The news is dominated by results from the Africa and Asia Cups. South Africa beat Madagascar 79-8; Japan beat Kazakhstan 72-0. The winners qualify for Tier 2 of the WXV, the losers for Tier 3.
The size of the wins reveals the journeys still to be made, but the WXV is a long term project. So for example, the enthusiasm of the vast crowds in Antananarivo, capital of Madagascar, shows how quickly the elite women’s team could advance now, with such public backing; the number of tests available to them through the WXV increases exponentially. So do their chances of future success.
The Oceania qualifying group, Fiji, PNG, Samoa and. Tonga, complete their schedules later this week. Here again wide margins of victory have been gained, but these will reduce over time. Thus far Fiji and Samoa have proved much the strongest of the quartet.
The number of retirements increase as we approach the end of the northern hemisphere season, the latest big name to hang up her boots is the redoubtable and popular Vicky Fleetwood, who wore the No 2 shirt in England’s World Cup Victory in 2014.
Earlier in the week Wayne Smith was appointed Performance Director for All Blacks and Black Ferns. This is a new post created specifically for him. He has taken on an aura of coaching invincibility ever since the Black Ferns somehow managed to squeeze victory in their home RWC last year.
In England the top four for the play-offs are all but certain: Gloucester-Hartpury, Exeter Chiefs, Saracens and Bristol Bears. Though Harlequins trail Bears by only five points and should beat University of Worcester Warriors in the last round, Bears will be visiting a ground in mourning, Twyford Avenue, where Wasps, without a win to their name all season, will bid farewell to elite rugby for the first time in 38 years.
In France the semi-finals of the Elite 1 championship take place on 3 June: Stade Bordelais v Stade Toulousain; Romagnat v Blagnac.
