And the award goes to…
1 June Gaëlle Mignot awarded ‘la médaille de chevalier de l’ordre national du mérite’
1 June AAC Amsterdam become Netherlands champions, beating Blues Waves/Bassets 29-21
2 June Ealing Trailfinders announce two new players: Kie Tamai (Japan), their first overseas signing, and Lauren Brooks from Quins
3 June England: final round AP 15s; Gloucester-Hartpury finish first
3 June Brazil 15 USA Under 23s 15 (Sao Paulo)
3 June Italy: Valsugana (Padua) beat Villorba 28-3 to win Eccellenza League final
3 June USA Pathways Talent ID Camps, Chicago
4 June Samoa 19 Fiji 18; Samoa to WXV2, Fiji to WXV3
4 June Lénaïg Corson (France), latterly of Quins, announces her retirement
5 June Wayne Smith, former head coach of the Black Ferns, receives a knighthood; the two co- captains, Ruahei Demant and Kennedy Simon receive, the NZ Order of Merit
5 June Deborah Griffin to be appointed the first female President of the RFU for 2025
5 June Patricia Garcia Rodriguez steps down as Spain’s 7s coach
6 June Caryl Thomas and Sioned Harries (both Wales) leave Worcester Warriors
6 June Allan Bunting selects 30 players for 2023 Black Ferns squad
6 June Italy will play Spain in Piacenza on 22 July to decide who qualifies for WXV2
7 June François Ratier, former head coach of Canada, appointed to lead Stade Bordelais
7 June USA Under 23s beat Colombia 27-24
7 June Head coach Mark Luffman leaves DMP Sharks
7 June USA Rugby seeks Head of Women’s High Performance;
7 June Fiji seeks General Manager High Performance and a Director of High performance
7 June James Forrester becomes CEO of Gloucester-Hartpury
7 June Fiona Hayes appointed as UL Bohemian’s Head Coach
8 June The RFU to award 32 3-year Red Rose contracts at a higher rate than before; details in July; 6 transition contracts for developing players echo a former system
10 June USA Pathways Talent ID Camps, Salt Lake City
10 June AP 15s semi-final: Gloucester-Hartpury 21 Bristol Bears 12
10 June Elite 1 final: Blagnac 23 Stade Bordelais 27 (in Bordeaux)
11 June AP 15s semi-final: Exeter Chiefs 24 Saracens 21
11 June Rugby Europe 7s final: France 19 GB 7 (Algarve)
11 June Americas Rugby Trophy: Colombia beat Brazil 18-15; USA U23s win trophy
14 June Florian Grill elected President of the FFR
14 June Morwenna Talling (England) and Nikita Prothero (England U20s) sign for Sale Sharks from Loughborough
15 June Round 8 of US Women’s Premier League
15 June Jay Tregonning names squad of 31 Wallaroos to face NZ on 29 June
15 June Hannah Botterman (Saracens) signs for Bristol Bears in shock move
15 June Kevin Rouet names 40 Maple Leafs to join pre-Pac-4 camp in Perth, Ontario
15 June Richard Collier-Keywood appointed WRU’s first independent Chair
16 June Sarah Hunter awarded a CBE; Sara Cox (referee) an MBE
16 June 30 USA Eagles named for 2nd leg of the Pacific Fours
16 June Marcoussis, France’s national training centre, renamed Centre National de Rugby Bernard Lapasset, in recognition of the late President’s contribution to rugby
16-18 June Rugby Europe Trophy 7s (Zagreb)
17 June Premier Rugby Sevens: Eastern Conference, Austin
18 June Ukraine beat Turkey 17-5 in final of 7s Trophy Series (Zagreb)
19 June Auckland, Dunedin and Wellington confirmed as venues for WXV1
19 June Canada Under 20s to play 3 matches to back the elite side’s Pac-4 games; July 4-13; v Ottawa University, USA and Wales
20 June Spain to play Japan in two friendlies, 8 and 15 July
20 June Headliners head Eastern Conference in great heat (see 17 June above)
21 June Abbie Brown (GB 7s co-captain), to be GB flag-bearer for the 2023 European Games in Krakow
21 June USA U20s will play 2 tests v Canada and Wales (see 19 June above)
22 June Ukraine win 1st round of the 2023 European Championship, Trophy 2023 division
22 June Ealing sign Meya Bizer, USA Eagle and ex-DMP Sharks
22 June Poppy Cleall cleared of alleged head-butt of Steve Salvin, assistant coach to Exeter Chiefs. Salvin given a formal warning
23 June Dubai to be the WXV3 host
23 June Smaller ball to be trialled, but below test level only
23 June Women’s Shape of the Game conference held in Los Angeles; a week long
22-23 June South Africa’s Premier Division stages play-offs
24 June Premier Rugby Sevens: Western Conference, Minneapolis
24 June AP 15s final: Gloucester-Hartpury 34 Exeter Chiefs 19, Kingsholm, Gloucester, renamed Queensholm for a week; attendance 9,668
24 June Hollie Davidson referees men’s U20 international France v Japan (Stellenbosch)
25-27 June Olympic 7s qualifiers, Krakow
27 June Australia, New Zealand name squads for 1st O’Reilly Cup match
27 June Czechia beat Spain; you may read that again
27 June ‘Premiership Women’s Rugby’ replaces Allianz Premier 15s; new mission statement
27 June Tahlia Brody, Tess Feury (ex-Wasps and DMP) and Keia Mae Sagapolu Sanele, all USA, join Leicester Tigers
27 June GB qualify for 2024 Olympics by winning Krakow 7s
28 June Jo Brown (Ireland, ex-England) signs for Sale, her 4th Prem 15s/PWR) club
28 June Alana Bainbridge, Georgie Grimes, Catha Jacobs, Amanda Swartz and Amelia Tutt sign for Leicester Tigers
29 June Australia 0 New Zealand 50, Kayo Stadium, Moreton Bay. Oz still have never won the O’Reilly Cup; attendance 7,005
29 June-1 July FFR congress in Lille, first for 2 years (pandemic)
29 June World Rugby considers adding an orange card to the referee’s paint-box
30 June World Rugby to decide on global calendar ‘by October’; but will it? Severe pinch-points still cause doubts
30 June Abi Burton (GB7s and Wasps) signs for Ealing Trailfinders
30 June 4 Scots internationals, Eva Donaldson, Elis Martin, Francesca McGhie and Evie Willis, sign for Leicester Tigers; that makes 12 in four days
30 June Ealing Trailfinders complete their back-room staff: Jojo Loxton, Gary English, Jacob Mitchell and Christopher Care
30 June Holly Aitchison (England) to leave Saracens; destination unknown but guessable
30 June Jon Graham becomes Managing Director of Worcester Warriors
