Posted by Megan Owens
on April 24, 2026
Megan Owens did not set out to start a business. She just wanted rugby gear that actually felt like it belonged to her.
Now at 28, the rugby player turned founder is building a brand that puts women at the center of an industry that has often overlooked them.
Megan started playing rugby in college, where she quickly fell in love with the sport. But as she began traveling to tournaments with friends, something stood out for the wrong reasons. The apparel did not reflect the game or the women playing it.
“It was all low quality and honestly kind of lazy,” she says. “A lot of it felt like the same recycled graphic of a guy playing rugby. I wanted something that actually represented how I experienced the sport and something I would be proud to wear.”
That frustration turned into something bigger in 2020 when Megan’s senior season was cut short due to COVID. With more time on her hands, she started creating small designs for herself and her friends.
“I started making these rugby ghost stickers just for fun,” she says. “My friends told me to put them online, and they sold out in a day. That was the moment it clicked. It showed me other people were feeling the same gap.”
What started with stickers quickly grew. Megan began screen printing apparel in her garage, teaching herself as she went. Before long, demand pushed her to partner with a local print shop in Sacramento to keep up.
Since then, Megan and a close group of friends have taken the brand on the road, traveling across the United States to sell at rugby tournaments. From San Luis Obispo’s “Tri Tip Sevens” to Chattanooga’s “Pitch a Tent,” her brand has become a familiar presence on the sidelines. More recently, she has stepped onto the professional stage as a vendor at the SVNS series in Los Angeles and New York.
“I love being at tournaments,” Megan says. “Getting to meet people who have been following along since the beginning, or introducing someone new to the brand, that is the best part. The rugby community is incredibly supportive. And being able to watch high level rugby and connect with players is a pretty great bonus too.”
Now, Megan is focused on her next challenge: fixing one of the most common complaints in women’s rugby apparel.
“Rugby shorts are a big pain point,” she says. “Most of them are designed with men in mind. Even the women’s options miss the mark.”
To better understand the issue, Megan turned directly to her audience. She surveyed more than 200 rugby players to learn what was not working.
“I wanted real feedback before making anything new,” she says. “Now I can take that data, work with a manufacturer, and build something that actually fits and performs the way women need it to. Not just a smaller version of men’s shorts, but something designed from the ground up.”
She has already seen how much demand exists. Previous runs of her rugby shorts became her best selling items, thanks in part to bold patterns and colors that stood out from the standard black options dominating the market.
“People loved that they felt different,” Megan says. “Now it is about taking that and getting the fit and feel exactly right.”
Megan is documenting the entire process, from early samples to final adjustments, on her Instagram and TikTok. She has also launched “The Short List,” a waitlist for customers who want early access when the new designs drop.
For Megan Owens, this is not just about apparel. It is about building something that reflects the players who have been overlooked for too long.
