A Lot going on
A slight variation this month. News of signings etc is placed separately at the end. It’s a bit more parish-pump.
1 July Apologies for missing this from 28.06.23: Simon Middleton becomes High-Performance Advisor to the Japanese squad
1 July Plans to introduce a 10-team world competition for men in 2026 parallels the WXV, but receives widespread criticism
2 July IRFU announces first-ever Under-20s Team
2 July Ayesha Leti-I’iga (NZ winger) suffers serious knee injury
3 July Kevin Rouet names 30 players for Canada’s squad in the Pac-Four Series in Ottawa
3 July Two new pools of six each announced for Elite 1 (France) 2023-24
5 July USA U20s beat Wales U20s 28-27 in Ottawa
5 July The PWR seeks a League Operations Executive; it’s ‘exciting’ twice over
5 July Colombia beat Brazil 24-23 in first leg of two
6 July Rugby Australia reports world’s first diagnosis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in a female athlete
6 July Nathan Smith appointed new Head Coach of Loughborough Lightning
7-9 July Rugby Europe 7s Championship ends in Hamburg
8 July Australia 58 USA 17, then Canada 21 New Zealand, 52, TD Place Stadium, Ottawa; attendance 10,092; U20 teams compete same day (result: Canada 24 USA 40)
9 July Spain 12 Japan 44, first of two friendlies
9 July Jodie Ounsley at last receives ‘Deaf Sports Personality Of The Year’ award 2020 (delayed by Covid), at Twickenham
10 July France become European 7s champions again, beating Spain 26-7 in Hamburg
10-15 July 40 players to join Canada U18 camp in Ottawa, alongside the Pac-4 series
11 July New Zealand and Colombia secure qualification for WXV; a nice pairing
12 July England to play two tests against Canada: 1. Sept 23, Exeter; 2. Sept 30, venue tbc (StoneX confirmed later)
13 July Canada U20 12 Wales U20 39 (Ottawa)
14 July Canada 45 Australia 7; NZ beat USA 39-17 to win the Pac-4 series (Ottawa)
14 July After the same game Sara Cox received a presentation for breaking the world record for a female referee, 35 matches
17 July Farah Palmer Cup, 1st round
17 July Two Black Ferns, Iritana Hohaia (red card) and Tanya Kalounivale (citing), face a disciplinary committee after the NZ-USA match in Ottawa (cited for dangerous tackles)
18 July Rugby Nederland points to the possibility of NL qualifying for RWC 2025, with places for 16 nations available
18 July HSBC World Series rebrands as HSBC SVNS; vowels for sale!
18 July Murray Houston becomes Ulster Women’s head coach
19 July Spain looking forward to one of the most important games of their lives (see 22 July)
19 July Laura-Jane Lewis (ex-head of Wasps) appointed head coach of England U20s, in succession to Lou Meadows
21 July Donna Kennedy joins Warriors Women as Non-Executive Director
21 July Memorandum of Understanding announced between Australia and Japan; men and women, all age-groups, to co-operate closely
22 July Italy beat Spain 23-0 in Piacenza; they qualifiy for WXV2, Spain for WXV3; all 18 teams now decided
22-23 July Farah Palmer Cup, 2nd round
22-23 July U18s Rugby Europe 7s Trophy in Zabki, Poland; Wales’ win means promotion to the Championship
26 July Ffion Lewis (Wales) has suffered endometriosis; will not go to WXV1
26 July StoneX Stadium will host the second England-Canada match on 30 September, 3pm
23 July PR 7s; Eastern Conference finals, Pittsburgh
25 July Wallaroos 7s squad plans a stay in Canada to help fill gap till SVNS start in December
26 July Canada U23s beat USA U23s 24-5 in Massachusetts (1st game, see 30 July)
27 July Italy’s Serie A Elite will divide into two pools of four next season; the new title, Eccellenza, seems to have disappeared
27 July Scotland will play Spain on 30 September in Edinburgh
26 July Tanya Kalounivale and Iritana Hohaia receive 3-match bans (see 17 July above)
28 July An U20 tri-competition for Italy, Ireland, Scotland at L’Aquila; three 40-minute games start I hr apart
28 July Exeter Chiefs to launch their new kit on Cathedral Green
28 July Scott Bemand, ex-England assistant coach, appointed Ireland’s head coach
28 July Elaine Ryan becomes the IRFU Women’s XV National Teams Programme Manager
29 July Farah Palmer Cup – round 3
30 July Canada U23s beat USA U23s 55-14 in Boston (2nd game, see 26 July)
30 July Italy win U20 tri-nations tournament against Ireland and Spain in L’Aquila
31 July Two Parting shots: Watch for Aimee Barrett-Theron’s next game in charge; she will equal Sara Cox’s refereeing record (unless SC gets in first!) – and on WXV, World rugby offer ‘Everything you need to know’. Then ‘A host venue and ticketing information is scheduled to be announced in due course.’
Signings, Transfers, Retirements
1 July Hollie Aitchison joins Bristol Bears from Saracens, as expected
1 July Mackenzie Carson leaves Sarries too; a second Red Rose loose-head in a fortnight; destination as yet unknown
3 July McKinley Hunt (Canada) signs for Saracens from Exeter Chiefs
5 July Shaunagh Brown (England) has ‘unretired’; she rejoins Quins
5 July Julia Schell (Canada) signs for Ealing Trailfinders
6 July Sara Seye (Italy) signs for Ealing Trailfinders
7 July Aseza Hele (South Africa) signs for Quins
7 July Harriet Millar-Mills (England) and Sammy Wong (both ex-Wasps) sign for Exeter Chiefs
7 July Rosie Galligan (England) rejoins Saracens from Quins
7 July Elinor Snowsill (Wales) leaves Bristol after 11 years
10 July Ellie Green (Quins) signs for Worcester Warriors; Beth Blacklock (Scotland and Quins) signs for Saracens
12 July Shannon Ikahihifo (Auckland and Blues) and Alex Zdunek (ex-Richmond and Saracens) join Ealing Trailfinders
12 July Nic Haynes (ex-DMP) signs for Saracens
12 July Abbie Parsons leaves Bristol after more than a decade of service
13 July Amy Wilson Hardy (England and Wasps) signs for Ealing Trailfinders
13 July Amy Layzell, Sammy Wong, Meg Barwick, Rosie Inman, Lauren Smyth, Jo Smith, Daisie Mayes, Abbie Parsons and Kyara Martin all leave Bristol Bears
14 July Amber Schonert (South Africa) signs for Sale Sharks
14 July Emma Uren (England and GB 7s and Saracens) signs for Ealing Trailfinders
14 July Abbie Fleming (Wales and Exeter Chiefs) signs for Quins
14 July Laura Eddie, Performance Director at Saracens for 14 years, retires
15 July Ellie Boatman signs for Ealing Trailfinders from Quins
17 July Megan Barwick (England U20 and Bristol Bears) signs for Ealing Trailfinders
17 July Helene Caux and Nicola Beet (both ex-Wasps) sign for Bristol Bears
18 July Courtney Pursglove (Sale Sharks) signs for Ealing Trailfinders
18 July Sophie Bridger (Gloucester-Hartpury) signs for Saracens
18 July Emma Swords (Ireland) joins Ealing Trailfinders from Quins
18 July Beatrice Rigoni (Italy) signs for Sale Sharks
18 July Flo Robinson leaves Exeter Chiefs for Quins where sister Emily is already installed
19 July Lindelwa Gwala (S. Africa) joins Ealing Trailfinders
20 July Liz Musgrove joins Ealing Trailfinders
20 July Molly Saunders signed up by Worcester Warriors
21 July Bryony Field leaves Loughborough for Saracens
21 July Ireland’s captain, Nichola Fryday, announces her retirement from international rugby
21 July Silvia Turani’s move from Exeter to Quins is announced
21 July Sophie De Goede and Emma Taylor (Canada) both rejoin Saracens
22 July Ella Amory (Belgium and Quins) signs for Ealing Trailfinders
24 July Sophie Molton (Quins) signs for Ealing Trailfinders
25 July Charlie Willett (Oxford University, Richmond and Wasps) signs for Ealing Trailfinders
27 July Amy Lazell, Kirsty Hillier, Makeda Lewis, Grace izinyon and Izzy Hannay join Quins
28 July Kirsty Reid leaves Sale Sharks
28 July Demi Swann, Niamh Williams and Sophie Benevant sign for Worcester Warriors
