugby Club (later known as CWRFC). This was done during a time when women’s rugby was still considered to be an “inappropriate activity for women.” Despite this, and the push back from local men’s teams and “traditionalists” in the area, the women of Chesapeake persevered and soon officially joined the Potomac Rugby Union and later the USA Rugby Senior Club Division.
Throughout CWRFC’s nearly 50 year history, the club’s dedication to the sport of rugby has helped form more women's rugby clubs in the Mid-Atlantic region and produced future Rugby Club coaches and referees.
CWRFC has played in all MAC divisions throughout the years. In 2008, Chesapeake won the Mid-Atlantic Women’s D2 National Tournament. And in 2017 CWRFC won the Mid-Atlantic Women’s D3 South National Tournament.
As of Fall 2022 CWRFC has merged with the Maryland Stingers to form the Chesapeake Stingers WRFC.
