Under the Posts – Women’s Rugby News for Mar 8-14

Under the Posts – Women’s Rugby News for Mar 8-14 begins with a look at the shortened women’s Six Nations which is set to kick-off in two weeks. We’re still waiting on all the details of the event including kick-off times, broadcast, etc… The event was originally pushed back so there would be room for the RWC Qualifiers but we know that has now been moved. With new room in the calendar and since we’re still waiting for tournament details there’s still time to go back to 5 rounds…but we’re only hearing silence from the organizers? 

USA Rugby has announced their 40-player assembly for their Daily Training Environments, Kenya may play Colombia at the end of the month and Samoa has laid off their 7s staff due to cash flow issues.

In domestic competitions, Spain’s Iberdrola is preparing for their playoffs and Allianz Premier 15s had two rearranged fixtures.

In our Other News category, World Rugby has named 12 recipients for their Women’s Executive Leadership Scholarships and we particularly enjoyed Rugby World magazine’s look into kicking between men and women’s rugby.

We wrap up the week with 13 player features and 4 media.

Video Summary

Featured Women’s Rugby News

As mentioned in the lead-in, calls are mounting for the women’s Six Nations to return to it’s “original” format. We know that women’s rugby needs more matches and this competition already has them in place and they were shortened due to the World Cup year. Now that the World Cup has been moved, it should be an easy move to put it back or even consider something radical like expanding to 8 teams…let’s be bold!

Weekly Women’s Rugby News

Test News

  • Earful of Dirt takes a look at the financial and competition considerations of moving the 2021 RWC
  • Rugby Africa Executive Member & Chair Womens Rugby Advisory Committee member Paula indicates that Kenya will play Columbia at the end of the month
  • USA Rugby announced a list of 40-players that are participating in their Daily Training Environment in Colorado
  • Samoa has laid off their women’s 7s staff as cash flow becomes an issue…but why then did the men’s coach receive a vehicle as a gift?
  • Scrum Queens gives us the details around Royal London and the formation of a women’s British and Irish Lions team

Competition News

  • Iberdrola moves towards their playoffs and Rugby Feminino gives us the details
  • Allianz Premier 15s had two rearranged matches

Other News

  • World Rugby announced 12 recipients of the 2021 Women’s Executive Leadership Scholarship:
    • Ana Tuiketei (Fiji)
    • Lanna Assaigo-Kami (Papua New Guinea)
    • Annabel Kehoe (Canada)
    • Meaghan Howat (Canada) 
    • Abigail Mnikwa (Zimbabwe) 
    • Peris Mukoko (Kenya)
    • Deuyenit Valenciano Cascante (Costa Rica)
    • Natalia Diaz (Argentina) 
    • Hana Schlangerová (Czechia)
    • Rebecca Davies (England)
    • Nahid Biyarjomandi (Iran)
    • Sarah Abd Elbaki (Syria)
  • Tonga has elected it’s President Hon Fanetupouvava’u Tuita Tu’ivakano, as a non-voting representative on the Tonga Rugby Union (TRU) board for the first time
  • Rugby World magazine takes a fascinating look at kicking in the men’s and women’s game
  • Burford and Naoupu join the International Rugby Players organization

Women’s Rugby Player Features

  • England’s Heather Fisher reveals experience of gender stereotypes
  • World Rugby reveals their six female pioneers:
    • Brazil’s Marjorie Enya
    • England’s Deborah Griffin
    • South Africa’s Zenay Jordaan
    • Japan’s Noriko Kishida
    • USA’s Candi Orsini
    • New Zealand’s Farah Palmer
  • Canada’s Charity Williams and Pamphinette Buisa continue their call for racial justice
  • England’s Emily Scarratt talks with BBC Sport about the RWC postponement
  • South Africa’s Abigail Kawonza is a Rugby Africa Unstoppable
  • WRCRA features Chelsea Garber as a speaker of their upcoming 2021 WRCRA Conference
  • Fiji’s Vela Naucukidi talks with World Rugby about her her career in rugby, Olympic medal hopes and putting scholarship lessons into practice
  • England’s Gill Burns MBE is highlighted by Talking Rugby Union for her trailblazing work
  • Rugby Americas North catches up with their recipients of the World Rugby Women’s Executive Leadership Scholarship
    • Trinidad & Tobago’s Maria Thomas
    • Canada’s Dr. Araba “Roo” Chintoh
    • Bermuda’s Lauren Rothwell
    • USA’s Jillion Potter
    • Mexico’s Fernanda Vazquez
    • USA’s Jenn Heinrich
    • Jamaica’s Keisha-Ann Down
  • Pace features photographer Stephan Jahanshahi for his work in rugby
  • England’s Karen Almond was the first England rugby captain to lift a XVs World Cup
  • Netherlands’ Linde van der Velden plays in France to accelerate her game
  • WRCRA shares a translated interview with Erika Morri of the Italian Rugby Federation

Women’s Rugby Media/Podcasts/Videos

  • Watch a 60 second recap of Allianz Premier 15s
  • Rugby Hive has New Zealand’s Louisa Tubailagi on
  • Ruggette shares some never before seen (at least for us!) footage of the 1991 Rugby World Cup
  • Women’s Rugby Pod talks with England’s Brian Moore

 

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Featured News

https://twitter.com/yscrugby/status/1369377602859843597

https://twitter.com/yscrugby/status/1369422864311541766

https://twitter.com/yscrugby/status/1370464717723086852

Players are speaking out about the shortened Women’s Six Nations. With the RWC being pushed back, it only makes sense to return this event back to it’s normal 5-rounds.

“When the announcement came everyone was posting it like it was this amazing thing. But for me it was gutting.

“I completely appreciate the financial burden and how difficult it is to get these games on. But for me that’s the one they’ve given up on too easily.” -England’s Natasha Hunt

“I love the positioning of the Six Nations later in the calendar away from the men’s tournament where it has an opportunity to grow long-term but I would certainly love to go back to a full format now we’re not trying to fit in World Cup qualifiers.

“The weekends should be there. I do think it’s feasible if Coronavirus numbers are continuing to drop and the vaccine programme is in place.”  -Ireland’s Fiona Coghlan

We’re also featuring Scrum Queen’s article explaining the recent $500 million CVC deal.

Under this measure, the Rugby Football Union will receive £95m, the Welsh Rugby Union £51m and the Irish Rugby Football Union and Scottish Rugby Union will get £48m and £44.5m respectively. France and Italy will share a pot of £126m, with France getting the majority.

But what does that mean for women’s rugby? 

Women's Rugby News

Test News

Earful of Dirt has also looked into why postponing the 2021 RWC and for them it stems around $$ and competition. 

https://twitter.com/yscrugby/status/1369364522499203075

We’re hearing that Kenya will play Columbia at the end of the month, details to be confirmed.

https://twitter.com/yscrugby/status/1370751606921252865

USA has announced their 40-players assembly in a their spring Daily Training Environment. It began last weekend and will conclude May 2. 

The management staff of the Samoa women’s sevens team has unfortunately been been laid off by the rugby union as they could no longer afford to keep the employment on a full time basis. Samoa was preparing to participate in the World Rugby 7s Olympic Qualifiers. 

The 18 players in the women’s training squad will continue to train with the guidance of the SRU Academy Manager until their management staff returns by the end of April.

Meanwhile reports of SRU purchasing a new Ford Ranger for the men’s sevens head coach using Covid-19 relief funds from WR, Seumanu addressed the issues and said it all of their full time coaches and high performance staff were given vehicles that are part of their contract so the can get around the island.

 

https://twitter.com/yscrugby/status/1369740020010061827

Royal London, a UK-based mutual life, pensions and investment company, is funding a feasibility study into the formation of a women’s British and Irish Lions team. 

“The feasibility study is an important first step in determining whether a women’s Lions team could be established, and we are very grateful to have Royal London’s support and investment,” said Lions managing director Ben Calveley.

Competitions News

In Spain’s Iberdrola league, they are moving swiftly towards their playoffs. Rugby Feminino gives us all the details on the stakes.

Allianz Premier 15s had two re-arranged fixtures this weekend. Gloucester-Hartpury blasted DMP 74-7 while Saracens took out Sale 47-18. These two matches didn’t have a huge impact on movement in the table but it did put the Saracens further on top with 62 points now.

Other News

https://twitter.com/yscrugby/status/1368939763781230592

World Rugby has announced 12 new recipients for their Women’s Executive Leadership Scholarship. 

https://twitter.com/yscrugby/status/1369060586751922180

Tonga Women’s Rugby Union (TWRU) has elected its President, Hon Fanetupouvava’u Tuita Tu’ivakano, as a non-voting representative on the Tonga Rugby Union (TRU) board for the first time.

https://twitter.com/yscrugby/status/1369302172207300615

Rugby World magazine wades into the kicking discussion and declares that women’s rugby “generally [has] a far better balance between kick-pass-run options”. We particularly enjoyed the lengthy portion on looking at how kicking strategies compare between men’s and women’s rugby.

https://twitter.com/yscrugby/status/1369664644781142016

England’s Rachael Burford and Ireland’s Sene Naoupu have joined the International Rugby Players organization as Head of Women’s Rugby and Head of Strategic Projects and Research, respectively.

Player Features

https://twitter.com/yscrugby/status/1368985108993150976

https://twitter.com/yscrugby/status/1369347329438986243

https://twitter.com/yscrugby/status/1370026738474913796

https://twitter.com/yscrugby/status/1370389201397690368

https://twitter.com/yscrugby/status/1371144102083973121

https://twitter.com/yscrugby/status/1369015261941104640

https://twitter.com/yscrugby/status/1369709780995080193

https://twitter.com/yscrugby/status/1370072301987889157

https://twitter.com/yscrugby/status/1370796935972593667

 

https://twitter.com/EnglandRugby/status/1368965318417281024

https://twitter.com/yscrugby/status/1369785222972256263

https://twitter.com/yscrugby/status/1370509971096489993

https://twitter.com/yscrugby/status/1371098801428172802

Media

https://twitter.com/rugbyhive/status/1370085359283933186

https://twitter.com/Ruggette_RFC/status/1368954212227354628

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