NO-vember!
1 November Maya Stewart wins Wallaroos Player of the Year award
1 November Alivia Leatherman (USA) signs for Trailfinders
1 November The new ‘Championing Women and Girls’ Rugby Award’ goes to East Kilbride RFC (Scotland), Guisborough RUFC (England), Cooke RFC (Ireland) and Clwb Rygbi Caernarfon (Wales); £10,000 and a trophy each
1 November 385 players have declared for the USA’s new pro-league, WER; due to start in 2025
2 November Denmark beat Norway 7-0 (Oslo)
3 November Exeter Chiefs become the only unbeaten club in the PWR
5 November A ticket application process for all RWC matches starts 11:00 GMT at tickets.rugbyworldcup.com; 130,000 already sold
5 November Olivia Smith, daughter of Sarah Hunter (England) and Nathan Smith (head coach Loughborough Lightning), born 27 October
5 November Eimear Considine (Ireland) announces her retirement
5 November Jess Kavanagh and Cerys Hale (both ex-Wales) add their concerns about the response of the WRU to women’s rugby
5 November Some details of the 2024-25 Celtic Challenge announced
5 November Tania Rosser steps down as Leinster’s head coach; they were Interpro champions in 2023 and 2024
6 November Bo Westcombe-Evans (England) suffers a knee injury; out for all the PWR matches
8 November Ioan Cunningham resigns as Wales head coach
8 November Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) says the league’s minimum operating standards are not a public document
9-10 November 2024 Rugby Afrique 7s Tournament; 12 teams competing
9-11 November Asia 7s, last leg, Bangkok; Japan win but overall title to China
10 November South Africa win the Rugby Africa 7s Tournament (again)
10 November Corstorphine Cougars remain top of the Scottish Arnold Hill Premiership; 12 rounds unbeaten
12 November Denis Fogarty and Neill Alcorn are reappointed head coaches of Clovers and Wolfhounds for the next Celtic Challenge
12 November Larissa Muldoon and Maz Reiily (Clovers), and Leah Lyons (Wolfhounds) – all multi- capped ex-Ireland players – added to the two coaching staffs for the Celtic Challenge
13 November First ‘engagement‘ day at the the Honourable Artillery Company’s ground in the City of London for Howden Lions Women to tour New Zealand in 2027; Emily Scarratt, Jasmine Joyce-Butchers, Rachel Malcolm and Sam Monaghan among many to represent the four nations; will any of them be selected?!
13 November 100,000 RWC tickets sought in the first week of the application phase, to add to the 130,000 sold in presale
13 November English place-names receive a jolt in honour of the coming RWC: Brighton B(r)each in honour of Sussex-born Jess B; and two railway stations, 184-year-old Bristol Temple Meads becomes Temple MAUL and Exeter St Davids becomes ExeTRY St. D; don’t catch the wrong train
14 November Brett Robinson (Australia) is appointed Chair of World Rugby, in succession to Sir Bill Beaumont
14 November Canada and USA Sevens rosters announced for PR7s (see 17th below)
14 November Sally Dennis, former Chair of Rugby Canada, has been elected to World Rugby’s Executive Board at the Interim Meeting of Council in Dublin
15 November There is a first ever all-female officials’ panel for the women’s SVNS 2025
16 November Croatia beat Bulgaria 17-10
17 November The Premier Rugby Sevens (PR7s) All-Star Tournament takes place at Providence Park in Portland
18 November World Rugby’s four nominees for XV’s Player of the Year are Pauline Bourdon- Sansus, Ellie Kildunne, Alex Matthews and Alex Tessier
18 November World Rugby’s three nominees for VII’s Player of the Year are Michaela Blyde, Maddison Levi and Jorja Miller
18 November World Rugby’s four nominees for XVs Breakthrough Player of the Year are Caitlyn Halse, Maddie Feaunati, Erin King and Hannah King
19 November Closing date for latest ticket offer for RWC 2025
19 November Sarah Bern becomes the RPA Players Board Representative for the Red Roses
19 November RFU appoints Ali Donnelly its Executive Director of Corporate Affairs
20 November The 2025 Super Aupiki draw adds a new final between the winners of the Aupiki and the Australian Super W winners on 17 April
20 November Aoife Wafer is elected Guinness Rugby Writers of Ireland Women’s Player of the Year
20 November Celtic Challenge fixture-list published; dates 20 December 2024 – 9 March 2025
22 November Mike Delaney is no longer the Black Ferns’ assistant coach i/c attack
22 November Jocelyn Barrieau, new head coach of Canada 7s, picks her squad for Dubai 7s
22-24 November Rugby Americas North Sevens, Trinidad; 12 nations involved
23 November All matches in Scotland’s Arnold Clark Premiership postponed: high winds and heavy rain
24 November After six rounds of Elite 1 Stade Bordelais remain unbeaten, Blagnac second
24 November World Rugby Awards ceremony held in Monaco
24 November Ellie Kildunne (England) is World XV’s Player of the Year; Maddison Levi (Australia) is World VII’s Player of the Year; Erin King (Ireland) is World Rugby XVs Breakthrough Player of the Year; Vickii Cornborough (England) receives the International Rugby Players Special Merit Award
24 November Donna Kennedy (Scotland, 115 caps) and Emilee Cherry (Australia) inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame
26 November WRU officially starts its search for a new head coach to replace Ioan Cunningham who resigned 18 days ago
26 November Nora Baltruweit (Exeter Chiefs, ex-Wasps and Germany) decides to retire after failing to recover from a knee injury
28 September The Chair and the CEO of the WRU appear before the Senedd’s Culture and Sport Committee to answer criticism of how contracts were negotiated with the women’s national team
29 November Ilona Maher (USA) receives PWR backing to join one of its clubs
30 November Irish rugby celebrates its 150th anniversary
30 November Start of Dubai 7s, first round of new SVNS series
30 November Exeter Chiefs still the only unbeaten club in the PWR
