So ends a momentous year
1 December RFU seeks a full-time Data and Analytics Manager
1 December The Exeter Chiefs’ ‘non-rugby asset’ they will sell (see November diary, the 5th) turns out to be the hotel
3 December Australia win Dubai 7s again
3 December Tove Viksten, Quins and captain of Sweden, announces her retirement
5 December Andrea Di Giandomenico, head coach of Italy since 2009, annonces his retirement
5 December NZ Rugby reports ‘good conversations’ in bid to host 2023 WXV
6 December Giovanni Raineri is appointed ‘technical commissioner’ (= head coach) of Italy’s women’s team
6 December RFU rejects appeals by Worcester Warriors and Wasps; they remain ousted from the Gallagher Championship. No mention of the women’s teams, though they are
subject to stringent requirements too.
6 December Two much-discussed topics reappear: size of rugby ball; names on shirts. Roughly 49.9% want smaller ball; 50.1% don’t; all in favour of named shirts
7 December Dame Patsy Reddy elected New Zealand Rugby Chair; Professor Farah Palmer and Bailey Mackey her deputies; wef 31 January 2023
7 December Rugby Australia seeks a Head of Athletic Performance for the Wallaroos 15s’
7 December Jodie Ounsley appointed Honorary President UK Deaf Sports
8 December Irish rugby needs a further €1.4m per annum to fulfill its women’s rugby strategy; inter-provincial rugby to be prioritised over the AIL which will be reshaped
9 December Kathryn Johnson (USA) announces her retirement from test rugby
10 December Hong Kong v Kazakhstan becomes the 100th test of 2022, a first ever ton up in one year (thanks to John Birch, scrumqueens); Result: HK won 31-17
11 December Cape Town 7s won by NZ
11 December First round of Elite 1 in France
11 December Australia and Aotearoa stand equal top of World Series 7s after two rounds
12 December Alex Austerberry (Saracens) queries RFU’s refusal to explain why certain Red Roses are still not allowed to return to Prem 15s
13 December Charlotte Wathan, former Wales team manager, comes to ‘amicable resolution’ with WRU after alleging sexual discrimination
13 December Bernard Laporte, President of French Rugby and Vice-Chair of World Rugby, is given a suspended prison sentence of 2 years and a €75,000 fine for corruption; he has the right of appeal; he steps down temporarily from his WR role
13 December Mohed Altrad, billionaire owner of Montpellier RFC, is given a similar, though lesser sentence
13 December Premier Rugby Sevens (PR7s), USA’s major 7s initiative, to be extended to eight franchises
14 December Liz Patu (Australia) confirms her retirement from the game
14 December New Zealand Rugby seeks urgent talks with Altrad, their shirt sponsors
14 December South Africa seeks a new head coach; Stanley Raubenheimer is standing down
15 December Scottish Rugby (SRU) awards 28 professional contracts
15 December Ireland: all games of the Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championships to be broadcast free to air; 1st round 7 January
16 December RFU announces the 8 clubs accepted into next year’s Prem 15s league, two more to be added; DMP Sharks, Sale Sharks, University of Worcester Warriors and Wasps excluded; Ealing Trailfinders and Leicester Tigers the newbies
16 December Wasps Women plan to move to Coventry to use same stadium as the men’s team
16 December Sarah Hunter receives an honorary degree from Loughborough University
16 December Portia Woodman backs Allan Bunting to become the Black Ferns’ new head coach
17 December Hong Kong beat Kazakhstan 14-12 with last kick of match to take series 2-0
17 December AIL final: Blackrock College 27 Railway Union 7 at Donnybrook
20 December Spain announces the formation of an U20 squad; they play Italy in a double-header with their senior team on 11 February at Sant Boi de Llobregat
20 December Gaëlle Mignot and David Ortiz become the co-coaches of France; Annick Hayraud remains manager
21 December WRU announces the coaching team to support its U18 squad that faces England at Rugby School on 5 March: Catrina Nicholas-McLoughlin head coach supported by Oli Wilson and Siwan Lillicrap
21 December World Rugby seeks a Communications Manager to cover women’s rugby
21 December Claire Cruikshank resigns as Sweden’s head coach
21 December The Women’s Sports Alliance names Jo Yapp (Worcester Warriors) as Coach of Year 2022
21 December Shaunagh Brown becomes the first Red Rose from the 2021 RWC to announce her retirement
21 December New Celtic Challenge announced as preparation for 6 Nations etc
22 December World Rugby publishes its Law Application Guidelines to speed up the game
22 December Tamara Taylor (pictured above), Red Roses’ much admired lock forward (115 caps), is appointed head coach of Sweden to replace Claire Cruikshank (see 21/12 above)
23 December Abby Dow signs for Harlequins, becoming the last 15s Red Rose to quit Wasps
26 December Allianz Cup semi-finalists confirmed: Bristol Bears v Exeter Chiefs; Gloucester- Hartpury v Loughborough Lightning or Saracens (Apr 22-23 2023)
31 December Jill Douglas, who has covered rugby for the BBC, ITV and BT Sport, is awarded an MBE for her services to sport and charity
31 December So ends a quite momentous year. The Red Roses were the first England team to sing God save the King in the new era; the Duchess of Cambridge (now the Princess of Wales) became the new patron of England Rugby.
One or two other events took place too
