Women’s Rugby Update for Oct 25-31

Welcome to the top women’s rugby news for Oct 25-31. The next World Rugby Hall of Fame Class has been announced with two female inductees among four males and Sweden continues to rule the European Trophy with a chance for Switzerland to spoil.

In more XVs news, England remains the top squad in the world after defeating New Zealand 43-12, we learned the squads for Ireland and Japan ahead of more Autumn Internationals while Wales sees a few changes to their roster. World Rugby released tickets for the 2021 RWC and is aiming to break an attendance record on opening weekend. We also look at the Allianz Challenge Cup, the Energia AIL and Hong Kong’s Premiership.

In 7s news, the Black Ferns were named the Best Female Team at the Olympics, Scotland will participate in the 2022 Commonwealth Games, and Dubai will host Regional Qualifiers for the 2022 Rugby World Cup.

We close out the week with 22 features and 11 media.

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tl;dr: Women’s Rugby in 60 secs – Oct Oct 25-31 sees the next World Rugby Hall of Fame Class announced with two female inductees among four males and Sweden continues to rule the European Trophy with a chance for Switzerland to spoil.

60 Second Video Update

Skipping this week as Wendy is being inducted into the Texas Rugby Union Hall of Fame and is currently celebrating!

Featured Women’s Rugby Stories

World Rugby has announced the 2021 World Rugby Hall of Fame Class. It includes Australia’s Cheryl McAfee and New Zealand’s Huriana Manuel-Carpenter along with four other male inductees.

Manual-Carpenter represented New Zealand in both the Black Ferns 15s and 7s. She captained the 7s side, leading them to the inaugural World Rugby Sevens Series title and then Rugby World Cup glory in 2013. She was then injured in 2014 but overcame it to lead her side to claim silver at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. In XVs, she was a two-time Rugby World Cup winner (2006 and 2010) with an impressive strike rate of 15 tries from 25 tests.

McAfee (née Soon) played an integral role in the first Rugby World Cup Sevens in 2009, helping her team take the first title home and the following year she guided the Wallaroos to third at the 2010 Rugby World Cup, which remains Australia’s highest finish at the event. After playing, McAfee joined  the World Rugby’s Rugby Committee in 2012, helping the promotion of women’s and 7s.

Top Women’s Rugby Stories

XVs

International

• Sweden sits atop the European Trophy with two wins but with four remaining matches, Switzerland could still challenge
• Fiji’s extended squad continued its preparations for the Women’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand next year with a stint at mud pools at the Naval Base in Togalevu, outside Lami
• Ireland announced their squad ahead of matches against USA and Japan
• Former Wales captain Carys Phillips and Sale scrum-half Jess Roberts have been called up to the Wales Women squad for the autumn campaign
• Japan announced their squad ahead of matches against Wales, Scotland and Ireland
• World Rugby is pushing to break attendance records at the 2021 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand and has released tickets for all day one matches

Domestic

• While some players are participating in the Autumn Internationals, the Allianz Cup giving more opportunity to inexperienced stars. The competition will be have four pool matches, a semi-final and then a final. The first round sees Sale, Gloucester Harlequins and Worcester all record wins.
• Black Rock and Old Belvedere sit atop the Energia AIL with Railway, UL Bohemian and Ballincollig chasing
• Societe Generale Valley is pulling away from the pack in Honk Kong’s Premiership but is still pursued by Kroll USRC, DAC Kowloon, and Natixis HKFC

7s

• The Black Ferns were named the Best Female Team at the Olympics at the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) Awards
• Scotland will participate in the 2022 Commonwealth Games
• Dubai will host Regional Qualifiers for the 2022 Rugby World Cup on November 19-20, 2021. Eight women’s teams broken into two pools will compete. Pool A includes Japan, Kazakhstan, Thailand and the Philippines while Pool B features China, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka and Malaysia.

Women’s Rugby Features

• Bristol’s Simi Pam shares her recent devastating racist attack while out after a rugby match
• World Rugby caught up with Meaghan Howat, World Rugby Women’s Executive Leadership Scholarship recipient to talk about her life in the game, motherhood and her hopes for the future
• South Africa’s Tanya Scholtz shares her excitement about her first possible cap with the Springboks
• Australia’s Will Carling and Cheryl McAfee react to World Rugby Hall of Fame induction
• University of Virginia graduate student Alexis Ward has created an adaptive rugby program linking the men’s and women’s teams at UVA with members of the special needs community
• Black Ferns and the Red Roses will participate in a ground-breaking head impact study using instrumented mouthguards to inform and advance injury-prevention initiatives in women’s rugby
• RAN profiles New Brunswick Rugby Union’s Vanessa Duffley
• Should rugby players be afforded paternal or familial leave? Rugby World wades into the controversial topic (it shouldn’t be controversial)
• New Zealand’s Adam Julian tracked down all 222 women who have played for the Black Ferns ahead of their 100th test match
• With the support of Rugby Players Ireland and BDO Ireland, Stephanie Carroll has risen above setbacks to keep her professional career on track
• Black Ferns and the Red Roses will participate in a ground-breaking head impact study using instrumented mouthguards to inform and advance injury-prevention initiatives in women’s rugby
• World Rugby looks at Japan as they continue to prepare the the 2021 Rugby World Cup
• How an unlikely team of N.J. heroes saved a fallen rugby star’s life
• Rugby trailblazer Zainab Alema hoping to inspire others in Black History Month and beyond
• The RFU’s ambitious bid to host the biggest women’s Rugby World Cup ever in 2025 relies heavily on convincing the government to commit around about £30 million of funding as part of its spending review
• With big scorelines, small crowds and lots of internationals, the Women’s AIL has a long road to travel
• Scrum Queens spoke to New Zealand’s Kelly Brazier ahead of her first match in two years
• Australia profiles Arabella McKenzie ahead of pulling on the Walleroo jersey again
• Ireland’s Claire Molloy made a huge impact for Ireland over the course of 74 caps
• New Wales Women head coach Ioan Cunningham is looking forward to the challenges the November internationals will bring
• WRCRA features Angela Smarto

Women’s Rugby Media

• Sara Orchard talks with Black Fern Les Elder ahead of their 100th test match
• Allianz Premier 15s returns their popular ALL IN series & talks with some of the players returning to home soil for the Autumn Internationals
• Allianz Insurance spoke to Red Roses stars to hear what they would tell their 8-year-old self, and what advice they would give to younger generations interested in sport
• The moment Australia’s Cheryl McAfee learned she was inducted into the WR HOF
• Women’s Rugby Pod is joined by England’s Katy Daley-McLean and New Zealand’s Stacey Fuhler
• Try Hards drops Episode 3
• Get to know New Zealand’s Patricia Maliepo, our talented teenage playmaker who is set to make her debut off the bench in
• Hear from debutant Black Fern, Dhys Faleafaga ahead of  their first match in two years
   
• England’s Jodie Ounsley shares her journey as a deaf athlete