1 May Sweden 17 Hong Kong China 22
2 May Important research study into women’s experiences of tackle injury by Trinity College Dublin, led by Kathryn Dane (Ireland)
2 May Ruby Tui to join PR7s in USA
3 May World Rugby: Gallagher becomes Official Partner of women’s rugby, WXV and RWC 2025
3 May Bulls Daisies become first women’s pro club in South Africa
4 May John Mitchell named as Head Coach of Red Roses; unavailable till after RWC 2023
4 May Some details of WXV revealed in Chicago: locations and dates of WXV 1 and 2, plus sponsors Mastercard, Capgemini and Gallagher
5 May Greg McWilliams steps down as Ireland head coach
5 May Four contenders for Try of the 6N 2023; Melissande Llorens, Alex Callender, Abby Dow, Vitorria Vecchini
5 May New Zealand to host first WXV Tier 1 tournament
6 May Four contenders for Player of the 6N 2023: Sisilia Tuipulotu, Marlie Packer, Holly Aitchison, Gabrielle Vernier
6 May Netherlands beat HKC 19-17
10 May Abby Dow to leave Quins for Ealing Trailfinders
10 May Joy Neville to become first woman to act as official (TMO) at the men’s RWC
10 May Leicester Tigers sign Meg Jones from Wasps
10 May Jay Tregonning names 32-strong Wallaroos squad to face Fijiana
10 May Carys Dallinger to play for Australia after NZ contract withdrawn; she is dual qualified
11 May Jocelyn Barrieau to become Assistant Coach of Canada’s Women’s Sevens
11 May Leicester Tigers sign Celia Quansah from Wasps
12 May Japan becomes the 11th High Performance Union (previously Tier One)
12-14 May France World Series 7s Toulouse
14 May New Zealand win HSBC Series for the seventh time (Toulouse)
14 May Ireland win place at Olympic 7s for first time
15 May Connie Powell (England) moves from Gloucester-Hartpury to Quins
15 May In a move closely related to the above, Amy Cokayne moves from Quins to Leicester Tigers
15 May Shannon Parry (Australia) announces her retirement
15 May Ffion Lewis (Wales) will miss WXV with knee injury
16 May Piper Duck appointed new Wallaroos captain
16 May Wasps captain, Liz Crake, signs for Ealing Trailfinders
16 May Sadia Kabeya wins 2023 Tik Tok 6 Nations Play (not Player) of the Tournament (see 18 zMay below)
17 May 6 N sets record viewing figures, live and on-screen
17 May Sri Lanka Rugby suspended from membership of World Rugby
17 May RPA Awards: Sadia Kabeya is England Player of the Year; Emily Scarratt wins Special Merit Award (100 caps); Mo Hunt is Prem 15s Player of the Year
17 May Sarah Hunter is inducted into the RPA Hall of Fame
17 May The 2023 Six Nations was watched for a record of 10.4 million hours in the UK
17 May Lucy Mulhall named Ireland 7s Player of the Year
18 May Chevelle Robins-Reti, ex-Black Fern, switches to Canberra in the NRLW after losing her NZ contract
18 May Neve Jones named Irish Player of the Year
18 May Gabrielle Vernier (France) is named Player of the 2023 6 Nations
19 May Nominations open for girls aged 16-18 years old for the Scotland U18 7s programme
19 May Officials appointed for remaining Pacific-4 matches; Aimee Barrett-Theron (South Africa), Julianne Zussman (Canada) and Sara Cox (England) to referee
19 May Rugby Canada seeks National Teams Operations Co-ordinator
20 May Australia 22 Fijiana Drua 5 (Sydney)
20 May South Africa 87 Cameroon 0, Kenya 29 Madagascar 20 (both in Antananarivo)
20-21 May HSBC 7s in London, but men only!
24 May Hong Kong China 23 Kazakhstan 27 (Almaty)
24 May South Africa 48 Kenya 0; Madagascar 30 Cameroon 10 (unofficial Almaty gate: 20,000!)
24 May WRU announces establishment of 3 new development centres for women’s and girls’ rugby in Cardiff, Swansea and Colwyn Bay
24 May Tyla Nathan Wong quits her Black Ferns’ 7s contract to join the NRLW in Australia
24 May Black Ferns 7s stars, Stacey Waaka, Manaia Nuku, Taysha Ikenisio, Kelsey Teneti, Kitiona Vai and Rhodes Featherstone join PR7s in USA (see 2 May above)
24 May Worcester Warriors seek £50,000 from well-wishers to get them through the season
24 May Ealing Trailfinders announce their coaching team
25 May Wayne Smith appointed Performance Director for All Blacks and Black Ferns
25 May Fiji mourns the loss of women’s coach Elenoa Kunatubi
25 May Alice Cooper wins Rugby Union Writers Club award
26 May PNG 0 Fiji 76; Samoa 69 Tonga 5
26 May USA Under 23 squad to play against full Brazil and Colombia teams to compete for the Americas Rugby Trophy
28 May Vicky Fleetwood, RWC winner 2014, announces her retirement
28 May Japan 72 Kazakhstan 0 (Almaty); Japan to Tier 2, K’stan to Tier 3
28 May Kenya 52 Cameroon 3; Kenya qualify for Tier 3
28 May South Africa 79 Madagascar 8; RSA to WXV Tier 2
29 May Fiji 77 PNG 0
30 May Samoa 80 PNG 0; Fiji 45 Tonga 12; the 2 winners compete on 3 June for a place in WXV2
30 May Rowena Burnfield (ex-Richmond, Wasps and Quins) to join Ealing Trailfinders; third Red Rose to sign for ET
31 May 300+ candidates for Chair of WRU; successful candidate will help choose new CEO
