HSBC SVNS Reveals 2025 Stops, USA Edges Japan in Challenger Series | WRR 167

Women’s Rugby 7s News

International

• In upcoming Fixtures & Results, the Asia Sevens Series will begin this weekend in South Korea, China is the defending Champion [link]
• HSBC SVNS announced the first five events of the 2025 Series [link]
  • Dubai November 30-December 1, 2024
  • Cape Town December 7-8, 2024
  • Perth January 24-26, 2025
  • Vancouver announced they will celebrate their 10th anniversary and will return to BC Place February 21-23, 2025 [link]
  • Hong Kong March 28-30, 2025
  • We continue to receive lots of questions about a stop in LA, we’ve been assured there will be one and we await those dates!
• Former Japanese 7s veteran and Rio 2016 Olympian Yuka Kanematsu has been appointed as the new head coach of Japan’s Women’s Sevens team [link]

Domestic

• The Brazil Super Sevens kicks off on September 29 in Vale do Paraíba, featuring three stops with two divisions, each hosting 8 teams [link]

Women’s Rugby XVs News

International

• In the final match of the 2024 Japan Challenger Series, the USA edged out a tough Japanese side in a close contest [link]
  • Japan’s ranking remains at 11th while the USA moves back up to 7th
  • Japan is set to face Italy on September 14, while the USA has yet to announce any additional matches before their WXV opener against England on September 20
• After Round 2 of the 2024 Irish Interpros, Munster leads with two wins, while Ulster and Connacht drew, and Leinster split their matches. The final round is set for next weekend [link]
• In upcoming Fixtures & Results, Scotland hosts Wales on September 6, followed by Barbarians vs. South Africa and England vs. France on September 7 [link]
• The Black Ferns have named a strong 30-player squad for their end-of-year tour, featuring the return of Ayesha Leti-I’iga and co-captain Kennedy Simon, with matches against England at Twickenham and WXV1 in Canada [link]
• Fiji will make history on the road, facing Scotland for the first time on September 15, followed by another inaugural match against the Netherlands on September 19 [link]
• The WXV competition with 16 teams will kick off in less than 50 days [link]
• Dustin Jinka from South Africa has replaced Tamara Taylor as coach of Sweden [link]

Premier & Club

• In Round 13 of the WPL, New York pulled off a big win over the All Blues, taking the top spot in the standings. With the semifinals coming up on September 7, there’s still room for movement in the top four. The CO Gray Wolves are up against Life West, and the All Blues will face Chicago NS, while New York has a bye [link]
• Round Two of the Dr. Farah Palmer Cup saw Canterbury narrowly retain the JJ Stewart Memorial Trophy with a gritty 10-7 win over Waikato, while Counties Manukau continues to lead the Premiership ahead of Canterbury’s next challenge against Auckland [link]
• Scotland’s Arnold Clark Premiership will kick off August 24 with 8 teams  [link]
• Fixtures announced for Premiership Women’s Rugby season 2024-25 with matches starting on October 5 [link]
• The 2024 Mary Graham All Stars will be held in Dallas, TX, at the Grand Prairie Mountain Creek Soccer Complex for its ninth edition, where defending champions Midwest aim for a three-peat, joined by Southwest and returning teams like TRU Toast, South Panthers, Capital, and Mid-America [link]

Women’s Rugby Features

• Beatriz Futuro Muhlbauer using Capgemini programme for good in Brazil [link]
• A big year for Scotland women – the build up: Scotland have a “great platform to keep building” and can “go further”, says the returning Jade Konkel [link]
• Behind the team: Scotland Head of Physical Performance Josie Symonds [link]
• Japan women’s rugby test match loses after conceding a penalty goal just two minutes before the end to the US [link]
• Christine Belisle fell in love with Scotland nine years ago and her 10th year here is shaping up to be special [link]
• Cohesion, culture and constantly evolving – How John Mitchell is fine-tuning the Red Roses ahead of pivotal year [link]
• A pre-season check in from Scotland’s Rach, CB and Jade [link]
• How the US rugby community helped ex-coach Mike Tolkin find a new liver [link]
• Kicking Forward: Sydney Copeland’s Rugby Journey
  [link]
• John Mitchell: Why England’s autumn is ‘harder than a World Cup’ [link]
• USA Rugby High Performance and USA Youth & High School Rugby Unveil Virtual Pathway Program [link]
• Bigger than Dupont – is Ilona Maher the woman to help rugby crack America? [link]
• Chisholm Injecting ‘Harlequins DNA’ Into Exciting New Recruits [link]
• Giuliana Campanella using Capgemini programme to continue development [link]

Women’s Rugby Media

• Watch the highlights from the final 2024 Japan Challenger Series where Japan lost narrowly to the USA [link]
• England celebrates 10 years since the Red Roses’ 2014 Rugby World Cup victory. Tune in to a four-part series about their journey [link]
• We shared another great clip in our Women’s Rugby Rundown: Highlights Series and Sarah Paz went deep in the vault, all the way back to 2011 [link]
• Highlights of the amazing Grace Auma, during the semi-final & final of the Entebbe 7s [link]
• Burlington native Ilona Maher gets an Olympic welcome from friends and family as the bronze medal celebration continues [link]
• Western Force invited pro flyweight MMA fighter Courtney Martin to speak with our Super W Squad about how to channel aggression constructively to maximize performance on the field [link]
• Wes and Walker welcome Naya Tapper, the co-captain of the US women’s rugby team that took home the bronze medal in Paris, to the show as they discuss the insanity that was their win over Australia and how she found the love for the sport [link]
• Ilona Maher was on Late Night with Seth Meyers [link]

Women’s Rugby Rundown Jobs

• USA Eagles Head Coach – Men’s 7s [link]
• Welsh Women’s Performance Pathway Coach [link]
• GB 7s Women’s Head Coach [link]
• Trailfinders Activate Rugby Academy and Women Head Coach [link]