Fijiana Win WXV Challenger, Pacific Current & Argentina Win 7s, Red Roses Edge Black Ferns | WRR 265

by

Catch up on past WRR episodes and subscribe anywhere you listen to your podcasts or on social media.

Welcome to WRR 265 for September 21-27. Pacific Current capped the inaugural Ultimate Sevens season with Grand Final glory in London, while Argentina’s Yaguaretés claimed South American Games gold. Fijiana lifted the first-ever WXV Global Series Challenger trophy in Hong Kong, while in the top tier, a late Zoe Harrison interception sank the Black Ferns, France shut down Canada, and the USA Eagles won in Cardiff. Off the field, Oceania Rugby cancelled its regional 7s Cup, leaving Pacific teams without a clear pathway to SVNS 3, while Bangladesh signed a landmark MOU to grow the women’s game. Domestically, the Farah Palmer Cup semifinals are set, with Auckland, Waikato, Canterbury, and Manawatū chasing the Premiership title.

WRR Video

Subscribe to our newsletter

Your source for all things women’s rugby. Join the conversation and get our weekly Rundown in one quick, five-minute watch. Sign up below to stay in the know.

Women’s Rugby 7s News

International

  • Weekend Rundown
    • Ultimate Sevens Grand Final: Pacific Current were crowned the inaugural Ultimate Sevens women’s champions after a 12-6 win over Atlantic Novas in the Grand Final at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium in London. Australian star Maddison Levi once again led the way, scoring a semi-final hat-trick before delivering key tries in the final. Captain Kahli Henwood praised a squad that included Fiji’s Reapi Ulunisau and Brazil’s Gabriela Lima for coming together from so many cultures in just three weeks. [link]
    • South American Games: Argentina’s Yaguaretés claimed gold with a clinical 35-5 win over Colombia in the final, securing their place at the 2027 Pan American Games in Lima. Argentina went unbeaten through the tournament, which did not include Brazil’s women’s team, and Paraguay took bronze with a 22-12 win over Uruguay. [link]
  • Off the Field
    • Oceania 7s Cup Cancelled: Oceania Rugby has called off the 2026 Oceania Rugby 7s Cup, scheduled for October 31–November 1 in Rotorua, after failing to secure the funding needed to stage the tournament. The event was the region’s qualification pathway to World Rugby’s SVNS 3, the new third tier of the sevens pyramid, where the top two teams earn promotion to SVNS 2 and a step closer to the World Championship. Samoa carried Oceania’s flag in the inaugural women’s SVNS 3 in Dubai this year. The biggest question now is how Pacific teams will qualify for the next edition. Oceania Rugby says its priority is working with World Rugby to establish a “fair and transparent qualification pathway for SVNS 3,” but no alternative has been announced yet. Ticket holders will be refunded automatically. [link]
    • Sarah Hirini Re-Signs: Black Ferns Sevens star Sarah Hirini has re-signed with New Zealand Rugby through the end of 2028, extending her professional career to 16 seasons. Hirini returned to rugby just four months after the birth of her son Masaru and has her sights set on a fourth Olympic Games in Los Angeles. [link]
  • This Weekend [link]
    • Asian Games (JPN): The women’s rugby sevens tournament at the Asian Games runs October 1-3 in Nagoya, with eight teams chasing gold. China are the defending champions after beating Japan for gold in Hangzhou, and the two sides have dominated the event, with China also winning in 2014 and Japan taking gold in 2018. Kazakhstan, the inaugural champions in 2010, and Hong Kong, bronze medalists last time out, are also in the mix. Hosts Japan are grouped with Thailand, Kazakhstan, and Singapore in Pool D, while China face Hong Kong, India, and Malaysia in Pool E. Pool play runs October 1-2, with the semifinals and medal matches on October 3. [link]
    • Africa Cup/Mauritius 7s (MRI): Africa’s top women’s sevens sides head to Mauritius on October 3-4, where Morocco has confirmed it will compete as it looks to build on the steady progress of its women’s program. South Africa arrive as the team to beat, having won the continental title 13 times, including the last five editions and a 22-17 final win over Kenya in Nairobi last November. Kenya, runners-up in each of the past three finals, remain the only side other than South Africa and Tunisia (2012) to lift the trophy, doing so in 2018. [link]

Women’s Rugby XVs News

International

  • Weekend Rundown
    • WXV Challenger
      • Fiji vs Netherlands: Fijiana lifted the first-ever WXV Global Series Challenger title with a dramatic 20-17 win over the Netherlands at Kai Tak Sports Park. After Fiji built an early advantage, the Oranje Dames stormed back through tries from Elisabeth Boot and Pleuni Kievit. Replacement hooker Selai Naliva crossed to level the match before Varanisese Qoro slotted the match-winning penalty in the closing moments. [link]
      • Hong Kong vs Samoa: Samoa closed their Challenger campaign with a bonus-point 34-17 win over hosts Hong Kong for their first victory of the series. Manusina dominated the opening 10 minutes as winger Lutia Col Aumua and flanker Precious Auimatagi crossed early, and after Tanya Dhar replied from a driving maul, number eight Linda Fiafia powered through several tacklers off a clockwork scrum. Dhar struck again from another maul, converted by Lara Schats, to cut the gap to 17-12 at halftime. Hong Kong thought they had taken the lead early in the second half, but Sabay Lynam’s try was ruled out for offside. Samoa then pulled away through lock Easter Savelio’s break for scrum-half Ana Afuie, a Davini Lasini try, and the boot of Hasting Leiataua, before Ki Sum Ng grabbed a late consolation from a maul. [link]
      • Spain Cancelled vs Brazil: The final match of the Challenger was cancelled after extreme heat in Hong Kong triggered World Rugby’s heat stress protocols. With heat index readings above safe thresholds, the first two matches of the day were pushed from midday to the evening, and the knock-on delays left no time for Spain v Brazil under Kai Tak’s strict local noise regulations. Both teams were awarded two points under force majeure rules, with no impact on world rankings. [link]
    • WXV
      • England vs New Zealand: Zoe Harrison was the hero at Allianz Stadium, picking off a loose New Zealand pass in added time and racing clear before converting her own try to seal a 26-19 win in front of 59,871 fans. The Black Ferns led 12-7 at halftime through tries from du Plessis and Leti-I’iga, but England responded after the break with scores from Ellie Kildunne and Jess Breach, taking advantage of a yellow card to Mahutariki-Fakalelu. Paul’s converted try leveled the match at 19-19 with ten minutes to play before Harrison’s late heroics extended England’s unbeaten run to 41 matches. [link]
      • France vs Canada: France delivered a statement defensive performance to beat world No. 3 Canada 21-5 in La Rochelle. After a tight first half ended 7-5, Élodie Boulard scored twice and Alexandra Chambon added a late try to seal the win, while Lizzie Gibson scored Canada’s lone try. Les Bleues now head to New Zealand for a three-Test series against the Black Ferns. [link]
      • Wales vs USA: Freda Tafuna’s hat-trick sealed a 26-24 win for the USA Eagles at Cardiff Arms Park, as the number eight earned Player of the Match honors for the second straight week. Wales led by three at halftime behind tries from Kiera Bevan, Kelsey Jones, Sisilia Tuipulotu, and Alex Callender, but Tafuna took over after the break, with Erica Coulibaly also crossing as the Eagles made it two wins from two in Europe. The victory gives the Eagles their first three-game winning streak since 2006. [link]
      • Scotland vs Australia: The Wallaroos snapped a six-match losing streak with a 30-10 win in Edinburgh. Scotland led 10-5 at the break, but Australia turned the game around with the wind at their backs, scoring 25 unanswered second-half points through Desiree Miller, Samantha Wood, Brianna Hoy, and Player of the Match Faitala Moleka. Michaela Leonard became the first Wallaroo to earn 50 Test caps, while Miller became the first Wallaroo to score 100 international points. [link]
      • Italy vs South Africa: The Springbok Women bounced back in style with a 41-29 win over Italy in Fontanafredda, outscoring the hosts six tries to four. Anushka Groenewald crossed twice, with Byrhandré Dolf and Maria Tshiremba also scoring as South Africa’s set piece and driving maul built a 24-12 halftime lead. The Azzurre stormed back to lead 29-27 with 20 minutes remaining, but maul tries from Micke Gunter and Logan Welman, both converted by Jakkie Cilliers, sealed it for the visitors and handed Italy their first loss of the series. [link]
      • Ireland vs Japan: Ireland rebounded from their loss to the USA with a 31-24 win over Japan in Galway. Playing with the breeze, Ireland built a 19-5 halftime lead, with Béibhinn Parsons scoring twice to become Ireland’s all-time leading women’s try scorer with 24 Test tries. Player of the Match Brittany Hogan also crossed twice, and Aoife Dalton added a score. Japan fought back in the second half through Moe Nagaoka (2), Nijiho Nagata, and 18-year-old Nami Asari. [link]
    • World Rugby Rankings Shift: Australia were the big movers in the latest World Rugby Women’s Rankings, climbing two places to seventh after snapping their losing streak in Edinburgh, which pushed Italy down to eighth and Scotland to ninth. France gained 2.45 points after beating Canada and now sit just 1.42 points behind the third-ranked Canadians, while England stretched their lead at the top to more than six points over New Zealand after the Twickenham thriller. The USA held sixth after their win in Cardiff, and further down, Samoa jumped two spots to 15th after their Challenger win over Hong Kong, while Japan and Wales swapped places at 11th and 12th. [link]
  • Off the Field
    • Bangladesh MOU: The Bangladesh Rugby Federation (Union) and the Bangladesh Women’s Sports Federation signed a memorandum of understanding on September 21 at the Shaheed Ria Gop Women’s Sports Complex in Dhanmondi, Dhaka, a partnership aimed at strengthening women’s rugby in the country through development and new opportunities. [link]
    • NZ Rugby Summit: New Zealand Rugby convened a Rugby Summit in Wellington to revisit whether two levels of professional men’s domestic rugby are sustainable, and the women’s game is watching closely. Writing on Alice’s Soapbox, former Black Fern Alice Soper warns that any shake-up of the Super Rugby model could ripple through to Super Rugby Aupiki and its feeder competition, the Farah Palmer Cup, just as those pathways are finally taking hold. Rather than simply citing costs, she calls on NZR to share real financial analysis, from spending trends to revenue sources and a strategy for stability: “Please don’t tell me it’s back to the drawing board now that we are finally gaining some traction.” [link]
    • Women’s Rugby Screening (TGA): Tonga Rugby hosted a free public screening of Breaking Ground: The Rise of Women’s Rugby in Fiji at USP Tonga Campus in ‘Atele on September 24, as part of the Pacific Human Rights Film Festival. The documentary follows Fijiana athletes as they overcome stereotypes to transform women’s rugby in Fiji. The event, supported by Australia, the European Union, the British High Commission, and the French Embassy, framed women’s rugby as a platform for social change, from challenging harmful gender norms and building leadership to helping prevent gender-based violence. [link]
    • Try! Documentary: Try!, an award-winning feature documentary from Pipedream Productions directed by Oisín Mistéil, follows four Irish Mixed Ability rugby participants from Sundays Well Rebels, Ballincollig Trailblazers, DLSP Vikings, and Malone Tornadoes through a year of preparation for IMART 2025 in Pamplona, where more than 1,700 players with and without disabilities from 24 countries competed. The film, winner of Best Irish Feature Documentary at the Galway Film Fleadh, opens in Irish cinemas on October 2. There is currently no U.S. release or streaming option, though International Mixed Ability Sports is exploring an online screening for the global Mixed Ability community. [link]
    • Rugby Injury Prevention & Return to Play (Kindle): After strong demand for the paperback, The Rugby Injury Physio’s book Rugby Injury Prevention & Return to Play is coming to Kindle, with a target release of October 1 at a lower price than the print edition and planned availability on Kindle Unlimited. The book covers injury prevention, rehab planning, return to running and contact, concussion, common rugby injuries, the psychological side of injury, and women’s rugby injury considerations. [link]
    • Springbok Women Injuries: South Africa will be without all-time leading points scorer Libbie Janse van Rensburg, who suffered an ankle injury against Italy, for their upcoming WXV crossover against Spain in Seville. Wing Ayanda Malinga has returned home with a knee injury sustained against Wales, fly-half Byrhandré Dolf is being assessed after a head injury, and Mary Zulu has been called in as Janse van Rensburg’s replacement. [link]
  • This Weekend [link]
    • Spain vs South Africa (October 4): Fresh off a third-place finish at the WXV Challenger in Hong Kong, Spain host the Springbok Women at La Cartuja in Seville on Sunday in a crossover between the WXV’s two tiers, Las Leonas’ first-ever match in the city and their first home Test of the season. With the Global Series fixed at 12 teams through 2028, there’s no promotion at stake, but the Spanish federation calls it crucial as they eye qualification for the 2029 World Cup. South Africa lead the head-to-head 6-3 in the sides’ tenth meeting. In the World Rugby rankings, 10th-placed South Africa start as favourites despite Spain’s home advantage, so a Spanish win would be worth roughly 1.5 points (2.2 by more than 15) and cut the gap between the sides, while a Bok win would earn only about half a point. Neither side is likely to move places, with Spain well clear of 15th-placed Samoa and South Africa unable to reach Scotland in ninth. [link]
  • On the Horizon
    • WXV Global Series: The WXV takes a short break before the October window, when the European sides head abroad. Key fixtures include USA vs Italy, Canada vs England in Toronto (October 16) and Ottawa (October 23), and a three-Test Black Ferns series against France in Hamilton (October 17), Whangārei (October 24), and Christchurch (October 31). Australia also hosts a historic four-team double header at Accor Stadium on October 17, with the Wallaroos, Wallabies, and both sevens teams in action.

Domestic

  • North America
    • USA Club: A busy weekend across the country saw Palmer College put 112 points on the Chicago Sirens in the Midwest D2 CARFU division, while Columbus Squirrels posted a 103-0 D2 win over Toledo alongside a 48-0 D1 victory over Grand Rapids. In Midwest D1, Chicago Lions won 40-24 away at Twin Cities Amazons, Chicago North Shore beat Metropolis 30-15, and Pittsburgh Forge topped Detroit 48-7, while Portland Pigs beat Emerald City 43-7 in the Pacific Northwest. The tightest finishes came in upstate New York, where North Buffalo edged Uticuse 27-26 and Buffalo held off Rochester 24-22, and in New England, where Amoskeag outlasted Upper Valley 45-42 in D3. Full results and standings for every league are on our USA Club page. [link]
    • BC Premier (CAN): The BC Women’s Premier kicked off its 2026-27 season as Meraloma opened with a 39-12 home win over Castaway Wanderers at Connaught Park. Results from Burnaby Lake v Westshore and UBC Thunderbirds v Ravens are still pending, while Seattle had the opening-round bye. [link]
    • Mexico: The Federación Mexicana de Rugby has released its 2026-27 calendar, and the women’s 10s season is already underway. The Game On X’s Metro Femenil Mayor competition kicked off September 26 with Pumas, Wallabies, Black Thunder, and Unión, with six match days confirmed through November 21. In the Bajío/Occidente zone, Bob Cats, Abejas (UG), Minervas, Legión de Cuervos, and Lobos will contest four women’s festivals: Querétaro (September 26), Jalisco (October 24), Celaya (November 7), and Jalisco (November 21). Semifinals, finals, and national rounds will be added once dates are confirmed. [link]
  • South America
    • Copa do Brasil (BRA): The semifinals of the Copa do Brasil Feminina de Rugby XV are set for October 17. São Paulo state champions Poli/USP, who beat Jacareí 39-15 in the Paulista final on September 19, will face Charrua, who booked their place for a second straight year by sweeping FECARU 43-6 and 39-7 in the two-leg Liga Sul final. In the other semifinal, Jacareí, playing alongside Niterói Rugby, take on defending champions Melina of Cuiabá, the Centro-Oeste powerhouse that beat Charrua 51-0 in last year’s final. The final is scheduled for November 14. [link]
  • Europe
    • Arnold Clark Prem (SCO): Garioch edged Cartha Queens Park 35-34 in a one-point thriller for their first win of the season, in a match brought forward from October 3 at the clubs’ request. The rest of the Premiership was idle during Scotland’s WXV home stand, leaving Stirling County, Hillhead Jordanhill, and Biggar tied at the top on 15 points with perfect 3-0 records, ahead of Watsonian (11) and Heriot’s (8). The top-three logjam starts to clear this Saturday when Biggar host Hillhead Jordanhill, while Stirling County welcome Corstorphine and Heriot’s host Watsonian. [link]
  • Oceania
    • Farah Palmer Cup: The final round of the regular season delivered drama at Eden Park, where Manawatū came from 31-19 down to beat Auckland Storm 41-38 and snatch the JJ Stewart Trophy. Keighley-Rein Araia’s second try after the siren leveled the match, and Corrineke Windle slotted the winning penalty in the 85th minute of a six-tries-apiece thriller. Canterbury completed an unbeaten regular season with a 50-14 win over Waikato, while Counties Manukau Heat earned their first win of the year, 25-0 at Bay of Plenty. In the Championship, Wellington Pride secured top spot with a 53-14 win over Tasman, Northland beat Hawke’s Bay 39-5, and Otago Spirit ran seven tries past North Harbour in a 39-5 win. Canterbury (25 points) top the Premiership ahead of Auckland and Waikato (17 each) and Manawatū (15). The semifinals are locked in for October 3-4: in the Premiership, Auckland host Waikato at Eden Park on Saturday, and Canterbury welcome Manawatū to Rugby Park in Christchurch on Sunday. In the Championship, Wellington host Hawke’s Bay at Rugby League Park, and Northland host Otago at Semenoff Stadium in Whangārei, both on Saturday. [link]
  • Africa
  • Asia

Women’s Rugby Features

Women’s Rugby Media

If you need a VPN, we highly recommend NordVPN for its stable connection and high-speed service, ensuring a seamless browsing experience. Save using our discount and expect a 30-day money-back guarantee on top of safe browsing.

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.