USA Set to Break Attendance Record, HSBC SVNS Grand Final Nears, South Africa Wins, Georgia Debuts | WRR 197

Women’s Rugby 7s News

International

• The 2025 HSBC SVNS season wraps up in Los Angeles May 3-4, with New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Great Britain, Australia, France, USA, and Fiji battling for the Grand Final title, while Brazil, China, Ireland, Spain, Kenya, South Africa, Argentina, and Colombia fight to keep their spot — even as behind-the-scenes changes could reshape promotion and relegation moving forward [link]
• Rugby Sevens will return to the Olympics at LA28, with Carson Stadium confirmed as the venue after the sport’s breakout success at Paris 2024 [link]

Women’s Rugby XVs News

International

• USA Women’s Rugby Set to Smash Attendance Record in Kansas City with match against Canada [link]
• South Africa started their 2025 season with a comprehensive 48-26 victory over Spain in Alicante on Saturday, with their powerful pack laying the foundation for a strong performance [link]
• Netherlands closed out the Rugby Europe Championship with a dominant 90-3 win over Sweden to secure second place behind champions Spain [link]
• Georgia made their historic XVs debut against Kazakhstan, falling 47-5 but celebrating their first-ever try and setting the stage for a rematch on April 24 [link]
• England dominated Scotland 59-7 to set up a Grand Slam decider with France, who left it late to beat Italy 34-21, while Ireland rolled past Wales 40-14 to move into third heading into Super Saturday [link]
  • France survived a huge scare in Parma, scoring twice in the final minutes to beat Italy 34-21 and stay unbeaten heading into the Grand Slam decider against England [link] 
  • England cruised past Scotland 59-7 in Leicester, dominating from start to finish to set up a Grand Slam decider against France on Super Saturday [link]
  • Ireland dominated Wales 40-14 in Newport, grabbing a bonus-point win behind a standout performance from Aoife Wafer and setting up a shot at third place in the final round [link]
• Uganda dominated Zimbabwe 63-7 to finish unbeaten at the Rugby Africa Women’s Division One tournament and earn promotion to the 2025 Rugby Africa Women’s Cup alongside South Africa, Kenya, and Madagascar [link]
• Wallaroos coach Jo Yapp has included a host of fresh faces as part of a 40-player squad ahead of their first Test of 2025 against Fijiana [link]
• Portia Woodman-Wickliffe officially comes out of retirement and re-enters the World Cup conversation, adding even more firepower to the Black Ferns as they build toward 2025 [link]

Premier & Club

• The Blues dominated in tough conditions to win the first-ever Women’s Super Rugby Champions Final, beating the Waratahs 31-5 at North Harbour Stadium [link]
• A few small changes in USA Club Women’s Rugby Super Regionals with Life West dropping out of Pacific and Santa Monica filling [link]
• In the only WER Round 5 match, the New York Exiles edged the Boston Banshees 24-20, jumping into third place while Boston held onto the top spot [link]
• Round 16 of Elite 1 saw wins from Blagnac, Toulouse, Lyon, ASM Romagnat, and AC Bobigny, with Bordeaux still leading the table at 69 points ahead of Blagnac, ASM Romagnat, and Toulouse [link]
• Takia bounced back in Round 2 of the NA SOKO Women’s Tournament, pulling away in the second half to beat Bilibili 27-17 in a rain-soaked battle behind a hat-trick from Aqela Raitubu [link]

Women’s Rugby Features

• Portia Woodman-Wickliffe comes out of retirement to play at RWC 2025 [link]
• Harlequins Women’s player Ella Cromack is taking part in a 24-hour kick-athon at the Twickenham Stoop on Friday 30th May, to raise money for ‘Give Simon Time,’ the fundraising space created to raise money to help fund her father’s treatment for cancer [link]
• Blues women aim higher still after historic 2025 campaign [link]
• 5 Irish LGBTQ+ women in sport who changed the game [link]
• Q&A with Abbey Savin ’24, member of inaugural semi-professional women’s rugby league [link]
• England always have pressure to perform – Ward [link]
• ‘What have I done?’ How Jade Shekells learned of Red Roses call-up [link]
• As excitement builds for the first-ever Women’s British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand in 2027, there’s growing recognition that France — with its deep club structure, historic ties to women’s rugby, and strong national team — would also deserve a future Lions tour, highlighting how the women’s game can lead where the men’s hasn’t yet [link]
• Sarah Levy sat down with the JC to discuss the role her Jewish upbringing plays in her performance, a prospective Olympic homecoming and how she hopes to inspire the next generation of girls [link]
• Poolman proud after “whirlwind” start to her international rugby journey with Scotland [link]
• CWU to Discontinue Varsity Rugby Programs at End of Academic Year [link]

Women’s Rugby Media

• SquidgeRugby: Round Three Review | Women’s Six Nations 2025
• Rugby Union Weekly: As England charges toward a fourth straight Grand Slam, Sara Orchard and Philippa Tuttiett explore how to make the Six Nations more competitive, with insights from Scotland’s Bryan Easson and Rachel McLachlan, plus a big life update from England lock Abbie Ward
• MudderRucker: Jurassic Parked the Bus
• Full Credit: Unpacking Aupiki 2025
• The Good, The Scaz & The Rugby: England Scotland Preview with Mo, KDM & Emma Wassell
• Back the Girls: Six Nations Catch-Up
• Banana And Bear’s Rugby Pod: The Wafer Accordian