Scrumqueens is no more
1 January PWR’s Team of the Week includes 10 Red Roses, the most ever?
2 January Trailfinders announce the signing of Rori Wood (Canada)
3 January 34 Azzurre begin training in Rome under new coach, Fabio Roselli
3 January Clodagh Dunne (Old Belvedere) signs short-term deal with Leicester Tigers
3-10 January New French 15s squad of 38 trains in Elche, Spain
4 January Celtic Challenge (R3) Edinburgh 22 Brython Thunder 15; Clovers 29 Gwalia Lightning 7; Wolfhounds 48 Glasgow Warriors 7
4 January Fabio Roselli (see 3rd above) lays out his hopes and plans to the Italian media
4 January Ashley Marsters signs for Western Force in Super W; previously with Melbourne Rebels
5 January 9,240 attend the Bristol Bears-Gloucester-Hartpury PWR match
6 January Rugby Europe Championship fixtures confirmed for Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden; 29 March – 19 April
9 January Zoe Aldcroft is named captain of England in succession to Marlie Packer
9 January Genevieve Shore, Chair of PWR rugby, shifts across to become the new Chief Executive. No name of her replacement as Chair yet available
9 January Molly Poolman (Edinburgh Rugby) suspended for 4 weeks for dangerous play v Brython
9 January At an SGM the RFU rejects calls from 152 clubs and bodies for the Chief Executive, Bill Sweeney, to resign
9 January World Cups are being “reimagined”, thanks to an agreement between World Rugby and STH (Sports Travel & Hospitality), a Sodexo Live! Company
10 January Laurian Johannes-Haupt becomes full-time Springboks assistant coach
11 January Celtic Challenge (R4) Brython Thunder 0 Wolfhounds 48; Clovers 40 Edinburgh Rugby 19
11 January Stade Bordelais lie 9 points ahead of ASM Romagnat at the top of Elite 1, France
12 January After 4 rounds Wolfhounds and Clovers share the Celtic Challenge lead
12 January Gwalia 31 Glasgow Warriors 26
12 January Gloucester-Hartpury go top of PWR after 13 rounds; Saracens beat Sale Sharks 100-0
13 January RPA announces date of inaugural Rugby Awards Evening, involving @premrugby, @RFU and @ThePWR; 3 June
14 January Layne Morgan (Australia) switches from Waratahs to Queensland Reds for the coming super W Season
14 January Belinda Moore is appointed head of women’s rugby for Wales, on a 9-month interim basis
15 January Women’s Elite Rugby (USA) announces five lead players for each of the six franchises
15 January Diego Saccà, head coach of Italy U18s, announces names of 35 players to train on 24-26 January for the coming age-group festival in April
15 January Rugby Canada Hall of Fame entrants include Joyce Henry, Colette McAuley and Barbara Mervin
16 January The French national U18 Sevens will take place in Bourgoin-Jallieu on 12-13 July
17 January Scrumqueens announce they are closing. Where do we go now? We are lost souls
17 January 32 England U20 players chosen to start 3-day training on 20 Jan
17 January 38 Springboks complete a week’s training in Stellenbosch
17-19 January The 2025 Women’s Rugby Coaches & Referees Conference in Denver
18 January Celtic Challenge: Wolfhounds 57 Brython Thunder 5; Hounds stay top
19 January MU Barnhall! win the Energia-AIL Junior Cup Championship, beating Malone 41-7
20 January Sean Lynn is appointed head coach of Wales, with effect from the end of the current PWR season
21 January Any future Wales international match at the Principality Stadium will be played under a closed roof
21 January Speakers announced for Women’s Leadership Academy 2025, as part of Vodacom United Rugby Championship
21 January PWR publishes adjusted schedule for 2025-25 season
21 January USA Rugby World Cup preparation officially underway
21 January The Women’s Sport Collective launches a new Coaching Hub
22 January Rachel Taylor will cease to be Sale Sharks’ head coach at the end of the season; she is one of only two women head coaches in the PWR.
22 January Louise Dalgliesh will move from Assistant and U23 Coach at Sale at the end of the season to become Edinburgh University’s Head of Performance
22 January The 6 Nations will use the 20-minute red card
22 January Stade Toulousain 46 Montpellier 12, shown live on Canal+ Sport
22 January The JRFU announces the names of 36 players to form the Sakura XV training squad 22 January The JRFU announces two coming tours: 12-27 April to North America; then 2-12 August to Italy; details tba
22 January Bristol Bears’ clash with Exeter Chiefs rearranged for Ashton Gate on 8 February
23 January Bill Sweeney, Chief Executive of the RFU, has never considered resigning
24-26 January SVNS, Perth, WA; champions Australia share pool with France, China and Spain
25 January Storm Éowyn causes postponement of Celtic Challenge match Glasgow Warriors v Clovers
25 January PWR R15: Saracens end Quins’ 10-match unbeaten run; Sale Sharks gain first points with away win at Exeter 12-7 (see 12th above)
25 January Elite 1: Stade Bordelais still top (11/11); Stade Rennais bottom (0/11)
26 January Gwalia Lightning beat Edinburgh Rugby 29-27 away to move 2nd in Celtic Challenge
27 January Australia beat NZ 28-26 in Perth SVNS final; France third
27 January Tom Hudson, head coach of Leicester Tigers, will end his term of office at the season’s end; so will his deputy, Luke Stratford
27 January South Africa: 1st round Premier Division; eight teams compete
28 January Red Roses have joined forces with Team England Rugby Ltd, to provide a united front for the men’s and women’s teams
29 January PWR Team of the Week: eight played for losing sides
29 January Bristol’s Shaftesbury Park ground is sold out for its PWR match v Loughborough; the club manages to offer 250 extra seats
31 January Scottish Rugby confirms the squads for the 2025 Girls’ Regional Game Series (RGS), its third appearance
31 January The SRU has received an independent evaluation of its overall economic value at £120.4 million
