Welcome to Women’s Rugby Rundown 179 for November 4-10. South Africa secured another Africa 7s title, booking their place in the World Rugby Challenger Series alongside Kenya and Uganda, while China took top honors in the Asia 7s Series, with Hong Kong and Thailand also qualifying for the Challenger Series. HSBC SVNS 2025 kicks off later this month, and Singapore and Los Angeles have been confirmed as the final two stops. The 2024 RAN 7s in Trinidad will see 6 teams vying for Challenger spots, and Wales continues to face scrutiny after Wales Women’s head coach Ioan Cunningham’s departure. And we round up all the global Premier and Club competitions worldwide.
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Women’s Rugby 7s News
International
- South Africa clinches the Africa 7s title for the 12th time, securing continental victory and qualifying for the World Rugby Challenger Series alongside Kenya and Uganda [link]
- Japan beat China in the Thailand stop in the Asia 7s Series but China claims the Asia 7s Series title; the top two teams are already included in HSBC SVNS
- Hong Kong and Thailand qualified for the World Rugby Challenger Series after their performances on the Series [link]
- Singapore and Los Angeles have been confirmed as key stops for HSBC SVNS 2025, with Singapore set to crown the league winners in April, followed by Los Angeles hosting the World Championship at the 2028 Olympic venue in May [link]
- The pools are set for the first stop of HSBC SVNS 2025, kicking off in Dubai on November 30, followed by stops in Cape Town, Perth, Vancouver, and Hong Kong, as China women join the competition, with Australia defending their SVNS title and the Black Ferns looking to build on their Olympic gold [link]
- Six teams will head to Trinidad for the 2024 RAN Sevens from November 22-24, where women’s teams from Barbados, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Mexico, and Trinidad & Tobago will vie for Challenger Series qualification [link]
- PR 7s announced that Canada will join USA and the PR 7s All Stars in Providence Park on November 17 [link]
- PR 7s All Stars kick off this weekend, followed by RAN 7s on November 22, HSBC SVNS in Dubai on November 29, with Oceania 7s and the second SVNS stop in Cape Town both set for December 7 [link]
Women’s Rugby XVs News
International
- Ioan Cunningham has stepped down as head coach of Wales Women by mutual agreement after three years, as the WRU begins the search for a successor ahead of next year’s Six Nations; meanwhile, the WRU Board, amid scrutiny over contract negotiation failures, has announced plans to publish the findings of a recent review and implement recommended changes, including improved governance through a new Women’s Rugby Committee [link]
- A disappointing move that scapegoats the coach instead of holding the responsible senior management accountable, exposing a troubling lack of integrity from the new Board and CEO [link]
- Former Wales forward Cerys Hale hopes to have seen last WRU apology [link]
- Former Wales winger Jess Kavanagh has spoken out about the Welsh Rugby Union’s criticized handling of contract negotiations with the senior women’s team contracts [link]
- Ioan Cunningham gone. Understand Nigel Walker has been given a “serious warning” for his role in the Wales women’s contract saga but has survived a sacking. [link]
- Wales Women outperformed the men in wins this year, yet if reports hold true, Ioan’s departure stems from bullying allegations, not from on-field results [link]
- The Celtic Challenge confirms its six-team lineup for the 2024/25 season, with defending champions Irish Wolfhounds, Brython Thunder, the Clovers, Edinburgh, Glasgow Warriors, and Gwalia Lightning set to kick off in December [link]
- Wales: Byrthon & Gwalia
- Ireland: Wolfhounds and Clovers
- Scotland: Glasgow and Edinburgh
- This weekend, Bulgaria faces Croatia in the European Conference, while the Netherlands will clash with Brazil on November 28 and December 5 [link]
Premier & Club
- The November 6 update of USA Club Women’s Rugby standings crowns the first Champions of the year and brings fresh rankings across D1, D2, and D3 [link]
- The 2024 Mary Graham All Stars schedule is out, with Cup & Plate matchups set for Dec 7-8 in Dallas-Fort Worth—featuring defending champs Midwest Green, TRU Toast, Southwest, and more [link]
- Corstorphine Cougars have secured their place in the Arnold Clark Women’s Premiership Final on December 14, with Watsonians and Stirling County vying for the remaining spot as they trail closely with 47 and 43 points, respectively, ahead of the last two regular-season rounds [link]
- Round 5 of the Welsh Premiership saw yet another postponement, keeping Caernarfon at the top, while Whitland remains unbeaten with two fewer games, Llandaff North boasts a strong defense, and questions grow about league sustainability with so many matches still unplayed [link]
- After Round 3 of the BC Premiership, Burnaby Lake sits undefeated at the top, showing offensive strength with 14 tries and a 39-point differential, while Westshore’s impressive opening win and Vancouver Thunderbirds’s steady position signal an early season shakeup in the standings [link]
- All six teams will move to playoffs, with Quarterfinals taking place April 12; Semifinals follow on April 26, and Finals set for May 3 [link]
- After Round 5 in the Energia AIL, Railway Union leads with a perfect record, 238-point differential, and 23 points overall, followed closely by UL Bohemian on 21 points; Wicklow and Galwegians remain close in third and fourth, each with 16 points, while Blackrock College rounds out the top five [link]
- Round 4 of Elite 1 keeps Bordeaux undefeated at the top, with Toulouse, Blagnac, AC Bobigny, FC Grenoble, and ASM Romagnat rounding out the top six [link]
- Round 6 of PWR sees the Chiefs extend their lead with a sixth straight win, Bristol’s 10-try victory over Leicester tightening their top-four spot, while Gloucester-Hartpury and Harlequins stay on track with wins over Trailfinders Women and Sale Sharks [link]
- Bristol and Saracens women’s teams were forced to change in offices and shower at a nearby gym for their fixture last month, while the men had full stadium facilities — a glaring reminder that ‘progress’ is still leaving women sidelined [link]
- Round 4 of Germany’s Bundesliga A sees SC Neuenheim and Heidelberger both remain undefeated at the top [link]
- Round 3 of the Nan Fung Group | AIRSIDE Premiership keeps Societe Generale Valley undefeated at the top, with Natixis Ice also maintaining a perfect record as the two leaders prepare to face off next weekend [link]
- After Round 3 of Iberdrola, El Salvador leads with a perfect 15 points, closely followed by Majadahonda at 14, with Cisneros, Cocos, and Sant Cugat rounding out the top five with 10, 9, and 5 points respectively [link]
- After Round 5 of Belgium’s Ladies D1, Boitsfort and Ghent lead the standings undefeated, with 25 and 23 points respectively, while Soignies, Dendermonde, and Kituro follow, rounding out the top five [link]
- After Round 2 of Serie Elite A, Valsugana and Colorno remain undefeated at the top, with Villorba and Milan rounding out the top four [link]
- After Round 2 of the Netherlands Premier, AAC holds the top spot undefeated, with Waterland and RUS also maintaining perfect records [link]
Women’s Rugby Features
- ‘A proven track record’: Bulls Daisies bring in another coaching guru [link]
- Injury lay-off helped Jones deal with father’s death [link]
- World Rugby Certified Coach Educator – Call for Applications [link]
- Susie Appleby maintains that Exeter Chiefs are still the hunters and not the hunted despite their superb start to the PWR season [link]
- USA captain Kate Zackary: ‘To get where we have gotten to is huge’ [link]
- Why rugby code-hopper Goldthorp has the world at her feet [link]
- Leinster pay tribute to departing women’s head coach Tania Rosser [link]
- ‘How do we get exposure?’: Female coaches face a battle to reach the top in women’s rugby [link]
- World Rugby’s Impact Beyond 2025 unites unions across Africa to advance the women’s game [link]
Women’s Rugby Media
- The Womens Rugby Show: Jasmine Joyce talks up her back three teammates, Fran Goldthrup and Sales American front-row duo [link]
- The Good, The Scaz And the Rugby: Elma, Scaz & Mo rename the England Men’s team, chat Autumn Internationals and address Scaz’s green chinos [link]
- The Power Pod: Exeter is on top of the table, stand out players and The Power play [link]
- Poi Stories: Ahead of their historic Test Match against England at Twickenham stadium, our Black Ferns’ stars reflect on their Poi journeys during their final group training sessions [link]
- BBC ScrumV: Gareth, Lauren and Alex discuss the much-criticised WRU’s handling of contract talks with Wales women, Dai Flanagan’s departure from Dragons and look ahead to Wales v Fiji with ex-Fiji 7’s coach Gareth Baber [link]
Women’s Rugby Rundown Jobs
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