A. In a surprise move Kevin Rouet adds to his brief as head coach of Canada by becoming attack coach at Saracens.
This neatly mirrors Alex Austerberry’s appointment at assistant coach to the Canadians at the 2025 RWC.
Though overseas players are very numerous in the PWR, the reverse is true at coaching level. Off-hand I can think only of one Irishman and one Scot leading a Prem15s/PWR club.
It’s a different story for the Red Roses; their boss is a Kiwi.
B. It’s a delicious coincidence that Sarries travel to Exeter this weekend. There their recent signing, Liv Apps, will, selections permitting, come face to face with national team-mates Alex Tessier, DaLeaka Menin, Emily Tuttosi and Sabrina Poulin.
C. That brings me back to a familiar theme, NEQPs.
In last week’s thrilling game at Kingsholm I spotted:
Glos-Pury – 7 NEQPs starting and 6 on the bench
Trailfinders – 8 NEQPs starting and 6 on the bench.
Only ten NEQPs per match are supposed to be registered on the so-called ELITEHUB.
But PWR Ltd takes a season-long view of average numbers. It can give regular warnings, but any penalties wait till the season’s end.
They are:
EQP average:10.00 -12.99 = 5 points deducted
EQP average: less than 10.00 = 10 points deducted.
Does the punishment fit the crime? Does this simple system (only two categories) provide sufficient deterrent?
To put it another way: this month alone (11 days as I type) has seen these players added to clubs’ strengths:
Pam Buisa and Asia Hogan-Rochester (Canada), Tanya Kalounivale and Maia Roos (New Zealand), Niamh O’Dowd (Ireland) and Wako Kitano (Japan).
D. We wait to see how influential Michelle Kang’s philanthropy will prove in helping USA rugby to advance.
The first target is a gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympics. But can the $4m she has donated also help the 15s’ cause?
We won’t know now who will be competing in the second season of the WER till next month at the earliest. USAR must be hoping player strength will advance in line with ambition.
E. Thursday saw the Annual Awards ceremony in New Zealand. Among the many winners were:
Braxton Sorensen-McGee – 15’s Player of the Year
Jorja Miller – 7s Player of the Year
and Maggie Cogger-Orr – the first ever woman to win the Referee of the Year award.
