Under the Posts – Women’s Rugby News for Mar 29 – Apr 4

Welcome to the top women’s rugby news for Mar 29-Apr 4! We start with Canada winning the opening weekend of the Emirates Invitational 7s, while England and France ran riot over Scotland and Wales in the first matches of the postponed Six Nations.

In more XVs news, Scrum Queens reports that New Zealand has proposed that the postponed 2021 Rugby World Cup take place in October and November to avoid conflicts with the 2022 Rugby World Cup 7s tournament in Cape Town. We also took a look at RTP in the USA where almost half the country is back on the pitch in some form.

In domestic competitions, Allianz Premier 15s is almost ready to announce a broadcast partner for their semi-finals and Championship!

In 7s news, World Rugby confirmed that 7s will take place in Los Angeles June 25-27 and they’ve postponed the planned event in Marcoussis. The 2022 Commonwealth Games have announced their qualification process.

We close out the week with a few tidbits in our “Other News” section as well as twelve player features and ten media.

tl;dr: Under the Posts – Women’s Rugby News for Mar 29-Apr 4 sees Canada win the opening round of the Emirates Invitational 7s while England and France recorded wins in the first matches of the postponed Six Nations

Video Summary

Weekly Women’s Rugby
News

XVs

• England defeated Scotland 52-10 while France blanked Wales 53-0
• New Zealand has proposed to World Rugby that the postponed 2021 Rugby World Cup be played in October and November to avoid conflicts with the 2022 Rugby World Cup 7s
• We update return to play status for USA WPL, club and college rugby
• Hong Kong Premiership season has been cancelled but they’re still planning on holding the Asia Rugby Championships and working towards the sevens repechage qualifiers for the Olympics
• Allianz Premier 15s will announce a broadcast partner for their semi-finals and Championship soon
• Scrum Queens catches us up on France Elite 1 league which is halfway through but on a pause until the Six Nations complete
• Blues and Chiefs will stage the first-ever women’s rugby clash between two New Zealand Super Clubs

7s

• Canada beat USA 31-14 to claim the opening weekend of Emirates Invitational 7s
• World Rugby confirms Los Angeles 7s from June 25-27 and announces that the planned event in Marcoussis is postponed due to COVID concerns
• The qualification process for the 2022 Commonwealth games has been announced
• Malaysia is in camp preparing for the Asia Rugby Women’s 7s Series
• New Zealand continues to prepare for the Olympics with Takiwhitu Tuturu April 9-10

Other News

• WRCRA compares the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship inequities with the current state of women’s rugby
• Sporting History highlights Emily Valentine as one of it’s 20 female sporting heroes
• Maggie Alphonsi is the ambassador for the women’s Six Nations Championship
• Rugby Africa announces their Women’s Rugby Advisory Committee (WRAC) including representatives and their areas of focus

Women’s Rugby Player Features

• Former Ireland Fiona Coghlan will be commentating and she shares her thoughts with Scrum Queens ahead of the first kick-off
• World Rugby talks to the Italy Rugby board member Erika Morri about her relationship with the game and how rugby can be used as a tool to combat bullying
• Brown University’s Tara Mack shares her path to public office
• Wales’ Gemma Rowland chats with Scrum Queens about new beginnings
• Rugby Africa Women’s Rugby Advisory Committee (WRAC) Chairperson Paula Lanco “believes in the power of action”
• Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (FASANOC) vice-president Cathy Wong has been celebrated as part of International Women’s Day for her decades of contribution to women’s rugby
• Wasps’ Andrea Stock is hoping to catch the eye of the Irish selectors
• Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) board member, Peris Mukoko is among 12 women to receive World Rugby Executive Leadership Scholarships
• South Africa’s Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus reveals his priority list for the women Springboks
• England’s Abi Burton shares how after years of suffering from body-dysmorphia and crippling self-doubt she is ready to demonstrate to the world how proud she is of her body

Women’s Rugby Media/Podcasts/Videos

• Ireland’s Anna Caplice talks with The Six O’Clock Show about why she decided to change the language she uses when discussing women’s sport
• Try Hards runs through all of the changes for the postponed Six Nations and the players their most excited about
• Talking Rugby Union has England’s Jess Breach to chat about the Six Nations
• Allianz Premier 15s shares Bristol’s Simi Pam life on & off the pitch
• Fill your Boots talks University Rugby
• England features Hannah Botterman and Poppy Cleal where they discuss their early caps
• Goff Rugby chats with USA Rugby players about WXV and why it matters
• The Women’s Rugby Pod also talks everything Six Nations
• Greaux Rugby Show talks with Jess Neilson, Head Coach of York University Rugby and Canada Rugby National Team