Cymru were on a hiding to nothing, and even the fates turned against them. Who could imagine both their newly-minted co-captains, Alex Callender and Kate Williams, succumbing to injury? Beth Lewis took charge. As so often, they started well; they reached to two metres from the line; but Canadian confidence shone through as Alex Tessier
If you watched Scotland playing around a decade ago, you wouldn’t recognise the present product. It’s far from perfect, but marks a huge advance. They have a pack that can look after itself and backs, led by Emma Orr and Francesca McGhie, who score the bulk of their tries. Fiji weren’t there to make up
England may have finished the easy winners we all expected, but no-one should deny Samoa’s right to be there. They played throughout with pride and courage. A much changed Red Roses side took three minutes to secure their first score through Meg Jones. Two debutants, Lilli ives Campion with a clean take, then Jade Shekells
Loughborough Lightning have made five personnel changes and one positional switch to their starting line-up for this weekend’s East Midlands Derby with Leicester Tigers. The African Violets fell to defeat in their PWR: The Cup Round 1 against Sale Sharks – despite tries from Meg Davey, Ellen Scantlebury, Cieron Bell, as well as a try
Ella Fowler (aged 15) eats, sleeps and breathes rugby – it is her world! The Women’s World Cup will be the highlight of Ella’s whole year. She is a Red Roses fan through and through and one day she hopes to be on that grassy stage herself – we hope to be there to cheer
The crucial issue for the Red Roses was, who was fit to play? The good news is that Helena Rowland, Claudia Moloney-Macdonald and Mackenzie Carson are all aboard, Rowland slotting in at 10 for a change. That means in turn that Holly Aitchison is still AWOL. Two players. Abi Burton and Lilli ives Campion make
Kevin Rouet becomes the first coach to reveal his side for his second match. The assumption has been all along, head coaches would make wholesale changes across the three group-stage games, if only to give all 32 players an outing. It hasn’t quite worked out like that in this case. Here’s the squad to play
Over the coming weeks rugby fans around the world are likely to be suffering the severe effects of withdrawal symptoms. “I can’t wait for next weekend.” Fortunately, the RWC is now so popular that there are all manner of medicines to stave off the worst effects. First and most obvious, replays of whole matches or
Harlequins Women are delighted to confirm the arrival of Damian Welch as Forwards Coach ahead of the 2025/26 season. Welch arrives in TW2 with an impressive coaching pedigree, having previously been Head Coach at Plymouth Albion and Forwards Coach at both Taunton Titans and Exeter University. His playing career saw him represent Exeter Chiefs, Cardiff
Looking back The tenth world cup got off to a tumultuous start in Sunderland. An unparalleled build-up, then the biggest crowd yet seen at the tournament. We must give due credit to the three women in charge, Sarah Massey, MD of the whole caboosh, Yvonne Nolan, competition director and Sally Horrox, in charge of women’
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