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.
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!
Will women's teams be the first to be cut? https://t.co/iGwPJaDiAH pic.twitter.com/e8nmuZXJr9
— YSCRugby - Women's Rugby 🏉🏳️⚧️✊ (@yscrugby) April 7, 2020
Amid the #COVID19 pandemic, #sportswomen are suffering, with competition cancellations and pay cuts. But why could it impact women players far more than men's teams?
— Women in Sport (@Womeninsport_uk) April 8, 2020
Check out our podcast episode on equal pay in sport to find out 👇https://t.co/E3e7jgHpby
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?
Tyrrells Premier Updates
Tyrrells Premier 15s clubs until 2023 confirmed https://t.co/m7r09L8PRs pic.twitter.com/Wc0sUXk282
— YSCRugby - Women's Rugby 🏉🏳️⚧️✊ (@yscrugby) April 6, 2020
Congrats to Sale Sharks and Exeter Chiefs on their inclusion into the @Premier15s. It will be sad to see Waterloo and Richmond leave the league as both have contributed significantly to the development of the women’s game.
— Maggie Alphonsi MBE (@MaggieAlphonsi) April 6, 2020
Next season will be an interesting one! 🤔#Premier15s https://t.co/xjNtPoYxiR
Premier 15s clubs being underfunded, says Richmond board director https://t.co/AS4PBUI2cc pic.twitter.com/73Atal5R3k
— YSCRugby - Women's Rugby 🏉🏳️⚧️✊ (@yscrugby) April 6, 2020
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 not resting on laurels despite huge growth in women's rugby | https://t.co/k8ckG7utY6 https://t.co/Az1TqmUlTz pic.twitter.com/TlpY6Msl8f
— YSCRugby - Women's Rugby 🏉🏳️⚧️✊ (@yscrugby) April 8, 2020
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.
Rugby Europe issue statement after fate of Tier 2 rugby confirmed https://t.co/9nf93lgOIn pic.twitter.com/yYSnrHBPK5
— YSCRugby - Women's Rugby 🏉🏳️⚧️✊ (@yscrugby) April 11, 2020
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.
https://twitter.com/yscrugby/status/1247328342942105603
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: Improving Ireland can compete with the very best https://t.co/RyfsaaijkG pic.twitter.com/cqNWT6W2Pr
— YSCRugby - Women's Rugby 🏉🏳️⚧️✊ (@yscrugby) April 7, 2020
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.
Abi Burton staying positive as Rugby Sevens opens Olympic door https://t.co/2OF6dIQT2T pic.twitter.com/2NxRPYksOO
— YSCRugby - Women's Rugby 🏉🏳️⚧️✊ (@yscrugby) April 6, 2020
Abi Burton was named in the Great Britain’s initial training squad but isn’t letting the postponement of the Olympics dampen her dreams.
'One year of training for the Olympics feels like four': Rugby 7s Ghislaine Landry on Olympic postponement https://t.co/9KbDQXGupQ pic.twitter.com/gfrOxlhIne
— YSCRugby - Women's Rugby 🏉🏳️⚧️✊ (@yscrugby) April 9, 2020
Ghislaine Landry speaks with Andi Petrillo about what the postponement of the Olympics means to her and Canada.
Inspiration Cardiff Blues women stars on the front line of battle against Covid-19 https://t.co/n643NDw6vl pic.twitter.com/sP2WxrYi7N
— YSCRugby - Women's Rugby 🏉🏳️⚧️✊ (@yscrugby) April 10, 2020
Cardiff highlights Abbie Fleming, Megan Webb and Paige Randall, and Ospreys’ Angharad de Smet who are all on the front lines of the pandemic.
#OnThisDay in 1987, Twickenham Stadium hosted its first competitive women's rugby game 🏉
— World Rugby Museum (@wrugbymuseum) April 11, 2020
Wasps beat Richmond 19-0 to win the Championship Final. pic.twitter.com/u9Ogt6Rent
World Rugby Museum shared that April 11 in 1987 was the first competitive women’s rugby game, played in Twickenham Stadium.
Media
2/2 So much content captured this week!We heard from the two new additions to the @Premier15s teams @SaleSharksRugby & @ExeterChiefs about how thrilled they are to have secured a place. Two Clubs hugely committed to the Women’s game!what they had to say➡️ https://t.co/8toWvcCOhu
— Women’s Rugby Pod (@podwomensrugby) April 7, 2020
https://twitter.com/yscrugby/status/1248777802729623552
Following confirmation of our place in the 2020-23 Premier 15s competition, we're excited to advertise the following roles:
— DMP Durham Sharks (@DMP_Sharks) April 8, 2020
• DMP Durham Sharks Performance Manager
• DMP Durham Sharks Head Coach
• DMP Durham Sharks S&C Coach
Click ⬇ for more info.https://t.co/ySnXI8Q4BM pic.twitter.com/oFYa4spao2
Canterbury Farah Palmer Cup Head Coach #RugbyJobs https://t.co/asNTjpeB2s pic.twitter.com/XSt6RQGJD0
— YSCRugby - Women's Rugby 🏉🏳️⚧️✊ (@yscrugby) April 12, 2020
Head of Rugby, Worcestershire #RugbyJobs https://t.co/tfBvcrcgvN pic.twitter.com/OAKPMgVvEQ
— YSCRugby - Women's Rugby 🏉🏳️⚧️✊ (@yscrugby) April 9, 2020
Spirit of Rugby Disability Inclusion Officer, IRFU #RugbyJobs https://t.co/TVtNuNtUzA pic.twitter.com/YTSG5AySeM
— YSCRugby - Women's Rugby 🏉🏳️⚧️✊ (@yscrugby) April 13, 2020
Senior Journalist, https://t.co/XOqstFQjq2 #RugbyJobs https://t.co/pEEEx5xh06 pic.twitter.com/4qMvB793ks
— YSCRugby - Women's Rugby 🏉🏳️⚧️✊ (@yscrugby) April 12, 2020