A troubled Month
3 January Rob Cain resigns as Head Coach of USA Eagles
4 January RFU advertises vacancies for several posts in the development sector
4 January Northampton Saints announce two girls-only camps for 17 February (Franklin’s Gardens) and 21-23 February (Loughborough). Emily Scarratt in attendance
5 January Gloucester-Hartpury announce their first residential rugby camp, 3-6 April
5 January Cayman Islands RU seeks a full-time director of rugby
5 January 12 European nations competing to play in the 2024 Olympics 7s announced:
Belgium, Czechia, France (already qualified as hosts), Germany, GB, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Turkey
7 January 1st round Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championships in Ireland
7 January Allianz Premier 15s restarts after winter break, just in time for a cold spell
7 January Premier Rugby 7s holds Talent ID camp in Austin, Texas
7 January British Army beat Swedish XV 18-5 in a training match at Aldershot
9 January Les Bleues meet in a Toulouse hotel for the official send-off to their season
10 January 32 new French 15s contracts announced
10 January Chloe Rollie switches from Exeter Chiefs to Loughborough Lightning
11 January Lou Meadows is appointed head coach of the England women’s U20 team
14 January Next season Irish teams will wear blue shorts; Canterbury couldn’t supply them in time for this season
14 January 30,000 tickets have now been sold for the England-France match on 29 April
14 January Stade Toulousain beat Montpellier 20-17 at the death
14 January Gloucester-Hartpury remain unbeaten in Prem 15s after 7 rounds
15 January Sarah Hirini reminds us that NZ has seen the last 7s tournament on home soil!
18 January Women’s Rugby Association announces names of 10 representatives of the Premier 15s clubs; instigator and CEO is Nolli Waterman
18 January Ireland Rugby announces launch of Women in Rugby Network
18 January Claire Cruikshank revealed as new head coach of The Thistles for the Celtic Challenge
19 January The RFU will lower permitted tackle height to waist level in the community game in a bid for greater safety (wef 1 July 2023); much disagreement expressed
19 January University of Worcester Warriors announce a 10-year agreement with Cube International; it and the club’s survival in the Prem 15s still dependent on a successful application to rejoin
21 January First Talent ID camp for Premier Rugby Sevens: San Clemente, California
21 January Caring De Freitas has moved from the Venezuelan National team to take part in the Premier Rugby 7s in the US
22 January The Thistles 27 Welsh Development XV 29; first round of Celtic Challenge
22 January Gloucester-Hartpury remain unbeaten after 8 rounds of AP 15s
22 January Premier Rugby 7s holds second Talent ID camp in San Jose State University, CA
22 January (see December diary, the 13th) – Charlotte Wathan, former General Manager of Wales women’s rugby, makes further disclosures about her alleged treatment by members of the WRU, one of whom retains his office
23 January New Zealand win Hamilton 7s
23 January Greg McWilliams picks a 43-strong Combined Provinces squad for first match (see 29th below)
23 January Annabelle Codey, Wallaroo and Queensland Reds, signs for Loughborough
23 January Amanda Blanc, ex-independent chairwoman of Wales’ professional game board, told the WRU it had deep rooted culture and behavioural problems. These accusations come after Charlotte Wathan’s similar statements (see 22 Jan. above)
23 January The British government announces a £5.1m award for 20 rugby clubs in Northern Ireland
23 January Iain Monaghan is appointed Head Coach of the Maple Leaf Academy
24 January WRU chief executive Steve Phillips faces calls to resign over the way the union has handled allegations of sexism
24 January Bernard Laporte detained by police as part of an investigation into tax fraud; later released
24 January Rugby Canada presents its high-performance plans to World Rugby in Los Angeles, focusing on the women’s programme
24 January Liberton RFC, South Edinburgh, accused of being misogynistic, racist and homophobic after abandoning its women’s team
25 January Ruby Tui will not take part in the Super Rugby Aupiki nor in 7s, as she decides her future; she will however commentate
25 January Abbie Ward (Bristol Bears and England) announces she is pregnant
28 January Sydney 7s semi-finalists: USA v France and Ireland v New Zealand
28 January Sarah Hunter is the Pat Marshall Memorial Award Winner for 2022, presented by the Rugby Union Writers’ Club
28 January Energia AIL Cup Series begins in Ireland
28 January Stirling County beat Corstorphine Cougars 27-8 to win Scottish Premiership
29 January Celtic Challenge: WRU Development XV 26 Combined Provinces 27; 2 matches, combined winning margin 3 points (see 22 Jan. above)
29 January Steve Phillips, CEO of Wales Rugby, resigns following serious accusations by women of mismanagement by men in high positions within the WRU; replaced by Nigel Walker on an interim basis
29 January Nigel Walker on events in Wales: ‘It’s harrowing, it’s upsetting, it’s despicable’
29 January New Zealand win Sydney 7s
30 January 4 results in Italian Eccellenza Femminile show unwanted disparities: 102-0, 62-7, 0-29, 43-0
30 January The family of the late Siobhan Cattigan criticises the Scottish Rugby Union for delaying a meeting with Sue Webber, an MSP who took up the case
30 January Charlotte Caslick has a yellow card for a high tackle overturned; France beat Australia 10-6 in quarter-final of the Sydney 7s; uproar
31 January A month ends with the malign influence of certain men evident at different levels
