Rugby’s Summer Programme 2022 opens up next month with the Pacific-4 Series in New Zealand. Rob Cain has posted a list of 28 names to represent the USA, 20 of whom play in the English league. Among them are two names familiar to English eyes, Lotte Clapp (Saracens) and Georgie Perris-Redding (Sale Sharks). Kevin Rouet
After the concentrated drama of the Six Nations the summer opens up before us like an unknown country. In the far distance is the destination all eyes are glued on, the World Cup. But in between? Head coaches have been very coy about their plans. Some may not even have known what their union was
The league went up another couple of notches as the top four met in combat in front of large loud crowds. Exeter Chiefs v Saracens Exeter caused a huge upset by becoming the first side to post 50 points on the runaway leaders. For once the absence of key players did for Sarries: no Cleall,
Have you had time to forget? Here are twenty questions about an exciting series: 1. Which player scored the most tries? 2. Who is the odd player out in this group – Jade Konkel, Alex Matthews, Elisa Giordano, Lydia Thompson, Lana Skeldon, Beatrice Rigoni and Leanne Infante? 3. Which of the six nations did not
A New Black Ferns Squad The new Black Ferns management has announced its choice of 31 players to form the squad for the Pacific-Four Series (listed below). Its importance can hardly be exaggerated, pointing the way to the likely World Cup squad. Inevitably it reveals much about the state of women’s rugby in Aotearoa. The
On 19 April I was unwise enough to refer to the three nations at the top table, England, New Zealand and France. It was all about world rankings. I pointed to the narrow margin between the latter two: 88.58 and 88.43 Then came the Big Battle between France and England at Bayonne. Result: not only
April Rugby Diary 2 April France beat Ireland 40-9; Wales beat Scotland 24-19 (6N) 2 April USA’s Women’s Premier League (WPL) restarts after a 2-year break. Ten clubs are competing 2 April France U20s beat England U20s 32-27 at Henley to win series 2-0 3 April Italy lose 0-74 to England in Parma (6N) 4
Scotland finished another campaign winless, but how they lost to Ireland at the Kingspan they may still not comprehend. They were in the lead for most of the game, not decisively, but on a day of teeming rain that couldn’t be expected. They got on top straight away, Evie Gallagher finishing off strong drives at
Wales lost in agonising fashion as Michela Sillari kept up her 100% kicking record in the 80th minute. Seconds before, Wales had at last taken the lead as the pack grew stronger and stronger. Italy crumpled and Keira Bevan pounced to make the score 10-8. One more error and another game had gone awry. Italy
England chalked up their tenth win on the trot over France to gain a fourth consecutive Grand Slam. This was the first time for exactly a year England had faced the possibility of losing. They last played France in the ‘lights out’ match in Lille on 30 April 2021. And les Bleues gave them a
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