In my previous piece on the subject, I mentioned three attributes: quality, experience and versatility. Here I expand on my thoughts. Quality The Red Roses are now on a run of 25 games undefeated and hope to beat their own record of 30 this summer. Their one black mark has been at the World Cup.
Hot on the heels of the Red Roses to appear in next month’s RWC, Kevin Rouet has named his Maple Leaf squad, the second favourites to snatch the pot. (I’ll ignore the snorts coming from southern oceans). The Squad Forwards: Kassil, O’Donnell, Menin,Tuttosi, Crossley, Forteza, Senft, Boag, Paquin, Royer, Montiel, Nelson, DeMerchant, Buisa, R. Smith,
John Mitchell has revealed the name of the 32 players to represent England at the home RWC. We shouldn’t call any of them surprises; all the many called to training sessions were worthy of consideration. But those most likely to have been overjoyed at the good news are Abi Burton, Jade Shekells and Lilli Ives-Campion.
News that Aoife Wafer’s knee injury makes it unlikely she will recover in time for the World Cup is disastrous for her and her nation. Even the knock-out stages in eight weeks’ time make a full recovery highly unlikely. With this latest misfortune Ireland lose a third vital member of the back five. We already
Pool A: England, USA, Australia, Samoa England: red-hot favourites, but could they be oppressed by thoughts of another failure, when they possess all the trump cards? USA: they are desperate to make their mark again (last win 1991). Americans prefer winners. World Rugby needs them to prosper to advance the spread of the global game.
The first ever tour of New Zealand still lies two years away, in September 2027. But current events in Australia highlight the difficulties of extending the women’s venture beyond that first visit. Let’s imagine it proving a rip-roaring success: huge crowds boost the Black Ferns to a runaway 3-0 victory over the much vaunted Lions,
Sione Fukofuka has taken the unusual step of announcing his Eagles squad very early (full list below). With typically American verve the news came via a ceremony aired on YouTube. Brilliant! The strategy is curious since he summoned forty players together for a final training meet in Maryland on 10 July, and there is still
Next Friday 25 July sees the announcement of the 32 Black Ferns to fly to England. There are the usual dead certs, plus a number of chancier choices Allan Bunting has to make. Some Kiwi fans may well expect their favourite team, never called New Zealand at home, to win yet another pot. Others, taking
The Hundred, 2025 version, returns to haunt us like the plague. “What is wrong with it?” I hear you cry. Here are a few reasons: 1 The game format itself is a nonsense. My reaction after first hearing of its creation was to wonder how soon it would be replaced by ‘The Fifty’. People get
A. The first squad announced The USA Eagles became the first union to announce their squad: Kate Zackary (C); Erica Jarrell-Searcy; Emerson Allen; Hallie Taufoou; Maya Learned; Rachel Ehrecke; Tahlia Brody; Rachel Johnson; Paige Stathopolous; Alivia Leatherman; Catie Benson; Hope Cooper; Charli Jacoby; Freda Tafuna; Georgie Perris-Redding; Kathryn Tredder; Keia Mae Sagapolu; Hope Rogers Cheta
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