WXV, here we come!
1 September The DAM Health Stadium Edinburgh is renamed ‘The Hive’ with new sponsors, Scottish Gas, who are sponsoring Murrayfield too
1 September Alev Kelter is the MVP of 2023 Premier Rugby Sevens
1 September World Rugby announces: ‘Emerging rugby nations and women and girls are the major driver for new growth in the game’
1 September Full PWR fixture-list published
2 September InterPros final Munster 14 Leinster 33; Ulster beat Connacht 36-14, their first win in 11 years
2 September Farah Palmer Cup final: Auckland beat Northland 39-32
3 September Indian Ocean Games: Sevens won again by Madagascar
4 September CityAM reports possibility of an invitational 8-team European club tournament; logistical and other hurdles to be vaulted
4 September England training squad of 38 announced
4 September 34 Springboks invited to training camp in Stellenbosch
5 September Cliodhna Moloney (Ireland) and Claudia Macdonald (England) announce engagement
5 September WR announces officials for all WXV matches
6 September Barbarians undertake a 2-match tour to South Africa and Munster
6 September Kevin Rouet names 32 players for Canada’s upcoming tour to England
6 September Laurian Johannes-Haupt (ex-international) named assistant coach to Boks
6 September Wallaroos meet at their new base, Ballymore Brisbane, to prepare for O’Reilly Cup and WXV
8 September Lauren Delany and Georgie Perris-Redding to be co-captains of Sale Sharks
9 September Catalonia celebrates 100 years of rugby by beating Ukraine, who play their first ever 15s test; result 15-7
10 September Japan 29 Fiji 24
11 September Allan Bunting announces a 30-strong Black Ferns squad for WXV
11 September England add Saracens’ back-rower Sharifa Kasolo to their training squad; no reason offered
11 September Mark Luffman, ex-head coach of DMP, to be forwards coach at Sale Sharks
11 September Whitney Hansen names squad of 27 from whom to pick a Black Ferns XV to play Samoa (see 23rd below)
12 September Milton Haig has been appointed Interim Head Coach of the Eagles
13 September UK – The Army Rugby Union joins the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force Rugby Unions to announce awarding caps to all women who have played Inter Service Championship rugby
13 September PWR invites all ten clubs to Twickenham to a pre-season conference
15 September Lucy Burgess will captain Bristol in the absence of Amber Reed and Abbie Ward 15 September Juan González announces names of 30 Spanish players to compete in WVX3
16 September South Africa 77 Kenya 12 (half-time 24-12)
16 September Energia All-Ireland League (AIL) returns
16 September Worcester Warriors play Saracens in pre-season friendly
16 September Vicky Laflin and Sara Moreira will co-captain Worcester Warriors
16-24 September Canada Rugby holds National Coaches Week
18 September Wales will play Italy in the final round of the 2024 6N at the Principality Stadium Cardiff
18 September Scotland announce 30 names to play in WXV2 in Cape Town
18 September Maple Leafs arrive in Exeter for first of two tests v England
19 September Stade Bordelais win French national Under 18 Sevens
19 September Wallaroos squad announced for WXV and O’Reilly match v Black Ferns in Waikato
19 September Siwah Lillicrap appointed assistant coach to the Barbarians
23 September Ireland and USA meet in training session in Dublin
23 September Times Sport reports WXV1 matches to be shown live in UK on ITVX
23 September England 50 Canada 24 (Exeter); England unbeaten at home for 34th time in succession
23 September A Black Ferns XV beat Manu Sina XV (Samoa) 38-12 at Pukekohe
23 September Rugby Australia seek a full-time coach
23 September South Africa 26 Barbarians 38 (Cape Town)
24 September Start of U20 Women’s Week in South Africa
25 September USA Eagles join Shotton RFC for a training session
26 September China win 7s Gold at Asian Games in Hangzhou
26 September USA Rugby appoints Tamara Sheppard as General Manager of High Performance
27 September PR7s (USA) claims new records for the fastest-growing professional rugby organization in the world
27 September England announce team for second match v Canada
28 September Jersey Reds RFC become the fourth English men’s club to go into administration; the future for women’s pro-rugby?
28 September Scott Bemand appoints Sam Monaghan and Edel McMahon as Ireland’s co- captains; both ex-Wasps
29 September Lowri Norkett (Wales) decides to retire from professional rugby
30 September Rachael Burford, who became England’s youngest World Cup squad member in 2006, returns to action after a season out with injury
30 September Five friendly tests; England 29 Canada 12 (Hendon), Italy 24 Japan 25 (Parma), New Zealand 43 Australia 3 (Hamilton), Scotland 36 Spain 5 (Edinburgh), Wales 38 USA 18 (Colwyn Bay), plus Munster 12 BaaBaas 45 (Limerick)
Transfers, etc
1 Septamber India Perris-Redding returns to Sale Sharks
4 September Gloucester-Hartpury announce 11 front-row re-signings
5 September More signings at G-H
5 September Jade Mullen rejoins Quins
13 September Lauren Fisher, ex-England U18s and DMP, joins Quins
13 September Elizabeth Shermer leaves Worcester for Gloucester-Hartpury
18 September Trailfinders announce the signing of England U20s tight-head Kira Leat from Quins
