1 May Allan Bunting names 33 Black Ferns for the Pacific Four Series; Chelsea Bremner, Renee Holmes and Ruby Tui omitted; new contracts announced
1 May Sione Fukofuka (USA head coach) explains his decision to place Ilona Maher at 13, not wing
1 May Eilís Cahill (UL Bohemian) wins the Energia All-Ireland League Division Player of the Year Award 2024-25
2 May USA 14 Canada 26, Kansas City (Pacific 4); record 10,518 present at the CPKC Stadium, the first ever facility built for women’s professional sport
2 May Canada will play USA in Ottawa on 1 August
2 May In the 2025-26 season the World Rugby 7s format will offer three divisions instead of two
3 May Fiji 7 Australia 43, Suva; first meeting on Fijian soil
3 May HSBC SVNS Los Angeles; 1st day-finalists Australia, Canada, New Zealand USA
4 May HSBC SVNS LA final: New Zealand 31 Australia 7; Jorja Miller (NZ) named Player of the Final
5 May After Week 7 Denver Onyx remain WER leaders, (5-0) on 25 points
6 May Springboks to play two tests against a “Black Ferns XV”: 26 July and 2 August (both venues TBC)
7 May England will play Spain on 2 August (Leicester) and France on 9 August (Mont-de-Marsan)
8 May The Wallaroos have displayed their RWC 2025 jersey; let’s hope the players modelling it are picked
9 May Amy Cokayne and Charlotte Fray leave Leicester Tigers to join Sale Sharks
10 May Serie A Elite final: Valsugana 5 Villorba 15
10 May Australia 12 New Zealand 38 (Pacific 4)
10 May Aoife Wafer wins the Irish Times’ Sportswoman of the Month award
10 May Ireland U20 15 Canada U20 26, Dublin (see 17th)
11 May TNT will show one PWR match per round for the next four year
11 May Masuisuimatamaalii Tauasa Pauraisa (Samoa) wins the Seiuli Fiao’o Fa’amausili Player of the Year award
12 May Rachel Taylor (Wales), ex-head coach of Sale Sharks, appointed assistant coach at Loughborough Lightning
12 May Louise Dalgliesh (Scotland) appointed Head Coach of the Scotland Women’s U20
13 May Sarah Bern wins the Red Roses’ Player of the Six Nations (fan vote)
13 May Of nine potential Wallaroos 7s players, only three remain in contention for the RWC: Bienne Terita, Charlotte Caslick and Tia Hinds
14 May Start of the RWC 2025 trophy tour around England (ends 6 June); 100 days to go
14 May More tickets for RWC 2025 go on sale from 09.00 BST
14 May World Rugby unveils a new RWC trophy
14 May Andrew Ford will lead the re-established England Students Programme, with Poppy Leitch (England and Exeter) as his assistant
14 May the IRFU shuts down its men’s 7s squad in an attempt to lower an 18m euro debt; the women’s squad remains in being
15 May WR confirms its panel of 22 Emirates Match Officials for the RWC 2025
15 May John Mitchell, head coach of England, is almost sure of his RWC squad and doesn’t expect to add new faces
15 May A new NZR initiative (to help grow crowds?): fans encouraged to send missives of encouragement to players
16 May Premiere of series “Behind the Fern”, a close-up of the Black Ferns
16 May Pacific Four, R2: NZ 27 Canada 27, Christchurch); Australia 27 USA 19 (Canberra)
17 May Ireland U20s 32 Canada U20s 14, Dublin (second of two; series ends 1-1)
19 May Fixtures for the men’s 6 Nations 2026 published; the women’s aren’t
19 May Aoife Wafer (Ireland) is voted the Player of the Six Nations 2025
19 May 38 USA players receive contracts for the period April-September 2025
20 May Poppy Leitch (England and Exeter Chiefs) ends her playing career at 27 to take over a new position as the new U23s coach; she is already head coach of the Exeter University side
20 May Alisha Joyce-Butchers (Wales) withdraws from RWC 2025 as she is pregnant
21 May Dates announced for Six Nations Summer Series, involving U20 and U23 players; 7-21 July
21 May Joanna Grisez’ try in the 79th minute, France v England, declared the Try of the 6N Championship
22 May Cliodhna Moloney (Ireland) and Claudia Macdonald (England) marry
22-27 May To mark Rochelle Clark’s birthday the RFU offers five postings about her achievements
23 May Pacific Four, R3: Australia 7 Canada 45, Brisbane
23 May Hollie Davidson (Scotland) referees the men’s Challenge Cup final, Bath versus Lyon, in Cardiff
24 May AAC (Amsterdamse Atletiek Club Rugby) wins national championship for second time in three years, beating RUS (Rugbyende Utrechtse Studenten) 17-0
24 May Pacific Four, R3: New Zealand 79 USA 14, North Harbour; NZ win the trophy
24 May Courtney Keight (Wales) moves from Bristol Bears to Sale Sharks on a one-year-contract
25 May Jo Yapp will retire from her position as head coach of the Wallaroos at the end of 2025 RWC; ‘family first’
26 May WER results: Onyx 53 Banshees 21; Breakers 38 Exiles 26
27 May France Rugby issues long statement about achievements and aims of Les Bleues and clubs
29 May Bryan Easson names a training squad of 38 for Scotand’s RWC preparations, including a restored Emma Wassall
29 May Scott Bemand names a training squad of 37 for Ireland’s RWC preparations, including Sam Monaghan and Beibhinn Parsons
30 May Amber Reed (Bristol and England) is appointed assistant coach to the club before a new head coach in named
31 May 7 national XVs finals in Clermont-Ferrand and Auch; top result: Stade Bordelais 32 Stade Toullousain 24; Elite Réserve: Grenoble 25 Romagnat 10
Source: PWR
