Welcome to WRR 204 for June 2-8. The Vodafone Fijiana opened the Oceania Rugby Championship with a commanding win over Tonga as they defend their title. South Africa began their Rugby Africa Cup defense with a strong victory over Uganda, while the Kenya Lionesses also secured a win over Madagascar. Italy and Scotland are gearing up for key test matches in July and August, with Scotland switching stadiums for their 2026 Six Nations match against England to Murrayfield, aiming to break attendance records. The WER Legacy Cup race tightens as Bay Breakers and New York Exiles battle for the remaining playoff spot with just one week of the regular season left. Shogun secured back-to-back titles at the Shelford 7s with two stops remaining in the LIT Super Series Elite. World Rugby’s revamped SVNS sevens circuit, designed to grow the sport, has instead triggered a chain reaction of cuts by major unions, raising concerns about the future sustainability of sevens. Meanwhile, Bosnia’s first women’s rugby sevens team is preparing for their debut international competition with hopes of qualifying for the 2032 Olympics.
Women’s Rugby Rundown Video
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Women’s Rugby 7s News
International
- Shogun claimed back-to-back titles with a 17-14 win over the Lillian Amazons, who featured several Fiji 7s players, in the Shelford 7s final, building on their recent LIT Super Sevens victory in Oxford [link]
- The next stop in the LIT Elite Super Series is Nat’l Pub 7s on June 21 [link]
- World Rugby’s new SVNS sevens circuit promises growth with more events and exposure, but recent cuts by major unions like Great Britain and Ireland reveal deep financial and governance issues that threaten the sport’s full-time programs and global development [link]
- Bosnia’s first women’s rugby sevens team, led by players like Erna Huseinovic, is preparing for their first international competition in Croatia as they aim to grow the sport domestically and qualify for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics [link]
- Simon Amor Appointed as Hong Kong China’s Executive Director, Performance and Representative Rugby [link]
Women’s Rugby XVs News
International
- Fiji’s Vodafone Fijiana XVs dominated Lofa XVs 59-5 in the Oceania Rugby Women’s XV Championship opener at Sigatoka and will face Samoa Manusina next Saturday [link]
- South Africa Women Springboks kicked off their Rugby Africa Women’s Cup title defense with a dominant 62-6 win over Uganda in Antananarivo, scoring 10 tries including strong debuts from eight players and showing depth and control that set a positive tone ahead of Rugby World Cup squad selections [link]
- The Kenya Lionesses started strong in the Rugby Africa Cup with a 27-5 win over Madagascar in Antananarivo, showing control and scoring key tries before facing South Africa next [link]
- Harriet Okach made history by becoming the first woman to chair the Kenya Rugby Union in its 55-year history, bringing extensive rugby and business experience as she leads Kenyan rugby through a crucial period with both the men’s and women’s national teams preparing for major African tournaments [link]
- Restructured USA Women’s Pathways program excited for big summer with the Rugby World Cup backdrop [link]
- Italy is preparing for the 2025 Rugby World Cup with two test matches scheduled against Scotland in Viadana on July 25 and Japan in Calvisano on August 9, providing key opportunities to fine-tune their game ahead of the tournament in England starting August 23 [link]
- Scotland Women will play England at Murrayfield in the 2026 Women’s Six Nations, aiming to set a new attendance record for a Scottish women’s sporting event as the match marks the 100th anniversary of the national stadium and follows growing fan support and participation in women’s rugby across Scotland [link]
- Scotland Women will play Italy in a Summer Test on July 25 in Viadana as part of their Rugby World Cup 2025 preparations, followed by a match against Ireland in Cork on August 2, giving the team valuable experience against strong opponents ahead of the tournament in England [link]
- A few changes in rankings this week, Kenya moved up two spots to 20, Mexico up one to 25 while Sweden, Germany and Madagascar all dropped by one [link]
- From June 9 to June 15, key events include the Oceania Championship matches, the Africa Cup games featuring multiple teams, and the Europe 7s Championship taking place over several days in Croatia [link]
Premier & Club
- The Legacy Cup race tightens with one week left in the regular season. In Round 12, Denver won big over TC Gemini 75-14, while Bay Breakers earned five points to stay in contention with a 45-21 win over Chicago.
[link]- New York needs five points in their last game to reach 33 total points while hoping Bay gets zero to stay at 32. This is the only way New York can clinch. If New York gets five points, Bay only needs one point to tie at 33 because Bay holds the advantage based on tiebreaker rules.
- Boston has been eliminated from playoff contention.
Women’s Rugby Features
- Bryan Easson says door still open for duo despite retirement hints [link]
- Army Rugby Union star Guardsman Manuqalo Komaitai has earned her first international cap for the Fiji Women’s Rugby Team (Fijiana) after coming off the bench to score a try in their dominant 59-5 victory over Tonga [link]
- Chloe Rollie: Murrayfield, World Cup and Scotland 100th cap goals [link]
- ‘Stick with us and follow our journey’: USA reflections on tough PAC 4 [link]
- Chloe Chan – First Hong Kong China Player To Feature On the Taiyo Seimei Women’s Sevens Series with Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix [link]
- Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 and Allwyn launch Volunteer Programme with two-thirds female participation [link]
- France XV: the chilling testimony of an international on the consequences of concussions [link]
- Jones and Aldcroft win Player of the Season Awards [link]
- Niamh Charles, Ellie Kildunne and Sarah Glenn on why this summer will be a massive moment for women’s sport [link]
- Michaelle Stolz, an 18-year-old New Zealander with Fijian roots, overcame doubt and unfamiliarity through faith, hard work, and determination to earn a spot on the Vodafone Fijiana 15s team, driven by her dream to represent Fiji at the World Cup and inspire young girls to trust in God’s timing [link]
- At 22, Lerato Makua is back from injury and determined to help the Springbok Women defend their Rugby Africa Women’s Cup title in Madagascar while preparing for the Rugby World Cup in England, with coach Franzel September emphasizing teamwork and the mix of experienced players and rising talent in the squad [link]
- Female athletes are transforming women’s sport on social media by sharing authentic stories and connecting with fans, driving record engagement and visibility ahead of major events like the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup in England [link]
- The 2025 Rugby World Cup Trophy continues its tour… [link]
Women’s Rugby Media
- Reuters: Bosnia’s women rugby pioneers target Olympic qualification
- Challenging the Game: Returning to rugby after a vaginal prolapse
- Squidge Rugby: So what doubled the number of tries being scored across rugby?