When you play against the Barbarians, what style of rugby should you adopt? Well, the Red Roses chose another one. Five of their six tries were scored by forwards, Lark Davies winning the Player of the Match award with a hat-trick. They had understandable reasons: an imminent Super Series in San Diego against the four
Simon Middleton has announced a ‘wider’ selection for the England squad to face the Barbarians. After a gathering at Bisham it will probably be fined down to the regular size of 23. He will need to check on the fitness of all the players, especially those returning from injury and the two who are new
The two May bank holidays see the bulk of the competition completed. After Round Six Kent have consolidated their place at the head of the table, seeing off the two Rose counties away from home in the damp. Last year they swamped the opposition at Beckenham; this time round they had to work very hard
What fascinating decisions Anna Richards had to make in putting together this fourth Barbarian squad. For the first time they are right up against it, fronting up against the second-ranked nation in the world and the only one to be fully professional. Yes, she had the entire globe to choose from and she could pick
Round 4 of the Royal London One-dayers saw four close finishes in Division One, with the batters having the better of the tussle. In the lowest scoring contest of the day, the War of the Roses was won by the Yorkists, who were the only side to bowl the opposition out. No-one reached 50 in
It’s now fourteen months to the Women’s Sevens tournament at the Tokyo Olympics. The big event takes place on July 31 and August 1 2020. How do the Red Roses’ prospects look? Back in 2016 Simon Middleton, then the England 7s Head Coach, said it was the second day of a two-day tournament that really
A bitterly cold Bank Holiday weekend marked the opening of the last season of Royal London One-dayers in their present form. Kent opened their account with a 49-run win over Notts at the Polo Farm Ground Canterbury. It’s vital for any team not to panic when the top batter goes relatively cheaply. Skipper Tammy Beaumont
A brief glance around the world, then a closer look at matters European In April 2019 Sir Bill Beaumont, Chairman of World Rugby (WR), commented on the new pathway to qualify for the next World Cup: “Last year we announced significant remodelling of the Women’s Rugby World Cup format to ensure that the competition continues
The Rugby Afrique Women’s Cup – 9th – 17th August 2019 – Good news, bad news The news of a brand-new test series in Africa is exciting. But closer inspection reveals the worrying distance set between it and the elite Super Series in California. At first sight this competition should be welcomed with open arms. It
Some two years before the Tokyo Olympics begin, the youngest squad at the Kitakyushu Sevens spring the biggest surprise of the tournament: Canada overtake England in the final only after the allotted 14 minutes are up. (5-7) How do we begin to explain this remarkable achievement? The thinking that underlies the RFU’s approach to contracts and
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