SVNS Grand Final Approaches, Financial Challenges for Fijiana and Kenya and Japan Triumphs in Asia Championships | WRR 154

Women’s Rugby Rundown News

7s

International

• The HSBC SVNS Grand Final and Playoff kick off in Madrid next weekend, May 31 to June 2 [link]
  • The top 8 teams are battling to be crowned the first ever SVNS Champion while the other 8 teams are competing to secure spots in SVNS 2025
  • Pool A Championship: New Zealand, USA, Canada, Great Britain
  • Pool B Championship: Australia, France, Fiji, Ireland
  • Pool A Qualifier: Japan, Spain, China, Poland
  • Pool B Qualifier: Brazil, South Africa, Argentina, Belgium
• Fijiana 7s slept outside airport, FRU admits after photo evidence comes to light [link]
  • This comes after the FRU failed to pay wages to players last summer [link]
• The Kenya Lionesses have been unpaid for months despite strong performances in the Africa Cup and 7s Challenger [link]

XVs

International

• Japan defeated Hong Kong and Kazakhstan to win the Asia Championships, they also qualified for WXV 2 and the 2025 Rugby World Cup [link]
  • Hong Kong 12 Japan 29
  • Japan 64 Kazakhstan 0
  • The winner of the final June 1 match between Hong Kong and Kazakhstan will qualify for WXV 2 as the runner up of the Asia Championships
• Fiji beat Tonga 48-3 in the first Oceania Championships while the Samoa vs PNG match was postponed; we’ve asked if the match will be rescheduled or not but haven’t heard back [link]
  • Samoa and Papua New Guinea was canceled due to unforeseen travel issues otherwise preventing the Papua New Guinea team from arriving on time
• The Black Ferns beat Australia 67-19 in the final Pacific Four Series match [link]
  • New Zealand and USA qualified for WXV 1 with their placement of second and third while Australia qualified for WXV 2 [link]
  • All three are already qualified for the 2025 Rugby World Cup as they are in the top two tiers of the WXV [link]
• ARC Lowlanders of Rugby Amsterdam won the second annual Amanda Mark Cup at the Bingham Cup in Roma over the weekend [link]

Premier & Club

• Villorba defeated Valsugana 19-12 and became Italian champions of the Serie A Elite for the second time in their history, five years after the historic title in 2019 [link]
• The Blue Babes won the Netherlands Honor Class by defeating DIOK 31-10 [link]
• Saracens secured a home semi-final thanks to their narrow 33-31 win over Gloucester Hartpury in Round 17 of Allianz PWR; Loughborough, Bristol and Sale also saw wins [link]
• DHL Western Province handed the Bulls Daisies their first defeat in two years, while the Border Ladies and Sharks won on the road in Round 6 of the South Africa Premier Division [link]
• Sao Paulo Capital continues to lead and remains undefeated after 3 rounds in Brasil’s XV league [link]
• The Guardian gave us a second update on USA’s newest professional league including details on talks with current WPL teams and stipends vs salaries in the first year [link]

Women’s Rugby Rundown Features

• Sarah Law opens up on living with Axial Spondyloarthritis [link]
• From novice to leader: Michaela Leonard’s remarkable rise to Wallaroos captain [link]
• From Dribbles to Tackles: Cienna Jordan’s Journey [link]
• Ellie Kildunne: ‘I want to inspire in every room that I walk into’ [link]
• World Rugby and Capgemini announce the next cohort of 25 scholars to take part in the Capgemini Women in Rugby Leadership Programme [link]
• Teenage star Nicole Flynn eyes Scotland cap thanks to Red Roses mentor [link]

Women’s Rugby Rundown Media

• PWR shares a feature on Sophie De Goede about “Following in their Footsteps” of her family [link]
• Eagles Overseas interviewed USA’s Siona Fukofuka and they talked about the big win over Australia, game plan and goals, WXV 1 and the 2025 RWC [link]
• Jazz Boatswain shares her ‘route to rugby’ with Ugo Monye [link]
• WRP 188 discusses the final stage of the PWR, the Pacific Four Series and more [link]
• USA’s JNT Head Coach Martha Daines shares the teams summer plans [link]
• UL Bohemians ended their six-year wait without a title as they won a RECORD 14th Energia AIL title in a thriller against Railway Union [link]
• Japan’s Head Coach Lesley McKenzie shares what Japan’s second win in the Asia Championships, their qualification for WXV 2 and the 2025 RWC [link]
• Dude Perfect visited New Zealand and tried rugby with the All Blacks and Black Fern Kendra Cocksedge [link]

Rugby Jobs

• South Africa will begin their search for a full-time Women’s XVs Coach soon [link]