Welcome to Women’s Rugby Rundown 190 for February 17–March 1! Kenya kicked off the Challenger Series with a statement win over Argentina, setting up a back-to-back weekend in Cape Town. At Vancouver SVNS, the Black Ferns dominated the tournament, capping it off with a crushing win over Fiji in the final to claim their 39th SVNS title and a Vancouver three-peat. Michaela Blyde made history as the all-time leading try-scorer in women’s SVNS, surpassing Portia Woodman-Wickliffe. Meanwhile, the Celtic Challenge is down to the wire, with just two points separating Wolfhounds and Clovers, while Fukuoka, Japan, was confirmed as the host of the Asia Rugby Championships in May. And we round up all the global Premier and Club competitions worldwide.
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YSC News
- Some personal news—Twitter/X no longer aligns with our values, so we’re no longer participating in their platform; women’s rugby is about community, truth, and inclusion, and we’re taking our coverage where it belongs.
Women’s Rugby 7s News
International
- Kenya took the first stop of the Challenger Series, and teams now gear up for a back-to-back weekend in Cape Town [link]
- New Zealand stormed past Australia with six tries—including a Stacey Waaka hat trick—to reach their 50th Cup final, where they crushed Fiji 41-7 to secure their 39th SVNS title and a Vancouver three-peat [link]
- Fiji secured their third Cup Final appearance after a dominant semi-final win over Japan.
- Japan and the USA met in the Cup stages for the first time, with the Sakura Sevens making history in a thrilling extra-time 22-17 win—their first-ever quarter-final victory—before falling to Australia 26-12 in the semis, capping off a landmark tournament. [link]
- Japan climbed to fifth, dropping Canada to sixth, while Great Britain sits seventh and Fiji moves above the relegation line into eighth. [link]
- Michaela Blyde is now the all-time leading try-scorer in women’s SVNS history, surpassing Portia Woodman-Wickliffe’s record [link]
- Pools were then set for Hong Kong taking place March 28-30 at Kai Tak Stadium [link]
- Pool A: New Zealand, Brazil, USA, China
- Pool B: Fiji, Great Britain, France, Ireland
- Pool C: Australia, Japan, Canada, Spain
Women’s Rugby XVs News
International
- One round to go in the Celtic Challenge, and it’s a tight race at the top with just two points between Wolfhounds and Clovers, while Brython Thunder looks to climb at home and Glasgow Warriors aim to fight their way up in Wales [link]
- Fukuoka, Japan is set to host the Asia Rugby Championships, with defending champions Japan using it as a launchpad for the 2025 Rugby World Cup [link]
- May 15: Japan vs Kazakhstan
- May 20: Kazakhastan vs Hong Kong
- May 25: Japan vs Hong Kong
- Gallagher High Performance Academy extends global impact, as World Rugby and Gallagher unveil new cohort of female coaches [link]
Premier & Club
- Vancouver continues to lead the BC Premier after six rounds as they beat Castaway while Seattle dispatched Burnaby [link]
- USA Women’s Club:
- D1: Quins take the top spot in Red River, while SCRFU saw no changes.
- D2: Shakeups include Fort Miami and Las Vegas claiming first in Florida and Southwest, Life West leading NCRFU after opening weekend, and multiple regions returning soon.
- D3: Remains steady with OKC leading Red River Cup and upcoming returns for Capital and EPRU. [link]
- Old Belvedere and Galwegians picked up bonus point wins in the Energia AIL while Railway Unions is still on top of the standings [link]
- Saracens and Gloucester-Hartpury will battle for the PWR Championship on March 16, with Gloucester aiming for a historic three-peat—no team has done it yet—while Saracens, the 2022 champs, look to reclaim the crown [link]
- Societe Generale holds onto the top spot in the Nan Fung Group | AIRSIDE Premiership after edging out second-place Natixis Ice 19-17 in a tight battle [link]
- After 7s rounds of Iberdrola El Salvador still leads with the top four coming into focus [link]
- Villaorba takes the top spot in Serie A Elite, with Valsugna up to second, former leaders Colorno dropping to third, and Torino sitting fourth [link]
- EP Queens clinched their first win of the season with a late try in the South Africa Premier Division, while the top three teams picked up maximum points in their Round 5 victories [link]
- Black Pearls stay unbeaten and lead the Uganda Premiership after Round 6 [link]
- Western Force and Brumbies kicked off the Super W season with a dramatic 29-29 draw, as Sammy Treherne’s last-minute try and Nicole Leddington’s clutch conversion leveled the match before Brumbies’ Faitala Moleka missed a potential game-winning penalty after the siren [link]
- Queensland Reds closed out their Super W preseason with a dominant 60-7 win over Penina Pasifika, showcasing their depth and fitness ahead of next week’s opener against Fijian Drua [link]
- The Blues opened their Super Rugby Aupiki title defense with a dominant 50-10 win over Hurricanes Poua, while Matatū staged a second-half comeback to edge Chiefs Manawa 31-25 in a Round 1 thriller [link]
- The Welsh Premiership will return next week after their winter break, Llandaff North continues to lead with 30 points [link]
- Women’s Professional Rugby is here! Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) kicks off March 22, and the full schedule, rosters, and venues are now live [link]
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