Historic Indian RPL Debut, WXV Updates, & Preview of AXA & PWR Finals | WRR 251

We are still celebrating 20 years, and the giveaways continue! Next up on our journey is chasing the 9k follower mark after smashing past 8k last week. To be eligible for the next individual drawing, make sure you are following both @YSCRugby and @BooshiePromo on Instagram AND have commented on the pinned Anniversary post.

Want to hook your team up, too? You can enter yourself into the individual milestone drawings and register your team for the massive Grand Prize giveaway at the end of the celebration by commenting your club’s name on our pinned Anniversary post. It has been an incredible 20 year journey so far and we are not slowing down!

Women’s Rugby 7s News

International

• Taiyo Seimei  7s Series
  • The first stop of the Taiyo Seimei Sevens Series 2026 wrapped up an action-packed weekend at Kumagaya Rugby Stadium Nagato Blue Angels claimed the round one crown after delivering a dominant performance on day two, culminating in a decisive 19-7 victory over the PEARLS in the final match. Nippon Sport Science University locked in third place with a 19-7 win of their own against Yokogawa Musashino Artemi-stars, who finished the tournament in fourth. With the opening tournament settled, the competitive field of twelve teams will now regroup and look ahead to the next stop of the series on July 11. [link]
• Look Ahead
  • The Rugby Europe 7s Trophy Series moves to Chisinau, Moldova from June 26–28 for its second and final leg, where teams will battle for promotion to the 2027 Championship Series. Ukraine leads the standings after taking gold in Makarska, followed closely by Italy and Moldova in the podium positions. Meanwhile, in the UK, the LIT Super Sevens reaches its final leg on June 27 at the National Pub 7s, The Hammerheads currently hold a slim three-point lead over RGH Shogun at the top of the Elite Women’s standings, with Bath sitting in third ahead of the series finale. [link]

Women’s Rugby XVs News

International

• Barbarians vs Wales
  • The Barbarians have finalized their star-studded 23-player squad for the highly anticipated double-header against Wales at Allianz Stadium on Saturday, June 27. The final nine additions lock in a powerhouse roster that boasts nine different nationalities and combines for an incredible total of over 700 international test caps. Coached by the respected duo of Susie Appleby and Sarah Hunter, the elite is assembling in London now to build connections and prepare for the fixture. This match promises loads of skill and plenty of trademark Barbarians flair, sharing the big stage with the men’s team who face the same opposition earlier that day. [link]
  • Wales head coach Sean Lynn has named an experimental 33-player squad to face the Barbarians at Allianz Stadium on Saturday, June 27. With several regular veterans missing due to domestic playoff commitments, the roster features 14 potential debutants alongside 24 players with Celtic Challenge experience. Lynn views the uncapped international double-header as a prime opportunity to test the nation’s rising young talent and build crucial strength-in-depth right on the heels of the Six Nations campaign. [link]
• Internationals
  • The Brazilian Women’s National Team, the Yaras, will host South Africa’s “Springbok A” team for a two-match friendly series in São Paulo on August 25 and 29. The high-profile double-header serves as crucial preparation for Brazil ahead of their historic, first-ever participation in the WXV global tournament this September. The second match on August 29 will take center stage at the Mercado Livre Arena Pacaembu as part of the massive “Rugby Brasil Experience” festival, which also features the Brazilian men’s team taking on the Classics New Zealand all-stars. [link]
• WXV
  • We have pushed a major update to our master tracker as we continue piece together the puzzle of the new WXV Global Series bilateral touring model. This latest update locks in dates, locations, and kickoff times for Scotland, adds four matches for Ireland, and provides partial schedule clarity for the USA, South Africa, and Japan. While Italy remains entirely unconfirmed, we are doing the heavy lifting to track these rolling announcements so you can view the full 2026 calendar and streaming details in one place. [link]
    • Scottish Rugby has launched ticket and season package sales for Scotland Women’s upcoming 2026/27 home campaign, which features a landmark lineup of six international fixtures. The busy schedule kicks off this September at Hive Stadium with three consecutive WXV Global Series matches against Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.  [link]
    • Ireland has unveiled its five-match autumn schedule to kick off the new WXV Global Series and international test window. Scott Bemand’s side will open with three consecutive matches on home soil, hosting the USA at Tallaght Stadium on September 20, followed by back-to-back clashes against Japan in Galway on September 27 and Cork on October 3. The squad will then travel to Cape Town for a demanding two-match test series against South Africa on October 24 and 31, providing the team with crucial development opportunities following their successful Six Nations campaign. [link]

    • Let’s be real for a second, this is yet another classic case where the women’s game just doesn’t get the same institutional love. Think about how World Rugby handles the men’s landscape. The brand-new Nations Cup and Nations Championships get rolled out months in advance with serious fanfare, centralized ticket hubs, and glitzy advertising campaigns featuring custom content creator profiles. Meanwhile, World Rugby leaves the WXV schedule entirely up to the individual unions to announce piecemeal. Frankly, this systemic lack of visibility is exactly why we started YSCRugby twenty years ago. We built this platform because if the governing bodies won’t prioritize giving the women’s game the spotlight it deserves, we will step up and do the heavy lifting ourselves.

• Look Ahead
  • The legendary Barbarians return to action on June 27 to face off against a formidable Wales side in an exciting international showcase. The following day, June 28, features a blockbuster double-header of domestic championship finals. In England, a new champion will be crowned as the rising Ealing Trailfinders clash with the heavyweights Saracens for the PWR title. Meanwhile, across the channel, a highly anticipated French finale takes place as high-flying ASM Romagnat looks to dethrone the reigning champions, Stade Bordelais, who are chasing a historic fourth consecutive AXA Elite 1 crown. [link]
• Off the Field
  • Effective July 1, 2026, World Rugby will eliminate the “home weighting” rule from its ranking calculations for both the men’s and women’s games. Originally introduced to balance traditional home-field advantage by adding three fictional rating points to the host nation, the system is being updated to reflect a modern international landscape. With an increasing number of major tournament matches being played in centralized, out-of-country, or neutral locations for commercial and strategic reasons, the old weighting system often unfairly disadvantaged host teams. [link]

Domestic

• North America
  • WER
    • The Bay Breakers dominant run continued in Round 7 of the WER season as they dismantled the Boston Banshees 57-19 to keep their spot at the top of the table. Elsewhere in the weekend’s action, the Denver Onyx kept pace at the top with a commanding 42-14 victory over the New York Exiles, while TC Gemini delivered a clinical 61-5 blowout against the Chicago Tempest. The league now heads into a two-week holiday bye before returning to action in early July. [link]
• South America
• Europe
  • AXE Elite 1
    • Stade Bordelais edged out Stade Toulousain in a 27-25 nail-biter on to secure their place in the AXA Elite 1 grand finale. The following day, ASM Romagnat put on a dominant home display to punch their own ticket with a convincing 37-23 victory over Blagnac. The two powerhouses will now square off on June 28 for a championship showdown, pitting Romagnat’s high-powered with Stade Bordelais looking to defend a historic legacy as they chase their fourth consecutive French Championship Shield.. [link]
• Oceania
  • Super W
    • The Western Force bounced back in spectacular fashion during Round 3 of the Swyftx Super W’s season, executing a thrilling late comeback to stun the Queensland Reds 21-17 with a debut, match-winning try from reserve Ai Dickson in the final seconds. Meanwhile, over in Fiji, a brilliant first-half hat-trick from Ash Bishop was not quite enough for the ACT Brumbies as the Fijian Drua unleashed a powerful second-half surge to secure a hard-fought 42-25 victory at home. [Western Force] | [Fijian Drua]
  • Super Aupiki
    • The Blues dug deep in Round 2 of the Super Rugby Aupiki season, holding off a fierce challenge from Chiefs Manawa to secure a thrilling 27-26 victory at FMG Stadium Waikato on Saturday. The following day, Matatū kept their unbeaten streak alive in another tight affair, grinding out a close 18-15 win over Hurricanes Poua at Maidstone Park. The hard-fought results leave both the Blues and Matatū locked at the top of the standings with perfect records as they prepare to clash in Round 3. [link]
• Africa
• Asia
  • Premier League Championship
    • The Delhi Redz and Kolkata Banga Tigers will clash in the final group stage fixture of the Rugby Premier League on June 22 to finalize the postseason picture in Hyderabad. Following that match, the Chennai Bulls will immediately prepare to face the winner in a high-stakes knockout match on June 23. This crucial sequence officializes the final playoff puzzle for Season 2, which features six men’s franchises alongside four newly introduced women’s franchises making their historic debut at the G. M. C. Balayogi Athletic Stadium. [link]

Women’s Rugby Features

• Mike Legge explains how the Drua are striking a new balance in 2026 [link]
• Shikha Yadav becomes highest-paid Indian woman at RPL season 2 auction [link]
• Mike Legge explains how the Drua are striking a new balance in 2026 [link]
• DRAGONS WOMEN’S XV CLAIM 1ST INTERNATIONAL WIN IN PROGRAMME HISTORY IN SINGAPORE [link]
• Vitto Becomes First-Ever “Standalone” Sponsor of the Barbarians Women’s Team [link]
• Nadine Roos and Nolusindiso Booi missing from Springbok Women squad for US Series [link]
• Bristol Bears sign World Class Ellie Kildunne [link]
• A Rugby Celebration as the Scholz and Sorensen Awards are Handed Out [link]
• Lessons to learn in round 2 [link]
• Lindsey Smith to leave Glasgow Warriors [link]
• Women’s Rugby World Cup winner added to Susie Appleby’s Barbarians squad [link]
• Joe Launchbury remains in rugby post-retirement with eye-catching new role [link]
• SportPesa Unveils KSh 34.14 Million Sponsorship for 2026 National Sevens Circuit [link]
• Iraq grows the rugby family following World Rugby associate member status confirmation [link]
• Australian SVNS stars headline global cast in Taiyo Seimei Women’s Sevens [link]
• Amy Cokayne: ‘I’m probably someone that’s there to set the standard’ [link]
• World Rugby lowers legal tackle height in community rugby [link]
• Orla Proctor signs for Bristol Bears Women [link]
• Brumbies backing 17-year-old teenage star Hayes for Fijiana exam [link]
• Gloucester Hartpury add ‘world-class’ French firepower to 2026/27 squad [link]
• Rosie Galligan to leave Saracens [link]
• Family driving force for young Drua lock Yee [link]
• Springbok Women set for historic Irish Test challenge at Athlone Stadium [link]
• Japan Sakura Fifteen Tests Against Ireland for WXV Global Series 2026 Announced [link]
• Holmes sees progress as Wales look to next generation [link]
• ‘I always thought I’d be back’: Rosie Galligan’s new club revealed [link]
• Scotland aim to create ‘strongest possible future’ with player contract expansion [link]
• Fijiana 7s reps Bari and Tuicikobia return to boost Drua Women [link]
• PWR semi-finals: Talking points as Trailfinders and Saracens reached the Final [link]
• ‘Grateful’ Galligan brings second Saracens stint to an end [link]
• ‘This was totally meant to be’: Stade Bordelais lock Price loving French adventure [link]
• “The best is yet to come,” says coach Dylan Parsons after thrilling win over Reds. [link]

Women’s Rugby Media

• Full Credit: Christchurch Comes Alive
• The Good, The Scaz & The Rugby: Semi-Final Review with the PWR’s Big Boss
• Banana and Bear’s Rugby Pod: Mid Summer Debrief 2026
• The Rugby Rodeo: Ellie’s New Club Revealed, Jess’s 50th & PWR Semi-Final Madness