France Strikes Gold in Hamburg and Springboks Upset Eagles | WRR 253

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. 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

• Europe Championship
  • Hamburg 7s kicked off with a surprise when last year’s series champions Great Britain failed to even make the quarter-finals. Belgium, Poland, and France dominated the early pool stages, setting up a highly competitive knockout round. France ultimately captured the gold medal and 20 crucial points by narrowly defeating Poland 17-14 in a tense final. Belgium locked down the bronze medal with a tight 7-5 victory over Spain, setting the stage for the final leg of the series later this month in Split, Croatia. [link]
• Maccabiah Games
  • The women’s rugby sevens competition at the Maccabiah Games runs from July 5 to 7 at the Wingate Institute, continuing to build on the popularity the format gained during its introduction at the 2021 Games. In a frustratingly familiar trend for women’s rugby coverage, tracking the actual tournament is nearly impossible for global fans. There is zero official information available regarding the specific competing countries, no published match schedules, and absolutely no broadcast or streaming details to watch the games live. [link]
    • We have a quick update: organizers finally dropped the official tournament schedule right after our video went live! Better late than never, and we are glad fans finally have a way to track the matchups on the pitch! [link]
    • We want to acknowledge the feedback we have received regarding our coverage of this tournament. Real-world geopolitics are heavy and complex, and trying to report purely on sports can sometimes feel out of touch. Our baseline is always to celebrate the athletes who have worked incredibly hard to play the game they love. We hear your concerns, we value the accountability from our audience, and we will continue striving to balance sports journalism with the realities of the world around us.

Domestic

• Look Ahead
  • Taiyo Seimei 7s Series – Tochigi (JPN) (July 11): The premier domestic sevens circuit in Japan heads to Tochigi for multi-day tournament action. Fans can catch the fast-paced development showcase streaming live via Japan Rugby TV.  [link]

Women’s Rugby XVs News

International

• RSA vs USA Series
  • The Springbok Women secured a historic 34-21 victory over the USA Women at Ellis Park, powered by a dominant first-half performance. South Africa took complete control early on, setting up camp in US territory and running in five unanswered tries to build a commanding 29-0 lead by halftime. While the Eagles Women rallied strongly in the second half with tries from Freda Tafuna, Ashley Cowdrey, and Elizabeth Cook, the comeback fell short as the early deficit proved too large to overcome. Despite the landmark win, South Africa remains locked in at 10th place globally, while the USA drops to 9th, allowing Australia to leapfrog them into the 8th position. The two teams will have a chance to settle the score quickly when they face off again for the second Test on July 11 at Loftus Versfeld. [link]
    • Compounding the frustration of the match, the vast majority of fans were completely unable to watch the action due to widespread broadcast failures. No stream was made available anywhere outside of South Africa, leaving international supporters entirely in the dark. Even for local viewers within South Africa, the broadcast was locked behind an expensive and largely inaccessible streaming platform. What makes this truly unacceptable is that this was a top-10 international matchup that was completely deprioritized by the broadcasters, the individual unions, and World Rugby alike. To top it off, the live atmosphere at Ellis Park was remarkably lackluster, drawing a sparse crowd despite the men’s team playing immediately following the women’s fixture. [link]
• Off the Field
  • Italy
    • Italy has announced that Fabio Roselli will not continue as head coach of the National Women’s Team following the expiration of his mandate. During his year and a half at the helm, Roselli guided the Azzurre through fifteen test matches, securing seven wins and leading the team to fourth place finishes in both the Guinness Six Nations and the 2025 Rugby World Cup. Assistant coach Plinio Sciamanna has been handed interim responsibility for the squad ahead of an upcoming training camp in Parma. Meanwhile, a dedicated commission has been tasked with finding a permanent successor before international competition resumes in the autumn. [link]
  • Justin Hale Lawsuit
    • A federal civil rights lawsuit brought by rugby referee Justin Hale against USA Rugby and its Director of Training and Education, Jamie McGregor, has cleared a major procedural hurdle. The lawsuit alleges that USA Rugby selectively enforced an unwritten restriction against Hale, a Black referee, for officiating National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) events while multiple white referees did the same without facing similar consequences. The District Judge rejected USA Rugby’s objections and ruled that Hale sufficiently pleaded both his race discrimination claim and a civil rights conspiracy claim. With these key claims upheld, the federal case will now officially move forward into the next phase of litigation. [link]
  • Ireland
    • Irish Rugby has announced the appointment of four provincial women’s rugby leadership roles, marking a landmark step in professionalizing the game and strengthening player pathways across Ireland. The successful candidates are Larissa Muldoon for Connacht, Derek Maybury for Leinster, Niamh Briggs for Munster, and Neill Alcorn for Ulster. This full-time provincial network will focus on developing age-grade talent aged 16 to 23 and bridging the gap to the senior game. Three of the new appointees are transitioning from the Women’s National Talent Squad, which opens up fresh coaching positions within the national pipeline. [link]
• Rankings
  • Following the weekend’s sole fixture between South Africa and the USA, the World Rugby Women’s Rankings saw a minor shakeup in the top ten. The USA’s loss caused them to drop one spot to 9th place globally. Australia capitalized on the result without even playing, leapfrogging the Eagles to claim the 8th position. Despite securing the home victory, South Africa did not gain enough ground to move up the ladder, remaining locked in at 10th place just behind the Americans. [link]
• Look Ahead

  • South Africa vs. USA (July 11 @ 6:30 AM CDT): The Eagles and the Springbok Women face off again for their highly anticipated second Test match at Loftus Versfeld. Following the broadcast chaos of the first leg, the stream details are still up in the air!

Domestic

• North America
  • Quinnipiac Lawsuit
    • A U.S. Federal Court judge has denied a motion for a temporary restraining order that would have reinstated the Quinnipiac women’s rugby team to varsity status for the upcoming fall season. The university eliminated the highly successful program, which won three national championships and produced Olympic bronze medalist Ilona Maher, back in April due to budget cuts while offering the players club team status instead. While the players’ legal counsel argued the cuts ignored Title IX responsibilities and served as a pretext to retaliate against longtime coach Becky Carlson, the judge ruled that the evidence did not support a retaliatory motive. However, the court has agreed to expedite the case management schedule to bring the litigation to a full trial as quickly as possible, potentially paving the way for a varsity return by the 2027–28 season. [link]
  • Monica Vanbuskirk
    • We have some monumental news from the political arena where one of our own is making major waves off the pitch. Longtime rugger Monica VanBuskirk  officially secured an emphatic victory in her Democratic primary race on June 30. Looking to represent Colorado’s House District 9 in southeast Denver, the healthcare policy expert and small business owner defeated her primary opponent by capturing nearly sixty percent of the vote. VanBuskirk, who spent eighteen years playing rugby before hanging up her boots to get involved in community activism, has been a tireless advocate for health insurance affordability across the state. Her grassroots campaign has been heavily powered by local athletes, with several prominent figures from the Denver rugby community lining up to endorse her run. She now officially advances to the general election on November 3, where she is heavily favored to claim the open seat at the State Capitol. It is an inspiring reminder of the leadership skills built on the pitch, and the entire rugby family is incredibly proud to watch her tackle this next chapter. [link]
  • American Ninja Warrior
    • Cathy “Ninja Cathy” Ordile made her debut appearance on season 18 of American Ninja Warrior on Monday, June 29 on NBC. The newcomer fulfilled a long-standing personal dream by taking on the iconic obstacle course for the very first time. Backed by strong support from the rugby and ninja communities alike, her highly anticipated television debut was celebrated as a milestone moment in her athletic journey. [link]
• South America
  • The Copa do Brasil is expected to officially kick off this weekend in Brazil, marking the start of the tournament season as regional clubs begin their campaigns. [link]
• Europe
  • An amateur club scandal is unfolding in France as a formal police investigation has been launched into the rugby section of Salon-de-Provence. Serious allegations have surfaced indicating that multiple players from the women’s team were secretly filmed in the locker rooms and showers without their knowledge or consent. The captured images were then reportedly distributed through private digital chat networks by members of the senior men’s squad. The impacted players have released a public statement through local media, urging the public to maintain calm and avoid hateful online speculation while allowing the legal authorities to handle the investigation. [link]
• Oceania
  • Super W
    • In the final regular-round action of the Super Rugby Women’s season, the Queensland Reds made history by defeating the NSW Waratahs 26-19, snapping a 13-game losing streak against their arch-rivals that dated back to 2018. The Reds relied on a dominant forward pack in brutal weather conditions to hold onto their lead and book a semi-final matchup against the Drua. Earlier in the day, the Western Force secured their own historic milestone by beating the ACT Brumbies 36-20 in Canberra, marking the first time the franchise has won three consecutive games in a season. Despite coping with a 20-minute red card, the Force rode a six-try performance to eliminate the Brumbies from contention and lock in a semi-final rematch against the Waratahs on July 18-19. [Reds] | [Western Force]
      • July 17: Drua vs Reds
      • July 18: Force vs Waratahs
  • Super Aupiki
    • In round four of Sky Super Rugby Aupiki, the Hurricanes Poua pulled off a record-breaking 45-30 upset over the Blues to secure their first-ever consecutive victories. Winger Wikitoria Viljoen led the charge with a historic hat-trick, while Renee Holmes contributed a franchise-record 20 points from the tee to withstand a strong attacking display from the Blues. Meanwhile, Matatū continued their flawless season by defeating Chiefs Manawa 41-24, locking in a franchise-record fourth consecutive win. Matatū dominated the first half with a 31-5 lead, and despite a second-half resurgence from the Chiefs, Kaipo Olsen-Baker sealed the bonus-point victory to put her side just one win away from the final. [link]
  • Subrails Marama Championship
    • The Fiji Rugby Union has officially launched its 2026 domestic competitions, highlighting a strong commitment to developing grassroots rugby and building future national pathways. For the women’s game, the premier Subrails Marama Championship will feature 10 teams when the action officially gets underway on August 1. The tournament stands alongside the Skipper Cup, Vodafone Vanua, and Royal Tea Ranadi competitions as the critical foundation where raw talent is discovered, confidence is built, and the next generation of Fijian leaders emerges. [link]
• Africa
• Asia

Women’s Rugby Features

• Drua home semi-final to boost women’s rugby in Fiji [link]
• Ireland’s Jones re-signs with Gloucester-Hartpury [link]
• Western Force grab historic victory over Brumbies as they head to Swyftx Super Rugby Women’s finals series. [link]
• Fiji Rugby launches foundation to support players [link]
• Kate Zackary to celebrate 50th Cap on 4th of July against South Africa [link]
• Rachel Malcolm pays tribute to former Scotland coach Philip ‘Goose’ Doyle [link]
• Salvin leaves Exeter for Wales forwards coach job [link]
• ‘It feels like the right time to step away’: 30 cap Red Roses lock retires [link]
• Chancellor Return Gives Waratahs Women Immediate Reds Reset [link]
• Tony Rowe: ‘Black Knight Rugby are committed totally to supporting women’s rugby’ [link]
• Freeman Signing Gives Leicester Tigers Women Fresh PWR Control [link]
• Ex-Ireland internationals Briggs and Muldoon land provincial women’s rugby lead roles [link]
• JAECOO PWR Deal Gives Women’s Rugby Its Clearest Commercial Signal Yet [link]
• Former Ireland Women head coach Doyle dies aged 61 [link]

Women’s Rugby Media

• KTVideos: 15 years to build… Gone in a Day: The Full Women’s Quinnipiac Story
• Full Credit: History Made at Halfway
• Challenging the Game: Placing health at the heart of a player’s journey
• The Good, The Scaz & The Rugby: Saracens are PWR Champs!!!
• Rugby Rodeo: The Final, the Celebrations, the Moonwalk
• LTW Fancast: So, what is behind this Wallaroo partnership with Leicester Tigers Women?