Spain not resting on laurels despite huge growth in women's rugby

Under the Posts – Apr 6-12

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Under the Posts – Apr 6-12 starts with the video of the week, the 2012 USA 7s Women’s Invitational Cup Final that was played in Sam Boyd Stadium. Canada defeated the hosts 14-5. Relive the match with our video!

We then feature two articles discussing what happens to women’s sport after the pandemic. We’ve seen unprecedented support for women’s rugby (in most areas) in the last few years…will that continue? Or will we be the first to be cut?

In XVs news, Spain looks to double participation in women’s rugby again,  Tyrrells Premier announced their participating teams for the next three years, Exeter and Sale are in while Richmond and Waterloo are out. Rugby Europe has cancelled their remaining competitions for the year and Adam Griggs shares how his team is continuing to train during the pandemic.

7s athletes continue to come out with their thoughts on the postponement of the Olympics. This week we’re covering Abi Burton and Ghislaine Landry. 

In Misc News we look at Cardiff and Osprey athletes that are working on the front lines of COVID-19 and World Rugby Museum remembers April 11, 1987.

Last but not least, we have 5 #RugbyJobs.

Can’t wait a week? Join us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram as we will be posting daily. We have a bit more dialogue on Twitter if you’d like to join in.

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Video of the Week

The video of the week is another look back, all the way to the 2012 USA 7s. The women participated at USA Sevens starting in 2006 in varying modes. To start they were only part of the Invitational Tournament and played “alongside” the men’s tournament.

2012 was the first time that the women’s final was played inside Sam Boyd Stadium. It was placed before the men’s final and the top two teams in North America battled it out. Give it a watch!

Featured

This week we’re featuring two articles that start to think about women’s sports after the pandemic. We’re seeing salaries of athletes, coaches and administrators being severely cut as funds have dried up. 

Women’s leagues are for now mostly loss making, meaning that it takes more funding to keep them going than they bring in. We could go on and on about WHY that is, but we’re worried that this will be an easy excuse when sport starts up again.

Will the RFU, Ireland, Australia and a few others that have stepped into paying professional rugby athletes continue after a pandemic? Or will that be the first to go with the promise that it will return?

XVs

Tyrrells Premier Updates

Big news out from Tyrrells Premier this past week…last week they announced that the 2019-2020 is a wash and now they’ve announced the participating teams for the next three years:

  • Bristol Bears Women
  • DMP Durham Sharks
  • Exeter Chiefs Women
  • Gloucester-Hartpury Women 
  • Harlequins Women
  • Loughborough Lightning 
  • Sale Sharks Women
  • Saracens Women
  • Wasps FC Ladies
  • Worcester Warriors Women

Namely missing from the announcement is that Waterloo and Richmond won’t be returning. Both clubs have rich histories in rugby and had been with Tyrrells since the beginning but struggled in their bids to re-tender for a place.

Instead Sale Shares and Exeter Chiefs have replaced them and some are saying it’s only furthering the RFU’s vision for elite women’s rugby teams to be financially backed up by Gallagher Premiership clubs.

Union/League/Team Updates

Spain has experienced a near 100% growth in women’s rugby participation over the last five years. They continue to look forward to 2025, including growing the number of coaches, referees, officials and women in decision-making positions. This will guarantee that young female players have role models in every facet of the game.

The news of competitions being ceased continues to roll on, this week it was Rugby Europe. This includes cancelling the Women’s XV Rugby Europe Championship (2 matches remaining), and the Women’s Senior Sevens Championships and Trophy Divisions. 

This further complicates qualifications for the 2021 Women’s Rugby World Cup and as the 7s teams attempt to qualify for the 2021 Olympics and/or the HSCB Sevens Series.

The Super W league is already looking ahead to next year’s competition and considering expanding to more matches. With it being a WRWC year that complicates things. 

“I think I couldn’t tell you what Super W will look like in terms of timings but it will be factored into the fact that the Rugby World Cup Cup in September and our priority is to perform there to the best of our capabilities,” she said.

“That will go hand in hand with Test match schedule looks like, so we need to get a firm plan of what that looks like, which could change.” -Jilly Collins

Adam Griggs is focused on remotely managing the Ireland Women’s rugby team. Their sole focus beyond the pandemic is preparing for the European sectional qualifier for the 2021 Women’s Rugby World Cup, set to take place in September (as of right now). 

They will be fighting for one place and battling Scotland, Italy and the winner of the Rugby Women’s Europe Championship involving Russia, Netherlands and Spain.

7s

Abi Burton was named in the Great Britain’s initial training squad but isn’t letting the postponement of the Olympics dampen her dreams. 

Ghislaine Landry speaks with Andi Petrillo about what the postponement of the Olympics means to her and Canada.

Misc News

Cardiff highlights Abbie Fleming, Megan Webb and Paige Randall, and Ospreys’ Angharad de Smet who are all on the front lines of the pandemic.

World Rugby Museum shared that April 11 in 1987 was the first competitive women’s rugby game, played in Twickenham Stadium.

Wasps beat Richmond 19-0 to win the Championship Final.

Media

#RugbyJobs
Looking for a job in rugby? Make sure to check out our listing of #RugbyJobs. Or even follow the hash tag on Twitter.

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