Black Ferns
The Ferns are coming northwards!
You can read the official news here.
The list contains plenty of names familiar to European eyes.
In the backs Ayesha Leti-I’iga is restored after a lengthy injury, almost inevitably an ACL. She caused the Red Roses a heap of problems on her last visit, and England didn’t enjoy the two tries she scored in that World Cup final.
Ruby Tui will be there too. Quite apart from her playing skills, she brings much needed match-experience to the backs. They are notable for their youth, only co-captain Ruahei Demant coming close to matching her in age (29-32).
Deciding the size of the squad can’t have been easy. While WXV is a multi-national competition with its own regulations, the Black Ferns are adding a vital fourth match to their schedule. So Bunting and his staff had to decide the most sensible number of flight-tickets to order.
With only eighteen forwards and twelve backs on board, avoiding injury to key players will be vital. Versatility is one thing; taking over in a pivotal position is another.
The pattern of co-captains is retained with the same players, Demant and Kennedy Simon.
Questions are being asked back home about fixtures. Why not one of two more in Europe before WXV? I too had been hoping for at least one more; the choice is plentiful. One team that has beaten them in the last decade is Ireland (RWC 2014), but they’re playing them in WXV. Would Italy, Scotland or Wales have been a sensible addition to the menu?
They fly out on 6 September.
Barbarians
The Baa-baas have announced a third meeting with the Springboks. They meet in Cape Town on 7 September; the head coach is Linda Itunu. Invitees are being assembled, starting with Rocky Clark and Carla Hohepa. A good time will be had by all. The present score is 1-1.
Ireland
Positive news comes out of Dublin. Hugh McCaughey, the Chief Executive of IRFU, predicts a rapid growth for Irish women’s rugby over the next five years. He hopes to see a fully contracted team in 2026-27.
The big step between now and then is Ireland’s presence at WXV1. We have minimal evidence to go on, but the Girls in Green will be all too aware of Wales’ fate in New Zealand last year. It remains to be seen how lasting the effects of three losses there will be, and whether Ireland can mount a win or two. Their first fixture in Canada is against the Wallaroos on 14 September.
SVNS
HSBC SVNS have announced the dates and venues of the first five rounds of the 2024-25 version. The success of Sevens at the Paris Olympics will give it a huge boost, but some leading names will be missing through retirement.
Stretching from 7 November as far as 30 March, the venues are Dubai, Cape Town, Perth, Vancouver and Hong Kong
Leicester Tigers
It’s a huge relief to find the Tigers signing on nine players to their squad. They include Jennie Maxwell (Scotland and Loughborough) and Emily Henrich (USA). But they are the only test players I’ve spotted. I’m not convinced Tigers have as yet assembled a squad strong enough to improve on their performances last season, their first in the big time.
They have a number of internationals on the strength (especially Eagles), but I suspect much will depend of Amy Cokayne and Meg Jones showing the way.
Tom Hudson, the new Head Coach, is well aware of areas that need sorting; he’s doing his best to put them right, but he’s been in post for barely a month. It’s a tough call.
