Black Ferns Sweep the Series, SVNS 2 Heating Up in Montevideo, and Rugby Australia’s $150M Pacific Power Play | WRR 237

Women’s Rugby 7s News

International

• The Black Ferns officially solidified their status as the queens of the sport by edging out Australia 22–21 in a wild New York final. Although they had already clinched the overall series title the day before, New Zealand dug deep to secure their fifth tournament win of the season. The home crowd also had plenty to cheer about as the USA women claimed the bronze medal with a convincing victory over Fiji. [link]
  • This win marks the Black Ferns fifth tournament gold of the season and sets a dominant tone as the circuit heads to the Championship in Hong Kong next month.
• The race for core status in 2027 heads to Montevideo on March 21 and 22, where the stakes couldn’t be higher for the SVNS 2 women’s division. Argentina leads the pack after a dominant showing in Nairobi, but South Africa is breathing down their necks just two points behind in the standings. With only two tournaments left to secure a top-four spot, teams like Spain and China are fighting to hold their ground, while Brazil and Kenya are desperate for a massive weekend to keep their promotion dreams alive. [link]

Women’s Rugby XVs News

International

• The next month is a high intensity stretch where the top women’s teams in the world hit the pitch in a variety of events. It all starts with the Vuvale Bowl as Australia hosts Fiji on March 27, followed immediately by the Europe Championships on March 28 featuring Spain, Portugal, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The action continues on April 11 when both the Guinness Women’s Six Nations and the PAC4 Series kick off in the USA. Seeding battles are also shifting into the promotion and relegation phase as the final legs of SVNS 2 take place in Montevideo on March 21 and 22 and São Paulo on March 28 and 29. These rounds are the last chance for teams to secure their spot in the winner takes all World Championship series starting in Hong Kong on April 17. It is officially championship season as we crown winners in the Celtic Challenge on March 28, South Africa’s Super League 1 on April 4, and the Liga Iberdrola on April 19. [link]
• The Oceania Rugby Women’s XV Championship is returning to Fiji this April for a three-match test series featuring Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga. This tournament serves as the only international XVs action hosted in Fiji for 2026 and acts as a key high-performance pathway for the Pacific nations. The action kicks off April 17 with Tonga facing Fiji at Churchill Park followed by Tonga and Samoa on April 21. The final showdown between Samoa and Fiji takes place April 25 at Govind Park. [link]
• Rugby Australia has confirmed a major 150 million dollar funding plan to overhaul rugby development across Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga. This joint effort between the three island unions and the Australian government is designed to build a regional ecosystem rather than just handing over cash to individual unions. The funding will support a new competition structure that could see island teams join Australia’s domestic Super Rugby competition while also boosting age grade programs, high performance academies, and regional sevens tournaments. While Fiji and Tonga have already signed on, Samoa’s involvement was recently stalled by local political leadership disputes. With those issues now seemingly resolved following a key resignation in Samoa, the project is expected to move forward as a milestone for Pacific rugby growth. [link]
• Swansea Council has escalated its battle with the WRU by publishing minutes from a January meeting that allegedly confirm plans to scrap the Ospreys as a professional region after the 2026–27 season. The council claims the union intended to cut the team if owners Y11 successfully purchased Cardiff Rugby, prompting legal action and a competition law claim to protect the club’s future. While the WRU disputes the accuracy of these notes and insists no final decision has been made, Ospreys benefactor Rob Davies has publicly broken ranks to demand that Wales maintains all four of its professional regions. [link]
  • The war of words between the WRU and Swansea Council has reached a boiling point, with Council Leader Rob Stewart calling for the immediate resignation of the union’s top brass. This follows the leak of meeting minutes that supposedly show CEO Abi Tierney discussing “alternative options” for rugby in Swansea under the assumption that the Ospreys would be dissolved. While the WRU continues to dismiss these notes as inaccurate and unauthorized, Chair Richard Collier-Keywood has dug in his heels, telling the Senedd that there is an “overriding consensus” for the drastic changes currently on the table. [link]
  • In a defiant interview, WRU CEO Abi Tierney warned that the ongoing legal battles and internal “civil war” risk destroying Welsh rugby from within. She remains fully committed to her “Plan A” of cutting professional regions from four to three, arguing that the vocal minority has failed to offer a viable alternative to the current underfunded and uncompetitive model. Tierney admitted that her daily reality feels like an “oily assault course” due to the intense pressure and stakeholder complexity, yet she insists she has the resilience to push forward with the radical restructuring. While she confirmed four teams will remain for the 2026/27 season, she emphasized that the long-term move to three licenses is essential to finally invest properly in the sport’s talent pathways. [link]
• While the Celtic Challenge was meant to bridge the gap to professional rugby, Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors finishing at the bottom of the table has sparked a blunt debate about the “stubbornly wide” disparity in Scottish women’s rugby. Critics argue that a hybrid model where 11 fully supported players train alongside non-contracted teammates earning as little as £3 per hour is failing to keep pace with Ireland’s 35-contract system or Wales’ rapid development. Despite the tournament offering vital exposure for emerging talent, the heavy rotation of lineups suggests Scotland may be treating the series more as a revolving door development exercise than a competitive hunt for silverware. [link]
• SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer outlines a groundbreaking shift for South African women’s rugby as they look to launch a centrally controlled professional league. He explains that SA Rugby chose not to simply copy the men’s professional model, but instead created a “clean sheet” strategy. For the inaugural season, the league will feature four teams, with the goal of expanding to six next year. Under this new structure, SA Rugby will centrally appoint coaches and pay player salaries, providing approximately 80 to 120 women the opportunity to become full-time professional athletes for the first time. [link]
• The Wallaroos are officially on the hunt for a permanent head coach following the departure of Jo Yapp, with the search expected to wrap up by August. Interim boss Sam Needs will lead the squad through the upcoming Fijiana Test and Pacific Four Series, viewing the team’s early assembly as a strategic advantage over rivals like Canada. This preparation is the first step in a massive three-year runway, with Rugby Australia locking in 10 Tests annually to ensure the team is world-class by the time the home World Cup arrives in 2029. [link]

Domestic

• Europe
  • Round 12 of AXA Elite 1 saw the league leaders continue their dominance as the playoff race begins to sharpen. Stade Toulousain kept their perfect season intact with another win while ASM Romagnat stayed hot on their heels with a victory of their own. Stade Bordelais also delivered a statement performance by putting up 57 points against Lille Metropole further solidifying their spot in the top three. One of the closest battles of the weekend took place between AC Bobigny 93 and Montpellier where Bobigny managed to edge out a two point win in a defensive struggle. Meanwhile Lyon Ol U and Toulon Provence Mediterranee fought through a tight contest that saw Lyon secure critical points to stay ahead in the lower half of the standings. With these results the gap between the top four and the rest of the pack is growing as teams head into the final stretch of the regular season. [link] 
  • The regular season of the Liga Iberdrola has officially concluded with El Salvador finishing a historic undefeated run at 14 wins following their shutout victory over Olímpico de Pozuelo. The big story of the round was CRAT Coruña achieving a miracle fourth place finish by overwhelming Cisneros to snatch the final playoff spot. Majadahonda also finished strong with a dominant win at Sant Cugat to lock in third place while Cocos Sevilla pulled off a massive upset against second placed Getxo to secure their safety for next season. As the league moves into the post season this weekend, El Salvador will host CRAT Coruña in the first semifinal while Getxo and Majadahonda face off in the other bracket. At the bottom of the table Cisneros is headed for the relegation playoffs and Olímpico de Pozuelo has been relegated directly to División de Honor B. [link]
  • PWR
    • Round 14 of the PWR was headlined by a massive top-of-the-table clash as Gloucester Hartpury edged Saracens 22–17 to reclaim first place, fueled by a stunning Alex Matthews hat-trick that preserved their perfect season. Meanwhile, Loughborough Lightning snapped a six-game skid with a 43–33 victory over Harlequins, capitalized by a Bo Westcombe-Evans hat-trick while Quins stars Ellie Kildunne and Jade Konkel were in the bin. Exeter Chiefs solidified third place with a dominant 47–14 win over Trailfinders, while Sale Sharks surged into fifth—just two points off the playoff spots—after a ruthless 62–3 thumping of Leicester Tigers. [link]
    • Premiership Women’s Rugby has confirmed the structure for the 2026-27 season which positions the league as a primary battleground for players ahead of a massive international calendar. The schedule includes a break for the Women’s Six Nations and aligns with a revamped WXV Global Series and the inaugural British & Irish Lions Women’s tour to New Zealand. The action kicks off with the return of the PWR Cup on September 19 with the final set for early November. The regular league season officially begins on the weekend of November 21 and will run for 18 rounds plus semi-finals. Everything wraps up with the PWR Final on the weekend of June 26. [link]
  • The 2025/26 Serie A Elite regular season concluded with league leaders Valsugana maintaining their perfect record, punctuated by a massive 111–0 victory over Neapolis. The final round solidified the playoff bracket, with Villorba, Colorno, and Benetton joining Valsugana in the quest for the Scudetto. Colorno secured a decisive 20–5 win over Benetton to lock in third place, while Villorba dispatched IVECO CUS Torino 45–5 to finish as the second seed. With the regular season settled and Neapolis relegated to Serie A, the focus shifts to the semifinals on March 22, where Valsugana will host Benetton and Villorba will face off against Colorno for a spot in the March 29 final in Rovigo. [link]
• Oceania
  • The 2026 Super Rugby Women’s draw is officially locked in with a new position on the calendar designed to better align with the Wallaroos program. The season kicks off June 6 in Sydney as the defending champion NSW Waratahs host the Fijian Drua at Leichhardt Oval while the Queensland Reds take on the ACT Brumbies the following day. The top four teams will head into the semi finals from July 17 to 19 followed by the Grand Final on the weekend of July 24. [link]
• Africa
  • Round 6 of the Uganda Premiership saw the Thunderbirds solidify their spot at the top of the table with a clinical 21–0 shutout victory over the Panthers. While the Panthers remain winless at the bottom of the standings, the Thunderbirds extended their winning streak to five games, moving to 20 points overall. In a much tighter affair, the NileRapids and EWES fought to a 17–17 draw, a result that keeps the Rapids undefeated but slightly off the pace of the leaders. Meanwhile, the Avengers delivered the most dominant performance of the round, crushing the She Wolves 39–0 to move into a tie for third place with the Black Pearls. [link]
  • Round 5 of the Pick n Pay Women’s Super League was headlined by the Isuzu Bulls Daisies’ continued dominance, as the defending champions dismantled the EP Queens 71–5 to maintain their perfect season. While the Daisies ran in 11 tries at Loftus Versfeld, the race for the remaining final spot intensified as DHL Western Province and the Sanlam Boland Dames both secured vital away wins. Western Province relied on a clinical second half to overcome the Free State Women 38–21, while the Boland Dames survived a late scare in Alberton, scoring two late tries to pull away from the Golden Lions 40–22. Elsewhere, the Sharks Women signaled a return to form with their second consecutive victory, shutting out the winless Border Ladies 29–0 in a one-sided coastal derby. [link]
• Asia
  • The Kroll USRC Tigers’ thrilling 27–24 victory over Societe Generale Valley officially secures their second Grand Championship title of the modern era, following their historic 2019 breakthrough. This win is a massive statement of intent, as the Tigers finished the campaign undefeated and denied the regular-season league winners a chance to extend their trophy haul. While Valley has historically dominated the cabinet with 13 titles over the last 16 seasons, this second championship for the Tigers proves their 2019 success was no fluke and officially establishes them as a multi-title powerhouse in Hong Kong. [link]

Women’s Rugby Features

• Jo Vosakiwaiwai: ‘It was special representing my family and my culture’ [link]
• Jaymie Kolose on the Black Ferns Sevens star ‘nobody can tackle’ [link]
• Last roll of the dice for three teams in WSL 1  [link]
• ‘A bosh sport’: US Eagles star Sammy Sullivan on rugby, SVNS in New York, and therapeutic Lego  [link]
• Western Force re-sign uncapped Wallaroos prospect Zoe Elliott [link]
• Sorensen-McGee among six NZ Sevens stars ruled out of SVNS New York [link]
• The resurgence of Helen Nelson: ‘With a new head coach, you feel like you need to prove yourself’ [link]
• ‘It is a real honour’: Gloucester Hartpury confirm appointment of new CEO [link]
• Defence coach Sarah Hunter excited for Red Roses Women’s Six Nations return after World Cup title [link]
• Less is more: the reality of prepping for back-to-back HSBC SVNS tournaments [link]
• First Wheelchair Rugby Women’s World Championships Announced to Take Place In Paris [link]
• Women’s Super League growing, but Daisies remain the benchmark [link]
• Canada dealt double injury blow ahead of SVNS stop-off in New York [link]
• Codebreakers: rugby players who shift between union, league and sevens [link]
• Rigoni praises Sale and ‘very calm’ team mate who ‘plays as if time has stopped’ [link]
• Fijiana XVs prepare for Wallaroos showdown as Pacific rivalry returns [link]
• Nadine Roos: It’s a great time to be a female rugby player in South Africa [link]
• Sri Lanka Rugby Announce National Coaching Teams for 2026 [link]
• A New Home for Fiji Rugby [link]
• Wallaroos start World Cup cycle with 10 new faces in rejuvenated squad [link]
• ‘Costigan twins coming this summer’ – Ireland star reveals pregnancy in loved up post as fans gush over ‘amazing news’ [link]
• Wallaroos name new-look squad for Fiji Test, Pacific Four Series [link]
• ‘Give to Gain’ and why I am proud to support School of Hard Knocks [link]
• Hall of Famer Phaidra Knight helped change the game for LGBTQ athletes [link]

Women’s Rugby Media

• The Good, The Scaz & The Rugby: Magic Meg Jones; Marriage, Mischief & Merch
• Banana and Bear’s Rugby Pod: Rhys Carried
• The Rugby Rodeo: England’s Men’s 6N Misery & Capital Clash Worldies
• LTW Fancast: Clawed by the Bears
• The Women’s Rugby Podcast: Twins, Tempers And Two To Go