It’s been a busy July!
1 July Julia Omokhuale (Leicester) and Laetitia Royer (Romagnat) join Saracens
1 July Chloe Rollie (Scotland) moves from Trailfinders to Toulon
2 July IRFU launches ambitious development plan for women’s rugby across Ireland
3 July 50 days to 2025 RWC
3 July Rugby Canada’s funding campaign reaches $750,000
3 July The Kingspan Stadium, site of the 2017 RWC finals, renamed AFFIDEA; I’ll leave you to pronounce it correctly
4 July Allan Bunting confirms Black Ferns sides to play Black Ferns XV and Oz
5 July Boks 20 Canada 50; first of two tests
5 July Start of the U20 6N Summer Series in Caerphilly
7 July Alex Callender and Kate Williams appointed co-captains of Wales
8 July Amber Reed (England and Bristol) appointed asst. coach of England Students
9 July Aimee Barrett-Theron will referee the opening 2025 RWC match, England v USA
10 July Jo Yapp names Australia side to face NZ in Wellington
10 July Sinead Ryder of Manusina Samoa has used Givealittle to help fund her side’s RWC chances
10 July Worcester Warriors (men) reinstated in their league; the women, a separate entity, are not
12 July NZ 37 Australia 12 (series 29-0)
12 July The Red Roses are exiled to Treviso (to escape the English heatwave)
12 July South Africa 5 Canada 33, 2nd of two tests; Sophie de Goede played 22 minutes
12 July France U20s 41 Ireland U20s 12
14 July. The latest WRU statement on the future of Welsh rugby points to possibilities, not decisions made
15 July Sharifa Kasolo moves from Saracens to Sale Sharks
16 July Spain U18s beat France 28-17 in Rugby Europe’s 7s final
16 July. Aoife Wafer (Ireland) may miss RWC if knee-trouble doesn’t clear up
16 July. Siokapesi Palu and Charlotte Caslick (Oz) will miss the 2 Wales tests through injury
17 July Final round U20 6 Nations Summer Series: Ireland 62 Scotland7; Wales 24 Italy 28; France 52 England 39; France unbeaten as usual; at least England finished on the same planet
18 July Liz Crake moves from Trailfinders back to Saracens
19 July USA 31 Fiji 24 (Washington DC); Brazil 22 NL 0 (Sao Paolo); Japan 32 Spain 19 (Kitakyushu)
19 July Bryan Easson will retire as Scotland’s head coach after the RWC
19 July. The BBC will stream one PWR match per round, + semis and final
22 July One month before 2025 RWC kick-off
22 July. Abi Tierney, Wales’ CE, says”I am not considering doing anything different”
22 July Injury forces Rori Wood (Canada) to withdraw from the RWC
23 July The FFR is issuing a downloadable Fanzone kit for clubs, schools, etc, to support les Bleues
24 July Canada and England announce their RWC squads
24 July. Jo Yapp selects Wallaroos side to play Wales for their first meeting on home soil
24 July Emma Wassell returns to the Scotland side to play Italy, after recovering from serious illness
25 July Scotland players dismayed about uncertainty over contracts
25 July Italy 34 Scotland 29 (Viadana); Australia 12 Wales 21 – tears of joy for winners (Brisbane)
26 July South Africa 26 New Zealand XV 34
26 July Canada’s RWC funding campaign reaches $880,000
27 July Japan’s Sakura squad for RWC announced
30 July Sean Lynn makes seven changes for 2nd test v Oz; Jo Yapo makes six; Jasmine Joyce-Butchers to gain 50th cap
30 July Abdel Benazzi, FFR vice-president, says France would love to receive a men’s British & Irish Lions tour; another avenue opens for a women’s tour?
30 July Aoife Wafer (Ireland) may yet be fit for the RWC – good!
31 July Italian Rugby (FIR) in negotiations with City of Parma for enhancing facilities at the Sergio Lanfranchi Stadium, home to the Azzurre
31 July Two unnamed women to be inducted into the WR Hall of Fame during 2025 RWC women’s summit
