The Paris Olympics front of stage
There are so many signings that I list them separately below
2 July Portia Woodman-Wickliffe (NZ) announces her retirement from international rugby post-Olympics
2 July Sophie de Goede (Canada captain and Saracens) suffers an ACL
3 July Cerys Hale (Wales) announces her retirement
3 July Trailfinders Women announce the names of 12 players to leave the club
4 July Six Nations U20 Summer Series, Parma; France 57 Wales 12; England 33 Ireland 10; Italy 17 Scotland 13
6 July Australia 64 Fijiana 5 (Sydney); Jo Yapp’s first victory
7 July France win Rugby Europe U18 7s in Strasbourg
8 July The three pools for the Olympic Sevens published
8 July France 7s announce their squad
9 July Tyla King (New Zealand) will retire from rugby after the Paris Olympics
10 July Claire Molloy (Ireland and Bristol) announces her retirement from the game
10 July Canada publishes Olympic 7s squad
11 July 25,000 tickets sold for England v New Zealand at Twickenham; 57,000 still available
11 July Naya Tapper (USA 7s captain) announces her retirement post-Olympics
12 July Black Ferns side to face Australia in 2nd O’Reilly Cup match announced
12 July Ross Chisholm appointed Quins’ Head Coach of the Women’s Programme; Amy Turner becomes Pathway Coach
14 July Germany win Rugby Europe’s U18 Sevens Trophy in Zabki, Poland
14 July Last round of U20 Summer Series: Scotland 7 Ireland 37; Wales 19 Italy 33; France 72 England 21; France & Italy win all 3; Scotland & Wales lose all 3
14 July New Zealand 62 Australia 0 (Auckland)
14 July Transatlantic U19 Quad Series: Canada 23 USA 10 (Ystrad Mynach, Caerphilly)
15 July Tom Hudson is appointed head coach of Leicester Tigers
15 July Kennedy Simon signs a 4-year contract with the Black Ferns, the longest yet
15 July The 2024 Touch Rugby World Cup starts in Nottingham
16 July Tickets for WXV1 matches in Vancouver on sale from 25 July
16 July New-look fixtures for September announcd by PWR
16 July Wales advertise two WXV warm-up matches, v Scotland (6 Sept) and Australia (20 Sept)
17 July Charlie Beckett appointed assistant coach to Loughborough Lightning
17 July Scotland announce two WXV warm-up matches, v Wales (Sept 6) and Fiji (Sept 14)
18 July Gilbert agrees to provide rugby balls and officials’ kit for all PWR matches
19 July Transatlantic U20 Quad Series: Canada’s U20 36 England U20 33; USA 31 Wales 38 (Cardiff Arms Park) – see 14th and 24th
20 July All the 7s squads have assembled in France to prepare for the Olympic Games
22 July Jessy Trémoulière has the honour of carrying the Olympic torch around Marcoussis
23 July U18s Summer festival, Wales, Netherlands, Scotland, USA, Cardiff; first day
24 July Transatlantic U20 Quad Series, 2nd day: England 22 USA 40; Canada 53 Wales 17 (Cardiff Arms Park); Canada 2 wins, Wales, Australai 1 win, 1 loss; England 2 losses
25 July Tickets for WXV1 matches in Vancouver now on sale
25 July Scotland announce extended squad of 35 for summer tests and WXV2
25 July A Team of the U20 6 Nations Summer Series announced: England 2, France 4, Ireland 2, Italy 3, Scotland 2, Wales 2
26 July WRU will have to make financial savings; no indication of effects on the women’s game (esp. contracts)
26 July Bristol Bears announce full squad of 52
27 July U18s Summer Festival, Wales, Netherlands, Scotland, USA; Cardiff
28-30 July Olympic Sevens, Stade de France
29 July Q-Fs: Australia 40 Ireland 7; USA 17 GB 7; France 14 Canada 19; NZ 55 China 5
29 July England training squad of 40 announced
29 July Amy Wilson-Hardy (GB 7s, England and Trailfinders) investigated by British Olympic Association for alleged racist message
30 July Olympic Sevens; S-F: NZ 24 USA 12; Australia 12 Canada 21 (Hope you spotted that one coming); Bronze: USA 14 Australia 12 (ditto); FINAL: NZ 19 Canada 12
30 July Emilie Bydwell (USA) becomes the first female head coach to win an Olympic rugby medal; she was formerly head of USA women’s rugby
30 July USA win first ever 7s medal
30 July Michele Kang of Kynisca announces a $4 million gift to the USA Women’s Rugby programme
30 July Abi Burton (GB 7s and Trailfinders) replaces Amy Wilson-Hardy (GB 7s, England and Trailfinders), who withdraws on medical grounds
30 July Lansdowne FC Dublin announces launch of new women’s programme
31 July Lucy Mulhall Rock (Ireland 7s) announces her retirement
31 July 260,000 spectators watched the Olympic Sevens
31 July The England 2014 RWC winning squad (pictured above) undertakes to run, cycle, row and swim 2,014 kilometres to raise vital funds (£10k) to help support head coach Gary Street’s recovery from serious illness
Signings and Transfers – aka One Big Happy Family
2 July Quins sign Maja Meuller (Sweden) from Loughborough Lightning
3 July Quins sign Sara Svoboda (Canada) from Loughborough Lightning
3 July Olivia Ortiz (USA) signs for Sale Sharks
4 July Liv McGoverne returns to Exeter Chiefs after spending a year at home in NZ
4 July Quins sign Laura Delgado (Spain) from Gloucester-Hartpury
4 July Exeter Chiefs sign Mikiela Nelson (Canada)
4 July Rachel Phillips (Scotland Futures) signs for Sale Sharks
5 July Quins sign Alex Callender (Wales)
5 July Robyn Wilkins (Wales) leaves Exeter Chiefs for Sale Sharks
6 July Gwenllian Pyrs (Wales) rejoins Sale Sharks from Bristol Bears
7 July Trudy Cowan moves from Gloucester-Hartpury to Sale Sharks
8 July Chloe Rollie (Scotland and Loughborough Lightning) signs for Trailfinders
8 July Nicola Haynes (Saracens) switches to Quins
8 July Sofia Stefan (Italy captain) leaves Valsugana for Sale Sharks; described as ‘their last signing’
8 July Kaylee McHugh moves from Thurrock to Trailfinders
9 July Rosie Dobson joins Trailfinders from Quins
9 July Emma Swords returns to Quins from Trailfinders
9 July Flo Long (ex-Bristol and Worcester) signs for Exeter Chiefs
9 July Georgina Tasker leaves Loughborough Lightning for Exeter Chiefs
9 July Jade Shekells (GB 7s and Worcester) joins Gloucester-Hartpury post-Olympics
9 July Lucie Skuse leaves Bristol; destination as yet unknown
10 July Lori Cramer (Australia) signs for Exeter again
11 July Grace White signs for Trailfinders from Bristol Bears
11 July Lucy Nye leaves Leicester Tigers for Exeter Chiefs
11 July Charli Jacoby returns to Exeter Chiefs from Queensland Reds
11 July Flying Officer Carys Williams-Morris (Wales and RAF) hasn’t retired; she’s joined Gloucester-Hartpury
11 July Kendra Cousineau (Canada) signs for Trailfinders
12 July Caity Mattinson moves from Gloucester-Hartpury to Trailfinders
12 July Grace Crompton (GB 7s) leaves Bristol Bears, destination as yet unknown
12 July Dorothy Wall (Ireland) signs for Exeter Chiefs
12 July Players leaving Gloucester-Hartpury: Kerin Lake, Ellie Gilbert, Laura Delgado (Quins), Jordan Russell, Caity Mattinson (Trailfinders), Trudy Cowan (Sale Sharks) and Abbey Constable; Cerys Hale and Jayne Isherwood retire
13 July Brooke Bradley moves from Exeter Chiefs to Trailfinders
15 July Grace Moore moves from Saracens to Trailfinders
16 July Sarah Denholm (Scotland) and Hannah Owen (Quins) sign for Trailfinders
17 July Lisa Thomson (Scotland and GB 7s), Sally Williams (Loughborough Lightning) and Niamh Gallagher (Ireland U20s) join Trailfinders
18 July Krissy Scurfield (Canada 7s) signs for Loughborough Lightning
18 July Sabrina Poulain (Canada/Canada 7s) joins Exeter Chiefs
19 July Jasmine Joyce-Butchers to rejoin Bristol Bears from GB 7s post-Olympics
20 July Emma Taylor (Canada) joins Trailfinders
25 July Emma Hardy moves from Loughborough Lightning to Saracens
26 July Grace Crompton (GB 7s) leaves Bristol Bears for Quins
29 July Trailfinders sign Hollie Williamson from Richmond
29 July Charlotte Wright-Haley, ex-Worcester and Trailfinders, moves to Saracens
31 July Exeter Chiefs sign Nora Baltruweit (Germany, Wasps and Stade Bordelais)
