Ilona Maher Docuseries, Women’s RWC Archive Preserved, and Sophie de Goede Returns | WRR 206

Women’s Rugby 7s News

International

• The Lilian Amazons won the third stop of the LIT Super Series Elite after finishing as runners-up in the previous leg [link]
  • They’ve now made history as the first Fijian women’s team to win a top-tier UK 7s tournament.
• Scottish Rugby says it is ready to lead a revived full-time Team GB Sevens program, citing sevens as key to player development and ongoing talks with England and Wales to secure support [link]
• Great Britain looks to go back-to-back in the final stop of the European 7s Championships this weekend [link]

Women’s Rugby XVs News

International

• The Cayman Islands celebrated a rare international outing with a thrilling 47–37 win over Bermuda in a 10s match, playing for the first time at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex in front of a packed home crowd [link]
• YSCRugby now hosts the most complete public archive of Women’s Rugby World Cup stats from 1991 to 2021, preserving decades of match results, player records, and historic moments after the closure of ScrumQueens, thanks to the work of dedicated historians and data collectors [link]
• CBS Sports and Paramount+ Become Exclusive Home of World Rugby in the U.S. Through 2029 [link]
• Canada has named 38 players to a training camp in Perth, Ontario ahead of a two-match tour to South Africa in July, with 33 returning from the Pacific Four Series [link]
  • Madison Grant, Paige Farries, Pamphinette Buisa, and Sophie de Goede are all back in the training environment after injury, while Carissa Norsten, a Paris 2024 Olympic silver medallist and 2024 HSBC SVNS Women’s Rookie of the Year, joins her first senior camp
• A new documentary, The Founding Four, honors the women who created the first Women’s Rugby World Cup in 1991, capturing their courage, sacrifice, and lasting legacy [link]
  • The project is in post-production and needs our support to reach the finish line: https://greenlit.com/project/founding-four
• A new docuseries from Hello Sunshine will follow U.S. rugby star Ilona Maher as she chases a spot at the 2025 Rugby World Cup, balancing life with the Bristol Bears, global fame, and her growing media brand in what promises to be a landmark story for women’s sports [link]
• From Oslo to Boston, two inclusive tournaments (the Ruck You Match and All Trans Match) highlighted the power of women’s+ rugby to celebrate identity, challenge exclusion, and unite communities through sport [link]
• Rugby Australia has released its 2025–2029 Inclusion Strategy, outlining 111 initiatives across partnerships, respect, participation, and education to foster equity and opportunity for women and girls, First Nations, Pasifika, LGBTQ+, and All Abilities communities in rugby [link]
• Maha Zaoui, a longtime champion of women’s rugby in Africa with over 20 years of sports leadership experience, has been named General Manager of Rugby Africa and will lead its next chapter focused on inclusion, youth development, and strategic partnerships across the continent [link]
• Willie Walker has been named Head Coach of the Black Ferns XV for 2025, leading a staff that includes Charmaine McMenamin, Carlos Spencer, and Simon Kneebone, with matches set against the Black Ferns in Whangārei and a historic two-game tour in South Africa [link]
• The Springbok Women are building their deepest-ever squad ahead of the 2025 Rugby World Cup, using split camps and a successful Africa Cup run to expand their talent pool and prepare for high-stakes tests against Canada in July [link]

Premier & Club

• Denver Onyx and New York Exiles will meet in the first-ever WER Legacy Cup Final on June 29 in Eagan, MN, marking the end of a historic inaugural season and the beginning of a new era in professional women’s rugby in the U.S. [link]
  • Denver Onyx enter as the top seed with a 9–1 record, 10 bonus points, and a league-best 46 points, their only loss coming to the New York Exiles in a 24–17 upset in Round 11. That win helped New York clinch the second finals spot with 33 total points, edging out the Bay Breakers and Boston Banshees after a slow start and a late surge that saw them win five of their last six matches.
• Brazil’s new XV Brazil Cup will feature four top clubs competing in semifinals on July 5 and a final on August 9, marking a shift from regional teams to club-driven national competition as the sport continues to grow ahead of the World Cup [link]
  • Melina vs Saint Joseph
  • Jacrói vs Plough

Women’s Rugby Features

• In Mullingar, Ireland, new world records for the longest men’s (30h 29m) and women’s (24h 5m) rugby matches were set during a nonstop charity event featuring 92 players, raising funds for mental health and youth rugby through LooseHeadz and Wooden Spoon [link]
• Canada captain Sophie de Goede is back in the lineup after a yearlong ACL injury, rejoining a 38-player camp ahead of the South Africa tour as the No. 2 ranked Canadians build toward the 2025 Rugby World Cup [link] 
• Irish center Enya Breen, with 29 caps, is set to make her Rugby World Cup debut this August in England and joined the Star Sport Podcast to talk about the milestone, while Cork football prepares for a tough clash with Dublin at Croke Park [link]
• Rugby World Cup winner Alana Borland (née Bremner) has become the second Black Fern to join Premiership Women’s Rugby, signing with Trailfinders Women ahead of the 2025 season as she looks to bring her leadership and lineout strength to West London [link]
• Despite positive language from CEO Alex Williamson about growing professional women’s rugby in Scotland, uncertainty over contracts, lack of funding, and unclear long-term plans continue to cast doubt on whether the SRU is truly prioritizing the women’s game [link]
• O2 has been announced as an Official Partner of the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup and will present the opening show in Sunderland, offering exclusive fan experiences through its Priority platform as part of its continued push for gender equity in rugby [link]
• Uganda’s Lady Cranes finished third at the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup, marking solid progress for a team that only returned to top-tier competition three months ago [link]
• Sarah Hunter reflects on the evolution of women’s rugby ahead of the 2025 World Cup, highlighting her journey from player to England coach, the impact of Gallagher’s High Performance Academy, and how role models like Abbie Ward are redefining what’s possible for women balancing motherhood and high-performance sport [link]
• Abby Dow says the Red Roses are staying grounded ahead of the 2025 Rugby World Cup, knowing past wins won’t matter once the whistle blows [link]
• The Springbok Women wrapped up an undefeated Rugby Africa Women’s Cup campaign in Madagascar, using the tournament to blend new talent, sevens players, and World Cup veterans as part of their build-up to 2025 [link]

Women’s Rugby Media

• MLR Weekly: Major League Rugby Predictions, Utah Coach Greg Cooper, Opinions, Wendy Young re WER Cup

Women’s Rugby Rundown Jobs

• Denver Black Ice – Head Coach