Two training squads announced Within 24 hours both Bryan Easson and Scott Bemand have named their training squads for the coming 2025 RWC. The good news includes the names of much missed players returning to duty from injury. In particular, Emma Wassell for Scotland and Sam Monaghan and Beibhinn Parsons for Ireland. For Ireland Sarah
News of a season-ending hamstring injury to ex-captain, Heather Knight cuts two ways. She has proved England’s most reliable batter in the T20 series against the West Indies. In her absence the top order looks potentially vulnerable again. Apart from her only the new captain, Nat Sciver-Brunt, can be relied on to provide runs in
All change for the better? – No! England, already one-up after the match at Canterbury, made the short-form series safe with a second win at Hove by 9 wickets. Scores: West Indies 81-9 England 82-1 The ECB website claims England won by 8 wickets. Ah! 9-1 = 8. The game served to underline the sad
Taunton The Semis Surrey v Warwickshire Kent won this game for Surrey. There were six of them in the team, and both innings turned on their performances. Alexa Stonehouse took 4-29 and Ryana Macdonald-Gay 2-25 to put the skids under the Midlanders’ innings. They scored fast, but after reaching 65-6 in under nine overs, then
An important addition to the English rugby calendar has been announced, The Rugby Awards, presented by Gallagher. It takes place at the The Brewery, London, hard by the Barbican Centre, on 3 June. It brings together the RPA, Premiership Rugby, the PWR and, last but not least, the RFU. Its arrival can only make us
Some Implications Jo Yapp, head coach of the Wallaroos, has announced that she will end her term in charge at the end of the 2025 RWC. In no way should this surprise us. The closest parallel I can think of in recent times is Lynne Cantwell’s decision to return to ireland after a spell as
New Zealand v USA Pacific Four, Round Three The Eagles made a promising start, winning penalties and territory, to cause the big crowd to delay their celebrations. By the end the scales had tipped wildly the other way, sending the Black Ferns and their fans into raptures. Mackenzie Hawkins’ early touch kicks lacked accuracy, but
Should we be surprised? No. It’s been an uphill struggle since Great Britain first sttempted to pull a squad together for the Rio Olympic Sevens. Players will still come together to compete in SVNS tournaments, but without financial backing their results are bound to take a nose-dive. Where else have we seen three unions merging
Australia v Canada That might be a tiny bit of a hopeful punt, but Canada’s all-round play takes a lot of stopping. The Wallaroos found them too hot to handle. The game could hardly have started worse for the hosts. They let Alex Tessier’s kick-off bounce back into Krissy Scurfield’s hands. Canada were caught holding
Pacific Four, Round Three When the Black Ferns term this a ‘must-win’ game, they don’t mean it’s high time they downed the Eagles’ colours. No, they intend winning the Pac-4 trophy that Canada claimed last year. Black Ferns Allan Bunting is able to experiment again. He has named four uncapped players, including two more switching
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