Women’s Rugby in 60 secs – Feb 14-20

Welcome to the top women’s rugby news in under 60 seconds for Feb 14-20. Colombia secured their place in the Rugby World Cup Final Qualification Tournament after defeating Kazakhstan 18-10 and will face Scotland on Friday, February 25! In other big news, the U.S. Women’s Rugby Foundation kicked off a year-long campaign to celebrate the 50th anniversary of women’s rugby in the United States!

In more XVs news, USA announced that 23 UK-based players will play an exhibition match against Wales on March 12 and New Zealand Rugby has yet to decide if they will release the findings from their culture review. Perhaps they should take a page from Ireland’s book and avoid the backlash…

In domestic XVs news, we know the finalists for Ireland’s Energia AIL and we look at the standings for Allianz Premier 15s while Hong Kong announced the cancellation of their seasons due to COVID.

In 7s news, Jack Hanratty will continue as interim coach for Canada and we echo the thanks for USA’s Julie McCoy as she closes the doors of the American Rugby Pro Training Center after 7 years.

We close out the week with 11 features and 10 media.

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tl;dr: Women’s Rugby in 60 secs for Feb 14-20 saw Colombia secure their place against Scotland in the Rugby World Cup Final Qualification Tournament and the USWRF is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of women’s rugby in the United States.

60 Second Video Update

Featured Women’s Rugby Stories

Colombia is one step closer to becoming the last seed of the 2021 Rugby World Cup. They defeated Kazakhstan 18-10 in a close match where they played the majority of the game with 14 players after a red card. Kazakhstan were heavy favorites (ranked 15th) coming into the match but after almost two years with no substantial rugby they could only muster two tries on the day. 

Colombia now progress to play ninth in the world Scotland on Friday, February 25 at the Sevens Stadium with the winners of that match qualifying for Rugby World Cup 2021 in New Zealand in October and November

Top Women’s Rugby Stories

XVs

International

• The British & Irish Lions has appointed Sports Marketing Agency Two Circles to undertake its Women’s Lions feasibility study
  • The Two Circles consultation process will look into the rugby, brand, commercial and operational opportunities as well as the challenges
• 23 UK-based players from the USA Eagles player pool set to play exhibition match against Wales on March 12, 2022
• New Zealand Rugby is yet to decide whether it will release the findings or enact recommendations out of a review into the Black Ferns culture and environment
  • Women in Rugby Aotearoa Chair
    Traci Houpapa commented “…deserve to understand the findings and recommendations to ensure the necessary changes and improvements to how women’s rugby is coached, managed resourced and supported.”

Domestic

• We now know all the finals for Ireland’s Energia AIL next week:
  • Top 4
    • Blackrock vs Railway Union
  • Conference
    • Suttonians vs Galwegians (Final)
    • UL Bohemians vs Old Belvedere (3red/4th)
• Round 14 of Allianz Premier 15s saw Loughborough Lightning capture an historic win over Exeter,  Bristol edged Wasps in a tight affair dominated by the wind and rain, and there were home wins for Worcester Warriors and Harlequins
• Fijiana Drua beats Reds in pre-trial match 34-20
• Citing concerns over the escalating transmission of Covid-19 in the community, the Hong Kong Rugby Union has prudently decided to cancel the remainder of scheduled league play for the 2021/22 Men’s and Women’s Dettol Premierships

7s

• Jack Hanratty will maintain his role as interim head coach for an additional eight months at Canada
• Julie McCoy has shuttered the doors of American Rugby Pro Training Center (ARPTC) after 7 years of fulfilling a critical need of supporting grassroots girls and women’s rugby while developing world class sevens athletes and coaches
• Kenyan Olympian Philadelphia Olando will lead the United Arab Emirates senior national women’s team

Other News

• The U.S. Women’s Rugby Foundation (USWRF) kicked off a year-long campaign to celebrate the 50th anniversary of women’s rugby in the United States and invites the entire women’s rugby community to join us by taking their place in history; follow along on their Instagram
• Harlequins and Monash University reveal new research shines the light on discrimination in women’s rugby
  • Key findings
    • 55% of women and girls agreed that “many women feel unwelcome to play rugby because of the jokes and negative language some people use about women”
    • 37% heard homophobic slurs at their club in the last year and 59% heard sexist slurs and negative jokes about women
    • 15% reported they had been the victim of verbal homophobic abuse at their club
    • 88% said people “often” incorrectly assume that they are lesbians because they play rugby (15% actually identified as gay or bisexual)
    • 79% want negative banter about women to stop in rugby, and 80% want homophobic banter to stop (the earlier research by the Harlequins found 65% of men wanted sexist/homophobic banter to stop)

Women’s Rugby Features

• Black Fern Ruahei Demant highlights what professional contract changes mean
  • The contract allows her to balance her life out of rugby, including visiting family back in the Bay of Plenty. She pointed out that many of the players in Auckland only lived there for work or study reasons and that before contracts, they had to juggle many things to be able to play
• Howard University’s Takunda Rusike, a sophomore nursing major from Baltimore, Maryland, took it upon herself to bring women’s rugby to her school’s community
• Scotland’s Emma Wassell became first player in Scottish rugby history to earn 50 consecutive caps for her country
• Netherlands’ Inger Jongerius shares that “There are not many words to describe what an honour it is to play for your country”
• ‘There’s something very pure about women’s rugby’ – Niamh Briggs excited at future with Ireland’s ‘blank canvas’
• Playing at a Rugby World Cup would be the stuff of dreams – Scotland captain Rachel Malcolm
• Scotland women aim to ‘inspire next generation’ with World Cup place
• Dragons lure Australia’s Emm Tonegato to Women’s Rugby League after rugby  union departure
• South Africa’s Snenhlanhla Shozi sets sights on another Rugby World Cup Sevens
• Wales U-18 Jessica Rogers talks about her dream of becoming a professional athlete
• Buildcorp has broken ground on the $30 million National Rugby Training Centre (NRTC) and new McLean Stand at Ballymore in Australia
• Sarah Rendell for Rugby World and Becky Grey of BBC Sport looks at what England’s Six Nations squad could be
• DMP Durham’s Cara Cookland and Trudy Cowan Q&A: We have to fight for each game but we’re getting a chance to build
• Caity Mattinson eyes World Cup after switching to Scotland after becoming one of the first players to take advantage of World Rugby’s new rules around switching nations

Women’s Rugby Media

• AJ Bell Money Matters has Sale’s Katy Daley Mclean on to talk about changing careers
• Scotland’s Helen Nelson talks preparations for the Rugby World Cup Final Qualification Tournament
• Kazakhstan Women’s team Captain Karina Sazontova talks with Asia Rugby before facing Colombia
• Scotland’s Louise McMillan shares her rugby journey
• Leen, a Palestinian refugee in Lebanon is the next #YouthUnstoppables
• World Rugby announces DHL as Official Logistics Partner of Rugby World Cup 2021
• Super Rugby Aupiki players share what this new format means
• Blackrock’s journey to the Energia AIL final came into focus last weekend
• Highlights from Rugby Europe Championships match between Netherlands and Spain.
• The moment Colombia defeated Kazakhstan to face Scotland in the Final Qualification Tournament