WXV Final Showdowns Set & Waikato Reclaims Farah Palmer Cup | WRR 174

Women’s Rugby XVs News

International

• WXV Round 2
  • Italy defeated Wales 8-5 in an intense WXV match, with a try from captain Giordano, a crucial penalty by Rigoni, and a sensational defense that held off Wales’ final push [link]
  • Hong Kong kept their Rugby World Cup qualification hopes alive with a dominant 38-7 victory over Madagascar, securing their first-ever WXV3 win and setting up a crucial match against the Netherlands next week [link]
  • France defeated the USA 22-14 in their Women XV match, securing their eighth consecutive win over the Americans with three tries and a strong defensive effort, bouncing back from their loss to Canada [link]
  • Scotland secured a 19-13 win over Japan, with early tries from Francesca McGhie and Alex Stewart, and a decisive score by Rhona Lloyd, holding off a late push from Japan to make it two wins from two in the WXV 2 [link]
    • Scotland have turned things around, winning 12 of their last 15 tests since last April, a huge shift after enduring 12 straight defeats [link]
  • Canada secured their second WXV 1 win by defeating Ireland 21-8 in Langley, setting up a title clash with world number one England next weekend, while also retaining the Utrecht Shield [link]
  • The Wallaroos secured a 33-26 win over South Africa, setting up a WXV 2 title clash with Scotland next week after surviving a late comeback from the hosts [link]
    • Ashley Marsters equaled Liz PAtu’s record of 33 appearances for the Wallaroos [link]
    • Springbok Men’s Captain Siya Kolisi hyped the match on social media, then showed up hours before kickoff in a women’s jersey, chatting with fans, snapping selfies, and signing autographs—the ultimate show of support for women’s sports [link]
  • Samoa powered to a 45-17 victory over Fiji, capitalizing on key moments and a yellow card to score six tries, despite a late Fijian fightback [link]
    • This is a remarkable win by Manusina as they have only won 3 out of 5 meetings against Fiji
  • Spain secured a 20-0 win over the Netherlands in the WXV3, continuing their push for a 2025 World Cup spot [link]
    • Lucía Rhino reached 30 caps [link]
  • The Red Roses claimed a 49-31 victory over the Black Ferns, with standout performances including a hattrick from Jess Breach and braces from Abby Dow and Ellie Kildunne, securing their second win of the tournament [link]
    • Hannah Botterman reached 50 caps [link]
• Latvia dominated Norway 50-0 in their return to test rugby after 15 years, controlling the game from start to finish with powerful forward play and eight tries [link]
• The final round of the WXV will determine the champions, with England facing Canada in WXV 1 (and as the holder of the Utrecht Shield), Australia battling Scotland for the WXV 2 title, and in WXV 3, Spain must beat Fiji to secure World Cup qualification, while Samoa could claim the title with a bonus point win over Madagascar if Spain falters; Hong Kong could snatch second place with a bonus point win if both Spain and Samoa slip up [link]
• Asia Rugby’s Leadership & Governance Called Into Question With Damning World Rugby Independent Financial Audit [link]
• Our 2025 Women’s Rugby fixtures and results are live—check out all the confirmed dates so far, and stay tuned for updates [link]

Premier & Club

• Waikato triumphed 27-25 over Canterbury in an exhilarating Farah Palmer Cup Premiership Final, reclaiming the title in a fierce battle marked by their powerful forward play and resilience, despite a strong Canterbury comeback [link]
• Corstorphine held onto their undefeated record with a narrow 1-point win over Watsonian in the Arnold Clark Premiership, while Heriot’s stayed in the race with a close victory against Cartha, but they’ll need a big result against a top-four team to climb out of fifth place [link]
• Round 3 of the Welsh Premiership saw wins from Whitland and Burry Port, but the league continues to face disruptions with four postponements so far [link]
• In Round 2 of the Energia AIL, Wicklow’s seven-try performance against Galwegians put them atop the standings, with Railway Union in second after their narrow win over UL Bohemian, who sit in fourth, while Suttonians hold third—positions 6-8 are also very tight in the standings [link]
• In the first round of France’s Elite 1, Toulouse, Blagnac, AC Bobigny, ASM Romagnat, and Bordeaux Stadium all secured victories [link]
• Gloucester-Hartpury, Bristol Bears, Saracens, and Exeter Chiefs kicked off the Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) season with impressive wins, including a late Exeter Chiefs penalty to edge Harlequins and a dominant performance by Bristol Bears against Loughborough Lightning [link]
• Rugby Australia remains “deeply committed to rugby in Victoria” despite dissolving the Melbourne Rebels Women’s program from Super W, with next year’s competition moving to a five-team format and a revised structure to be announced soon [link]
• The BC Premiership kicked off on September 28 with only one match after several were rearranged, as the Vancouver Thunderbirds began their title defense with a win over Castaway [link]
• The 2024-25 USA Club Women’s Rugby season is underway—full guide coming soon with details on league play, playoffs, Super Regionals, and Nationals, along with important changes involving WER and WPL that need to be understood, so stay tuned for key updates [link]

Women’s Rugby 7s News

International

• The Philippine Volcanoes made history by winning double gold at the Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Trophy in Nepal, with the men’s team defeating Chinese Taipei 27-12 and the women’s team edging India 7-5 in a thrilling final and both sides will be promoted back to the Championship [link]

Women’s Rugby Features

• Black Fern Grace Steinmetz forced to retire after brain injury diagnosis [link]
• De Bruin hails never-say-die Bok Women [link]
• Louise Dalgliesh runs the rule over Scotland vs Japan WXV 2 clash [link]
• Maddie Feaunati is out to make a name for herself – but will never forget Jonah Lomu and the ‘Hollywood years’ that came with Invictus [link]
• Understanding of head injury assessment and return to play processes and associated factors in United States Major League Rugby players [link]
• Our latest Pioneer of the Pitch features Kate Muldoon: Balancing Academics and Athletic Ambitions [link]
• Scotland Women’s Lead Physiotherapist, Flo Laing, balances her demanding role in international rugby with family life, proving that it’s possible to excel in both, while inspiring other women in sports to pursue their passions and leadership roles [link]
• “It’s about time we all paid attention to a woman like Ilona Maher!” writes three-time Olympic medalist skier Lindsey Vonn for Time100 Next 2024 [link]
• Scottish Rugby recently held two more retrospective capping ceremonies, recognizing past Scotland Women’s players Donna Aitken and Anna Panayotopoulos, while honoring the families of wartime male players Neil Harvey OBE and Alec Murray, who represented Scotland during the Services Internationals [link]

Women’s Rugby Media

• US Rugby Happy Hour had Sione Fukofuka on to talk WXV, impact of 7s players, Ilona Maher and previewed their match against France [link]
• Our latest #WRRHighlights reel features action from Bowdoin, AIC, Dartmouth and Sacred Heart [link]
• Check out the explainer from Hong Kong about the 2024/25 Nan Fung Group | AIRSIDE Hong Kong Premiership will operate from an exciting round 1 through to the Grand Finals [link]
• World Rugby announces the launch of their first global dedicated girls’ participation program called Rugby Rising Play[link]
• PWR announces their own podcast covering all the details of the league [link]
• Scrum Queens’ Ali Donnelly highlights Ireland’s rapid rise from the bottom of the Six Nations table 17 months ago to beating the Black Ferns, proving how quickly progress can come with proper investment [link]
• The Impact and Future of Women’s Rugby in North America: Progress and Key Developments [link]
• Outside of her own rugby achievements, Red Roses flanker Maddie Feaunati has a very special claim to fame – and a life story you can hear all about on the latest episode of the England Rugby Podcast: O2 Inside Line [link]
• “𝗜’𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻’𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗯𝘆.” This is Áine’s story. [link]

Women’s Rugby Rundown Jobs

• Nominations Open for USA Rugby Senior Club Council 7s Committee [link]