Wendy Young 
Welcome to Women’s Rugby Rundown 197 for April 14-20. This week, we gear up for the 2025 HSBC SVNS Grand Final in Los Angeles on May 3-4 and celebrate the news that Rugby 7s will return to the Olympics at LA28. The USA Women’s Eagles are set to smash the attendance record in Kansas City … Read more
The final stop of the HSBC SVNS 2025 season is here — and all eyes are on Los Angeles. It’s not just the Grand Final at stake: the women’s Play-Off will determine who stays, who goes, and who gets another shot next season. Grand Final Pools The eight top-ranked women’s teams from the SVNS series … Read more
The USA Women’s Eagles are about to make history — and not just on the pitch. When the Eagles meet Canada on Friday, May 2 at Kansas City’s CPKC Stadium, they’ll do so in front of the largest-ever crowd for a stand-alone women’s rugby match in the United States. More than 7,500 tickets have already … Read more
Welcome to Women’s Rugby Rundown 196 for April 7–13. Kenya made history by winning the HSBC Sevens Challenger Series, while South Africa claimed the final leg in Krakow, with Argentina and Colombia also booking spots in the upcoming SVNS Play-off in Los Angeles—though World Rugby’s ongoing format review has cast uncertainty over promotion. In the … Read more
In a quiet but significant update last week, World Rugby hinted at a possible overhaul of its SVNS and Challenger Series formats after the current season ends. While these changes might be aimed at tightening budgets and streamlining operations, they raise a critical question: what happens to the teams who fought so hard to earn … Read more
After swift and sustained pressure from players, coaches, and advocates across the rugby community, National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) has reversed its March 25 transgender eligibility policy. The decision follows an investigation and report by Your Scrumhalf Connection that highlighted how the policy “temporarily” suspended all waivers for trans women, effectively barring them from participating in … Read more
Welcome to Women’s Rugby Rundown 195 for March 31–April 6. The Black Ferns locked up the SVNS League title after a dominant regular season, capping it with a statement win over Australia in Singapore. Pools for the upcoming SVNS Championship in Los Angeles were confirmed, with the final Challenger spots still up for grabs in … Read more
National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) has quietly changed its transgender inclusion policy, barring trans women from participating in women’s qualifying matches and championship events. The March 2025 update comes just weeks after NCR reaffirmed its commitment to Title IX compliance and inclusion. In the new policy, NCR states that: “All waivers, whether existing or prospective, for … Read more
As reports surface about a joint bid from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE to host the 2035 Rugby World Cup, the rugby community finds itself at a familiar crossroads — one that forces us to weigh the promise of new markets against the principles we claim to uphold. The potential for a Middle East-hosted … Read more
The HSBC SVNS series heads to Singapore for its final regular-season stop, and New Zealand enters with all the momentum after claiming their second straight gold in Hong Kong. The Black Ferns edged Australia 26-19 in a tense final to extend their lead atop the standings and put themselves in pole position to be crowned … Read more