BBC to Broadcast Women’s Rugby World Cup, Morocco & Turkey Launch XVs Programs | WRR 168

Women’s Rugby XVs News

International

• BBC appointed UK rights holder for Women’s Rugby World Cup England 2025 as host nation celebrates one year to go [link]
  • Biggest-ever Women’s Rugby World Cup set for extensive live free-to-air coverage and digital programming in the UK
  • The final qualifier for the tournament, WXV is also part of the exclusive UK rights deal
    Deal represents joint ambition to broaden the reach of the tournament and its stars
  • Everyone will be able to watch this tournament, either with their local broadcast partner, on RugbyPassTV and we expect that in the US you will be able to watch on Peacock as in year’s past
• Kingspan Stadium will host the Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship finals on Saturday, August 31, after Munster and Leinster secured the top two spots in the third round with wins over Connacht and Ulster; Leinster is the defending Champion [link]
• Swys de Bruin is determined to not only prepare the Springbok Women for a best ever performance at next year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup in England, but to also deliver eye catching performances at next month’s WXV 2 in Cape Town [link]
• Head Coach Scott Bemand has today confirmed his Ireland Women’s XVs Coaching Team for the upcoming Test match against Australia in Belfast and the WXV1 campaign in Vancouver [link]
• Hong Kong has unveiled their full squad to train and travel to Dubai for the upcoming WXV tournament in September [link]
• Stewart, Wood back in Wallaroos squad for pre-WXV Camp [link]
• Spain’s rugby President has hinted that they would like to bid for the 2035 Rugby World Cup and by extension that would mean the 2037 as well [link]
• Morocco has announced the return of their XVs program with a pre-selection camp taking place in late August [link]
• Turkey, long known for its 7s rugby, has just announced they’ve begun training for XVs for the first time ever [link]
• Uganda confirmed that their Women’s U20 team will be participating in the inaugural African Series in South Africa [link]

Premier & Club

• Round 14 of the WPL saw wins by Beantown and All Blues, but the WER Legacy Cup semifinals are still uncertain as the CO Gray Wolves vs Life West match was not played, leaving the league to decide if it’s a postponement, a forfeit by Life West (the complaint lodger), or a league forfeit. The All Blues have secured the top spot, Life West holds fourth, but second and third are still up in the air [link]
• Silicius Rugby Majadahonda, the reigning Iberdrola Rugby League and RFER Cup champions, will face CRAT Rialta, the runner-up in both competitions, in the III Iberdrola Super Cup on Sunday, September 15 [link]
• Counties Manukau Heat and Auckland Storm remain undefeated in Round 3, while Hawke’s Bay Tui secured their first win in the Dr. Farah Palmer Cup [link]
• Corstorphine, Stirling County, Hillhead, and Watsonian kicked off the Scotland Arnold Clark Premiership with big opening match victories [link]
  • Garioch 5 Corstorphine Cougars 62
  • Heriots 0 Stirling County 79
  • Hillhead Jordanhill 74 Stewarty 7
  • Watsonian 97 Cartha Queens Park

Women’s Rugby Features

• She started out with the Glencoe Golden Eagles and Helen Nelson wants to continue to soar [link]
• Overcoming the Odds: Cassidy Bargell’s Inspiring Journey [link]
• Alycia Washington announces retirement from international competition [link]
• USA Rugby High Performance and USA Youth & High School Rugby Unveil Virtual Pathway Program [link]
• France captain Manaé Feleu eyes World Cup glory [link]
• How Gloucester-Hartpury’s youth pathway is fueling their third title bid [link]
• From Hockey Rinks to Rugby Pitches: Brooke Schraffenberger’s Athletic Odyssey [link]
• Women of Union has partnered with Leeds Beckett University (LBU) to commission a significant piece of research to understand the experiences and motivations of women working in rugby [link]
• From Knoxville to the World Stage: McKenzie Hawkins’ Rugby Journey [link]
• Meryl Smith: Playing for inaugural women’s Lions team ‘a dream’ [link]
• After taking on the role of Head Coach over the summer, Tom Hudson speaks to LTTV about his journey in rugby, his personal coaching philosophy and what to look out for when coming down to watch Leicester Tigers women’s this season [link]
• Fraser Brown enjoying working with “excellent, receptive and hard working” players in his new coaching role [link]
• From East Palo Alto to the Pitch: Venise Sanft’s Rugby Journey [link]
• Leading the Highwomen: Emilie Bydwell making history with USA Sevens [link]

Women’s Rugby Media

• Gloucester-Hartpury’s Neve Jones takes us behind the scenes during pre-season with The Circus [link]
• US Rugby Happy Hour talked with USA 7s Head Coach Emilie Bydwell about the Bronze medal, the $4M investment and more… [link]
• Episode 1 of ‘Behind the Jersey’ features Netherland & Exeter’s Linde van de Velden as she explains her career in rugby so far and gives us a look into her daily life [link]
• Goff interviewed USA 7s Head Coach Emilie Bydwell and Spiff Sedrick about the try that lead to a bronze medal [link]
• Ex-Scotland star, and new Director of Women’s Rugby at Heroits, Megan Gaffney joined the Scottish Rugby Podcast to help preview the season [link]
• The Women’s Rugby World Cup is coming [link]
• A day in the life with Scotland’s Evie Gallagher [link]
• Monique Coffey was the latest to be featured in our new WRR Highlights series [link]
• Exeter catches up with their new signing Georgina Tasker [link]
• 10 years on from their triumphant 2014 Women’s Rugby World Cup campaign, we relive the story of how the Red Roses made history and claimed the greatest prize in world rugby [link]

Women’s Rugby Rundown Jobs

• Various positions at the 2025 Rugby World Cup including Ticketing Coordinator, Fan Experience Coordinator, Venue Manager and Marketing Coordinator [link]