Time for me to make up for an omission.
Back at the start of the year our friend at ladiesrugbyclub (ladiesrugbyclub.blogspot.com/ 2025/01/il-xv-del-2024-di-ladies-rugby-club.html ) in Italy published his idea of the top XV of 2024.
It’s always interesting to see a different viewpoint. What do you make of his choices?
1 Hannah Botterman (England)
2 Emily Tuttosi (Canada)
3 Eva Karpani (Australia)
4 Zoe Aldcroft (England)
5 Tyson Beukeboom (Canada)
6 Erin King (Ireland)
7 Aoife Wafer (Ireland)
8 Evie Gallagher (Scotland)
9 Pauline Bourdon-Sansus (France)
10 Claire Gallagher (Canada)
11 Alyssa D’Incà (Italy)
12 Fancy Bermudez (Canada)
13 Meg Jones (England)
14 Katelyn Vaha’akolo (New Zealand)
15 Ellie Kildunne (England)
Any selection of this sort gives rise to comment. Form comes and goes. One player catches a spectator’s imagination more than another. There’s always the problem of fitting all ones favourites into a mere Fifteen. No selectors have to do that: they can pick 23 and make adjustments as they see their first thoughts turning out less than wise.
Our man admits there is more Canada here and less England; a splash of blue, but only one each from France and Italy, so hardly a paint-box full. He offers his reasons for his final choices.
I hardly dare name names, but there are players listed here who most observers would agree are the world’s best. They are few and far between; a special breed. Others may cause a raised eyebrow or two. Fancy Bermudez in the centre? She has found herself on the wing in recent months and faces severe competition. Claire Gallagher at 10? She hasn’t been able to help her club side (Leicester Tigers) to higher than eighth place out of nine. Has her international form raised her above such limitations? Depending on your own nation, you might have nominated Ruahei Demant, Lina Queyroi, Holly Aitchison or Zoe Harrison.
Evie Gallagher at 8? Would she have achieved that nomination if Jade Konkel had been fit through 2024? Ah, but this is a team picked on 2024 form, so fair enough. And that helps to rule out competitors such as Romane Ménager, also injured; but not Alex Matthews?
Our man at LRC admits his choices differ from teams picked by scrumqueens and rugbypass. Sq has since sadly passed into the great rugby graveyard, but rugbypass (aka World Rugby) attempts to present an even-handed world view. Is that even possible?
I approve the choice of coach. Kévin Rouet has overcome the problems of a squad spread far and wide to produce teams that consistently pose extreme problems for their opponents. Which other nation could hold England to a 9-point margin, as the Maple Leafs did in Vancouver?
Now it’s your turn to pick your 2024 world team, before your memory fades. I won’t bother you with my version.
Then a much tougher challenge: who will your 2025 Rugby World Cup XV be? You’ll have sixteen nations to choose from.
