Welcome to the Women’s Rugby Rundown for March 11-17. Netherlands secured their spot as the initial qualifiers for WXV 3 and a chance at the 2025 Rugby World Cup. We’re hosting a ticket giveaway for USA’s Pacific Four Series match in Los Angeles, CA on April 28. England is set to defend their title in the upcoming Six Nations which starts this weekend. Jack Hanratty, Head Coach of Canada’s Women’s Sevens Team, will depart after the Paris 2024 Olympics, and we take a closer look at global Premiership and Club competitions around the world!
In XVs news, Netherlands achieved a remarkable 33-11 triumph against Colombia, confirming their spot as the first qualifiers for WXV 3. This victory not only paves their way to the 2025 Rugby World Cup but also established a noteworthy milestone as they broke a new attendance record, with over 1,000 spectators present at the match. Despite trailing 19-8 at the beginning of the second half, the Dutch demonstrated resilience by adhering to their gameplan, ultimately staging an impressive comeback. Their next challenge awaits as they prepare to compete in the Rugby Europe Championship against Spain on April 6.
The Springboks are in Spain for a crucial test match following a week of training sessions with Scotland and Wales. Assistant coach Laurian Johannes-Haupt emphasizes the importance of the upcoming matches against Spain and the USA as they aim to qualify for theWXV and 2025 Rugby World Cup.
The USA Eagles kick off their 2024 campaign with a warm-up match against South Africa, scheduled for March 30th in the UK, before embarking on a series of matches including the Pacific Four Series in Los Angeles, and tours to New Zealand and Australia.
We’re currently running a ticket giveaway for USA’s Pacific Four Series match in Los Angeles, CA, scheduled for April 28th. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this historic event! Head over to our Instagram page now to enter the competition. The entry deadline is March 22nd, and winners will be announced on March 23rd.
As the countdown begins for the Guinness Women’s Six Nations, anticipation is high for the upcoming tournament. With defending champions England poised to lead the charge following their remarkable Grand Slam victory in 2022, all eyes are on them to uphold their dominance on the field. However, France, Wales, Scotland, Italy, and Ireland are all ready to challenge for the title. This year, the tournament entered a new era with support from Guinness, introducing innovative technologies like the bunker system, instrumented mouthguards, and the shot clock to enhance fair play and player safety. Moreover, the tournament’s significance extends beyond the quest for the Six Nations title, directly impacting qualification for the 2024 WXV Championship and the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup.
In 7s news, Jack Hanratty, the Head Coach of Canada’s Women’s Sevens Team, is set to depart from Rugby Canada after the Paris 2024 Olympics. He will transition to a new role in 2025 as the Head Coach of the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees, marking a significant career move for the experienced coach.
The Iraqi 7s team is in the midst of a historic 10-day training camp in Iran, marking a significant collaboration between the Iran Rugby Federation and Iraq Rugby Federation. This venture symbolizes the growing ties between the two nations following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in 2021. With Iran’s strong rugby heritage and established domestic structure, the Iraqi team stood to benefit from invaluable training experiences and the potential for growth in women’s rugby in the region.
In Premier & Club news, the Black Pearls continue their unbeaten run, securing a perfect 30 points after the 6th round of the Nile Special Rugby Championship League. Meanwhile, the Thunderbirds hold steady in second place, while the Avengers, Ewes, and She Wolves vie for favorable positions in the standings.
UL Bohemian continues to lead Ireland’s Energia AIL after 13 rounds, with Railway, Old Belvedere, and Blackrock competing for semifinal spots.
Last week, there was confusion on our end regarding language on Hong Kong’s social media, as we wrongly stated that Natixis Ice won the Nan Fung Sewit Premiership. However, it’s now clarified that both Natixis Ice and Societe Generale Valley won their semis and will compete in the Grand Final on March 23rd.
After two decades competing in Spain’s Iberdrola League, Olimpico, the three-time national champions, now find themselves battling against relegation alongside Eibar. Meanwhile, the defending champions, Majadahonda, suffered a setback against CRAT, but both teams have secured spots in the semifinals. The quarterfinals are set for May 4-5, with El Salvador facing Barça Rugby and Sant Cugat taking on Ghenova Cocos, all matches hosted at the venues of the highest-ranked teams.
The BC Rugby website has been updated, confirming that league matches will continue until April 20th, followed by the postseason starting with semifinals on April 27th, with the final scheduled for May 4th.
Chiefs Manawa maintained their lead in Sky Super Rugby Aupiki after three rounds, with the Blues triumphing over Hurricanes Poua 52-5, while Manawa secured a victory against Matatū with a score of 38-22.
Australia’s Super W kicked off with defending champions Fijiana Drua leading, having defeated Queensland 32-21, while the Waratahs secured a victory against the Brumbies with a score of 45-10, and the Western Force triumphed over Melbourne 36-12.
Mwamba and Northern Suburbs have secured spots in the Kenya Cup semifinals, with Mwamba, the defending champions, topping the Nairobi Conference with 25 points, followed by Suburbs in second place with 20 points, while Shamberere and Rongo from the Western Conference have also advanced.
In Germany’s Bundesliga A, Heidelberger surged ahead of Neuenheim to claim the lead in the last round of league matches, setting up semifinal clashes on March 23, with Neuenheim facing the Lionesses and Heidelberger squaring off against Köln.
The USA’s Women’s Premier League (WPL) will start matches on April 27th, with the defending champions, the Colorado Gray Wolves, looking to defend their title. The postseason kicks off with semifinals on September 7th, leading up to the Finals scheduled for September 14th.
Stade Pierre Rajon has been chosen as the venue to host the French Elite 1 and other competition finals on Saturday, June 8, 2024.
tl;dr: In the Women’s Rugby Rundown for Mar 11-17, Netherlands secured qualification for WXV, don’t miss our ticket giveaway for USA’s Pacific Four Series match in Los Angeles, CA, England prepares to defend their title in the upcoming Six Nations, Jack Hanratty will transition to a new role at the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees post-Paris 2024 Olympics and we catch up on global Premier and Club competitions!
Women’s Rugby Rundown Video Update
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@yscrugby In the Women’s Rugby Rundown for Mar 11-17, Netherlands secured qualification for WXV, don’t miss our ticket giveaway for the inaugural Pacific Four Series match in Los Angeles, CA, England prepares to defend their title in the upcoming Six Nations, Jack Hanratty will transition to a new role at the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees post-Paris 2024 Olympics and we catch up on global Premier and Club competitions! Watch our video & read all the news using the link in our bio! Never miss one of our episodes! Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Music, Youtube or Patreon and be sure to follow us on all your favorite social media platforms. #womensrugbyrundown #WRR #rugby #womensrugby #wrugby ♬ original sound – YSCRugby
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Women’s Rugby Rundown News
XVs
International
- Netherlands secured a 33-11 victory over Colombia, becoming the initial qualifiers for WXV 3, with this win also offering them a shot at qualifying for the 2025 Rugby World Cup, while simultaneously setting a new attendance record with over 10,00 spectators present at the match [link]
- South Africa’s European tour continues after training sessions with Scotland and Wales as they prepare for test matches against Spain on March 23 and USA on March 30 [link]
- USA announced their traveling squad ahead of facing South Africa as they prepare for the Pacific Four Series [link]
- We’re running a ticket giveaway for the inaugural Pacific Four Series match in Los Angeles, CA on April 28th, with the entry deadline set for March 22nd and winners slated to be announced on March 23rd [link]
- We spotlight the upcoming 23rd edition of the Six Nations, with England aiming to defend their title [link]
7s
International
- Following the Paris 2024 Olympics, Jack Hanratty, Head Coach of Canada’s Women’s Sevens Team, will leave Rugby Canada, transitioning to a new role in 2025 as Head Coach of the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees [link]
- The Iraqi women’s rugby 7s team embarked on a groundbreaking journey for a historic 10-day training camp in neighboring Iran [link]
Premier & Club
- The Black Pearls continue their unbeaten streak and have amassed a perfect 30 points after the 6th round of the Nile Special Rugby Championship League [link]
- UL Bohemian continues to lead Ireland’s Energia AIL after 13 rounds while Railway, Old Belvedere, and Blackrock vye for semifinal spots [link]
- Last week we got mixed up with some language and social media from Hong Kong and wrongly said Natixis Ice won the Nan Fung Sewit Premiership alone, but we now understand that Natixis Ice and Societe Generale Valley won their semis and are in the Grand Final on March 23rd [link]
- After two decades in Spain’s Iberdrola League, Olimpico, the three-time national champions, are battling relegation against Eibar, while Majadahonda, the defending champions, suffered a setback against CRAT; the quarterfinals kick off on May 4th and 5th [link]
- The BC Rugby website has been refreshed, confirming that league matches will continue until April 20th, followed by the postseason starting on April 27th, with the final scheduled for May 4th [link]
- Chiefs Manawa maintains their lead in Sky Super Rugby Aupiki after three rounds, with the Blues triumphing over Hurricanes Poua 52-5, while Manawa secured a victory against Matatū with a score of 38-22 [link]
- Australia’s Super W kicked off with defending champions Fijiana Drua in the lead, having defeated Queensland 32-21; the Waratahs secured a victory against the Brumbies with a score of 45-10, and the Western Force triumphed over Melbourne 36-12 [link]
- Mwamba and Northern Suburbs have secured spots in the Kenya Cup semifinals, with Mwamba, the defending champions, topping the Nairobi Conference with 25 points, followed by Suburbs in second place with 20 points; meanwhile, Shamberere and Rongo from the Western Conference have also advanced, with Shamberere leading the standings with 26 points and Rongo in second with 21 points [link]
- During the 9th round of Germany’s Bundesliga A, Heidelberger surged ahead of Neuenheim to claim the lead in the last round of league matches, setting up semifinal clashes on March 23, with Neuenheim facing the Lionesses and Heidelberger squaring off against Köln [link]
- We delve into the 15th season of the USA’s WPL, with matches commencing on April 27th, followed by the postseason kicking off with semifinals on September 7th and Finals scheduled for September 14th [link]
- Stade Pierre Rajon has been chosen as the venue to host the France Elite 1 and other competition finals on Saturday, June 8, 2024 [link]
Women’s Rugby Rundown Features
- Celtic Challenge: Freya Walker runs into some great form with Edinburgh Rugby [link]
- Less than a year after her son’s birth and 15 months on from her international rugby retirement, Wallaroos legend Liz Patu is staging one hell of a comeback [link]
- Norfarahana Aziz: “I feel very proud to have inspired other Malaysian women to play rugby” [link]
- Libbie Janse van Rensburg dominated the South Africa Awards, clinching the titles of Springbok Women and Provincial Player of the Year for 2023 [link]
- Notre Dame College has made the decision to close, leading us to believe that this will mark the conclusion of their rugby programs [link]
- Ireland coach Scott Bemand is hoping that intense training will make up for the lack of a competitive programme at test level for his players when they head to France this week [link]
- Ireland coach Scott Bemand hints at potential recall for Cliodhna Moloney [link]
- Bryan Easson pleads patience on professionalism as Six Nations hype builds [link]
- From Ashton Gate to a Red Roses call-up, Emily Scarratt’s return is nothing short of inspiring [link]
- Scrum Queens talked with Six Nations CEO Tom Harrison about the importance of increased competitiveness in a sport at the start of its professional journey [link]
- Scrum Queens takes a look at the Six Nations squads ahead of the tournament starting this weekend [link]
- Feleu sisters living the family dream for France [link]
- ‘Scotland cap is the goal’ – Fi McIntosh [link]
- Patti Prusmack, founder of the Collegiate Rugby Championship will be inducted into the inaugural class of the Collegiate Rugby Championship Hall of Fame as well as players Meya Bizer and KB Slaughter [link]
- France may be trying to stop England from winning a fifth consecutive title, but Elisa Riffonneau says their focus is very much on the next match [link]
- In rugby, there’s a position for everyone, but challenging perceptions of the game is key, and that’s precisely what Anne Onwusiri, founder and host of the podcast “Black Girls Ruck,” along with co-host Lamees Idris, are doing as they highlight black women’s contributions to rugby [link]
- Lizzie Hanlon: From diver to Women’s Six Nations bolter [link]
Women’s Rugby Rundown Media
- Episode 2 of Bristol Bear’s Nuffield Health Road to Recovery checks in with Dr. Simi Pam [link]
- Nick Heath caught up with England head coach John Mitchell to run through the Red Roses squad he selected [link]
- Caity Mattinson talks with the BBC about the Celtic Challenge, Six Nations & winning streak [link]
- The Game Changer, Share Your Story documentatry begins with Rachael Burford and her journey from RWC 2006 to now [link]
- Elis Martin shares her journey including whirlwind debuts and embracing gratitude [link]
- WRP 178 takes a deep drive ahead of the Six Nations, the PWR and more [link]
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