First, Gloucester-Hartpury v Harlequins in brief

Glos-pury completed their tenth unblemished win in ten, to cement their place at the top.

This was first versus third, so no wonder the half-time score reached only 19-10.

The Kingsholm crowd was worried as Sam Monaghan left the field early for an HIA. She didn’t return, so we can only hope for the best for her.

Despite the quality of players all over the field much of the play was scrappy.

It was Kate Williams, on in Monaghan’s place, who opened the scoring. Quins had committed too many to the ruck, leaving a gap outside.

But they responded well, Lucy Packer and Ella Cromack exploiting space created by a Kildunne run (7-5).

G-H forced Quins to defend bravely, but Sisilia Tuipulotu found her way over.

On radio commentary Millie Wood called her second try the best of the season. She swatted tackles away like flies and ran in like any fleet-footed winger.

Just before the break Lauren Torley finished a lovely move to narrow the margin.

Once again G-H asserted their dominance after the break. They were still a distance short of perfection, but even with players of the eminence of Zoe Stratford missing, they had the power up front to decide the issue. By the end it looked like one-way traffic, though the Londoners had made them work hard and revealed a few deficiencies.

Result: Gloucester-Hartpury 45 Harlequins 22
Referee: Tarsh Ganley (NZR)

Trailfinders v Sale Sharks

When TF played the Sharks away last November, they waltzed home 22-64.

Today was another day.

As at Kingsholm, much of the game was scrappy, errors both forced and unforced breaking the rhythm of play.

Tom Hudson rejigged his side enterprisingly; Beatrice Rigoni was back at last at 13, and Holly Aitchison moved to 15 to allow Lizzie Duffy her turn at 10, her preferred position. She played thoroughly well.

A big break by Alana Borland almost put Vicky Laflin away, but the ball wouldn’t stick. Another attack involving Emma Uren and Cass Tuffnail just failed to complete, but a powerful scrum forced Andy Wigley to run under the posts (7-0). The first yellow followed like night following day.

TF were unable to consolidate. Instead Asia Hogan-Rochester completed her debut try from a fine move on the left edge. A score when a player down works wonders.

On the half-hour Cristina Blanco finished another TF attack (12-7).

Rigoni was understandably upset at being hauled off for an HIA, but fortunately she did return – in time to see Katie Childs drive over to put Sharks in the lead (12-14).

There was still time for Tysh Harper to see yellow for a head contact, and for Blanco to mount her second.

Half-time: 19-14

Who was expecting to see the hosts saunter away to victory from here? My lips are sealed.

Despite continuing errors on both sides, the game grew in drama and intensity.

Trailfinders seemed to be easing away as Alivia Leatherman added a further try (24-14). But when still a player down Sharks responded with a try by Brittany Hogan, a prize signing (24-21).

The moment Georgia Ponsonby came off the bench, she became the fulcrum of TF’s game. Her try brought a 31-21 lead. Safe as houses?

Ha! Amy Cokayne scored the next try by her usual methods close to the line (31-28).

Now the game lurched away from the hosts. First, Kate Zackary, only recently on, became the next player to spend ten minutes watching from the side.

Things now deteriorated further for the hosts. Sadly the cause was the decision, taken some way back, to convert Annabel Meta from the back row to loose-head. It reminded me forcefully of two similar cases for England: Shaunagh Brown and Bryony Cleall. In my view neither move did the players any favours.

Here Meta was crumpled twice at scrums. Her yellow reduced her side to 13 v 15 with a few minutes on the clock.

The team responded gallantly, but the errors refused to disappear. Near the end a hasty clearance by Niamh Gallagher was charged down by Charlotte Fray – another promising performer who has been missing a long while. She followed up and dropped on the ball.

Even more frenzied play followed, but TF couldn’t find a way through.

So a great triumph for Sharks; their second win of the season, with a growing hope for more.

For Trailfinders the two points they extracted will leave a bitter taste.

Result: Trailfinders 31 Sale Sharks 36
Player of the Match: Brittany Hogan

Teams

Trailfinders: 15 N. GALLAGHER 14 LAFLIN 13 UREN 12 COOKSEY 11 QUANSAH 10 C. GALLAGHER 9 NORMAN-BELL 1 LEATHERMAN 2 BLANCO 3 TUFFNAIL 4 PINNOCK 5 ROOS 6 BORLAND 7 MALCOLM 8 G. MOORE
16 PONSONBY 17 META 18 MONTIEL 19 WASSELL 20 TAYLOR 21 ZACKARY 22 COX 23 AMORY

Sharks: 15 AITCHISON 14 HOGAN-ROCHESTER 13 RIGONI 12 KEIGHT 11 S. CAMPBELL 10 DUFFY 9 RELF 1 HARPER 2 COKAYNE 3 BENAVENT 4 DONALDSON 5 JARRELL-SEARCY 6 PERRIS-REDDING 7 CHILDS 8 HOGAN
16 HYNDMAN 17 WRIGHT 18 ROACH 19 ANTWIS 20 FRAY 21 THORPE 22 PERRIN 23 KASOLO

Afterthoughts

It was a delight to have Wendy Young on comms for the first time. She holds a unique place in USA rugby, having established Your Scrumhalf Connection site 20 years ago. There she covers every scrap of information about women’s rugby she can unearth world wide. Here she could slow her delivery rate and reveal her deep knowledge of the game.

It was a pleasure seeing Emma Wassell restored to the game after two difficult years.

Colours: once more I doubt the kit colours on parade match up to ER’s requests. I’m not colour-blind, so can’t complain personally. But this was one of several matches on view this season where spectators and viewers may have had difficulties.

Despite the errors that punctuated the match, it was another enthralling spectacle.

Nicoll will be the first British Olympian to contest the monobob, which gets underway from 9am (GMT).

Curling

Team Mouat continue their campaign against Germany from 8.05am (GMT) following their third victory over Czechia on Saturday.

Team Morrison take on Sweden at 1.05pm (GMT) after sealing their first win of the round robin stage against world champions Canada on Saturday.

Snowboarding

Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale will team up in the snowboard cross mixed team event from 12.45pm (GMT).

The pair won World Championship gold together in 2023.

Skeleton

Team GB will be represented in the skeleton mixed team event, which makes its Olympic debut from 5pm (GMT).

Figure Skating

Anastasia Vaipan-Law and Luke Digby will begin their pairs campaign with the short programme from 6.45pm (GMT).

Freestyle Skiing

Chris McCormick will compete in the men’s big air qualification from 6.30pm (GMT).

With thanks to Team GB

Curling

Team Morrison are onto the ice early in Cortina, as they take on Canada at 8.05am (GMT).

They are looking for their first win of the round-robin stage having lost both of their matches so far.

In the men’s competition, Team Mouat will take on Czechia at 1.05pm (GMT). They currently have two wins from their three matches, after a narrow defeat to Italy on Friday.

Freestyle Skiing

Makayla Gerken Schofield will compete in the women’s dual moguls from 9.30am (GMT).

The finals will take place at 10.46am (GMT).

Kirsty Muir, who finished fourth in slopestyle earlier in the week, makes her return to action in women’s big air qualification from 6.30pm (GMT).

Biathlon

Shawna Pendry will represent Team GB in the women’s 7.5km sprint at 1.45pm (GMT).

Pendry finished 88th in the women’s 15km individual on Wednesday.

Skeleton

The women’s skeleton will reach its conclusion, with Tabby Stoecker, Freya Tarbit, and Amelia Coltman all in action for Team GB.

All three made their Olympic debuts on Friday as they took on the first two runs of the competition.

The action gets underway from 5pm (GMT).

Short Track Speed Skating

Niall Treacy returns to the ice to contest the men’s 1500m from 7.15pm (GMT).

The final will take place at 9.35pm (GMT).

With thanks to Team GB

The novelties pile up.

A. As if we need reminding, Hansen is the only woman to lead a top-10 national side. Critical eyes will be fixed on her as a new-look squad takes shape.

B. Probably for the first time a phalanx of first-choice players are absent, believed to be enjoying themselves in the English PWR.

They are the co-captain Ruahei Demant (Bristol Bears), Amy Rule (Exeter Chiefs) and Alana Borland, Georgia Ponsonby, Maia Roos and Tanya Kalounivale (all Trailfinders).

Both Layla Sae and Liana Mikaele Tu’u of Quins had to return home prematurely. Sae is included on Hansen’s list.

C. How aligned are their club contracts? We must assume that all are able to return for the second training session due next month. That would have been the first negotiating point.

D. Inexperience

This is a familiar feature of every BF squad, but as the rest of the world has caught up with Kiwi standards over the past few years, it takes on greater significance – in this instance even mountainous proportions. Of the 41 players 20 are uncapped; precisely two have more than 30 caps, four 20+.

That presents the coaches with a tricky challenge: how to allow for a much wider range of experience within a single group.

That may partly explain the twelve days set aside for this opening session in Wellington.

Even when the England-based players have returned and any injuries healed, that still leaves a lot of learning to be acquired.

The immediate target is the Pacific-Four Series. A trip to the States is certain to be exciting, but the number of twirling poi in Sacramento severely limited.

This throws an even greater weight on the newcomers selected to prove themselves in unfamiliar surroundings.

E. The last, but very much the least concern among Kiwi fans, is the effect this programme has on some PWR clubs.

Three are affected, most notably Trailfinders who will lose their first-choice locks, Borland and Roos, hooker Ponsonby and prop Kalounivale. Bears are sure to miss Demant, but Chiefs have perfectly adequate reserves for Rule.

The three managements have long known the position and taken precautionary measures. But their squads will be weakened for the vital run-in to the end of the season.

Can we expect a new dawn for Black Ferns rugby? Kiwi fans aren’t happy with current standards.

The African Violets return to action in Round 11 with their longest away day of the season as they take on the hosts who sit just two spots above them in the Premiership Women’s Rugby table.

Last time the two sides faced each other in November 2025 at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens, the result ended in a nail-biting 33-33 draw, but Smith’s side will be looking for a happier ending on Sunday (kick-off: 1pm – screened live on PWR YouTube).

The two changes to the run-out side both come in the pack. Isla Curphey comes in to start at loosehead prop and is joined by two Americans in the front row; Kathryn Treder and ⁠Mae Sagapolu.

Becky Boyd comes in to start on the blindside flank with a positional change for Ehrecke, moving into the second row to pair with World Cup winner Lilli Ives Campion. ⁠Haineala Lutui returns to her more familiar position of No.8 and Daisy Hibbert-Jones captains from the openside flank.

The backs division remains unchanged, with Lis Maude and Helen Nelson forming the half-back partnership for a seventh consecutive game, and Carmela Morrall and Alev Kelter extend their formidable midfield combination.

Bo Westcombe-Evans and Bulou Mataitoga are on the wings with Lucia Scott pulling on the fullback shirt once again.

Smith has opted once again for a six-two split on the bench once again which sees another opportunity for Lightning’s three newest debutants; Paige Stathopoulos, Aoibhe Kelly and Kaya Acton, as well as a return for Fancy Bermudez to the side from her international 7s duty for Canada.

Head Coach Nathan Smith said: “We had a highly competitive match last time (33-33 draw), it was a game of fine margins. We had a poor start to the second half and conceded two easy scores. Especially going away to Sandy Park, which is a tough place to go, the level of concentration has to be there for 80-85 minutes.

“If you do knock off or don’t take your opportunities, that is going to cost you. Especially in these top-four games, take your opportunities and make sure you are switched on to not giving them any easy opportunities.”

EXETER CHIEFS VS LOUGHBOROUGH LIGHTNING

Premiership Women’s Rugby, Round 11

Sunday 15 February

Sandy Park

Kick-off: 1pm

15. Lucia Scott

14. Bulou Mataitoga

13. Alev Kelter

12. Carmela Morrall

11. Bo Westcombe-Evans

10. Helen Nelson

9. Alicia Maude

1. ⁠Isla Curphey

2. ⁠Kathryn Treder

3. ⁠Mae Sagapolu

4. Lilli Ives-Campion

5. ⁠Rachel Ehrecke

6. ⁠Becky Boyd

7. ⁠Daisy Hibbert-Jones (C)

8. ⁠Haineala Lutui

Replacements:

16.⁠ ⁠Paige Stathopoulos

17.⁠ ⁠Anne Young

18.⁠ ⁠Christine Belisle

19.⁠ ⁠Kaya Acton

20.⁠ ⁠Tahlia Broady

21.⁠ ⁠Kendal Waudby

22.⁠ ⁠Aoibhe Kelly

23.⁠ ⁠Fancy Bermudez

With thanks to Loughborough Lightning

The training camp will mark the start of preparations for the upcoming Pacific Four Series (PAC4) in April and serve as an opportunity for players to put their best foot forward for selection.

Hansen said the team enters a new cycle with excitement and clear purpose.  “These training camps allow us opportunities to build connections, to each other, to what it means to be a Black Fern and to the rugby we are going to play,” Hansen said.

“In January we had a camp that was solely focused on people and purpose, it was incredibly special for me to be in front of the group for the first time. To see both the athletes and management connect on where we are heading is exciting.

“This next camp will be about the game, our identity on the field and the athletes we need to be to play it. We have a talented group of individuals attending this camp, with amazing leaders as well as some new faces that will play an integral part in this next chapter of the Black Ferns. We can’t wait to see what they can all do together.”

The Black Ferns will have one other training camp in March before the announcement of a PAC4 Series squad. 

Black Ferns February training camp invitees (Test caps): 

Mia Anderson
Reese Anderson
Taufa Bason
Laura Bayfield (6)
Ariana Bayler (8)
Chelsea Bremner (24)
Logo-I-Pulotu Lemapu-Atai’i Sylvia Brunt (29)
Luka Connor (24)
Amy du Plessis (22)
Danny-Elle Fesolai
Vici-Rose Green (5)
Leilani Hakiwai
Lela Ieremia
Maia Joseph (16)
Elinor-Plum King
Hannah King (10)
Jaymie Kolose
Ayesha Leti-I’iga (30)
Atlanta Lolohea (10)
Veisinia Mahutariki-Fakalelu (3)
Hollyrae Mete-Renata
Kaea Nepia
Kaipo Olsen-Baker (16)
Moomooga Palu
Winnie Palamo
Marcelle Parkes (7)
Mererangi Paul (14)
Cilia-Marie Po’e-Tofaeono
Maddi Robinson
Layla Sae (19)
Presayus Singh
Fiaali’i Solomona
Awhina Tangen-Wainohu (10)
Santo Taumata (7)
Sam Taylor
Kennedy Tukuafu (34)
Shyrah Tuliau-Tua’a
Tara Turner
Maama Vaipulu (7)
Chyrss Viliko (19)
Holly Wratt-Groeneweg

Super Rugby Aupiki squads have not yet been confirmed, for future camps players’ clubs will be added once squads are named.

With thanks to New Zealand Rugby

Rested and ready to go again after their heroics in Dubai last month, HSBC SVNS 3 qualifiers South Africa, Canada, Argentina and Belgium join eight established sevens nations in Kenyan capital Nairobi this weekend at the start of a six-week, three-tournament continent and ocean-crossing quest to reach the HSBC SVNS Championship.

South Africa, Spain and Argentina’s women are bidding to join their male counterparts later this year, while Canada and USA’s men are aiming to follow in their women’s team in reaching the Championship tournament. But the likes of Kenya, Uruguay and Brazil, who have all graced the main HSBC SVNS competition in recent seasons, will be keen to return to the top table of sevens rugby.

All 12 sides will look to get off to a quick start in Nairobi, before a long trip to South America for back-to-back stopovers in Montevideo and Sao Paulo next month as they vie for a top-four finish to secure a place in the elite end-of-season HSBC SVNS World Championship Series.

The winner-takes-all championship will feature 24 teams competing in a total nine days of high-level rugby across stops in Hong Kong (April), Valladolid (May) and Bordeaux (June).

At the captains’ photo call two days before the inaugural HSBC SVNS 2 Series kicks off in Nairobi, the host nation’s men’s captain Samuel Asati emphasised his team’s desire to return to the top of the HSBC SVNS ladder, while making a promise to the fans, who have sold out the Nyayo National Stadium. “We’re going to play in front of our fans — we’ve been traveling with our fans all over the world, but now it’s a chance to play here in front of them. For sure, we are not going to disappoint [them].

“Come Sunday, after the tournament, that will be the start of our journey back to Division One, and I hope we will have started quite well and set the tempo.”

Canada’s Lockie Kratz, meanwhile, said. “We are just trying to restore the standards that we had before, and I think we’re putting this programme in a good place, tournament by tournament.

“We want to start this one off in Kenya with a bang and then keep building on each tournament. We’re very fortunate to be here and we’re looking forward to it.”

Tickets for the HSBC SVNS 2 tournament in Nairobi have sold out. But fans around the world will be able to watch every match live via local broadcasters or on RugbyPass TV, bringing the excitement of HSBC SVNS 2 directly to global audiences.

With thanks to World Rugby

• Applications now open for World Rugby’s Women in Rugby Careers Programme.
• Seven interactive virtual webinars will run between April and November, providing practical career and personal skills development.
• Designed for women working or volunteering in rugby, helping participants build confidence, skills, and networks to support career progression.
• Up to 250 places available through an open global application process, ensuring diverse representation across the game.

Building on the successful 2025 pilot delivered under the Impact Beyond 2025 legacy initiative, the programme has already supported more than 100 women from 56 countries to upskill and progress within rugby. The evolved programme will continue to offer targeted career development, skills training, and global networking opportunities, helping women working or volunteering in rugby to enhance their pathways both on and off the field. With up to 250 places available, the open application process has been designed to encourage strong international diversity and representation.

Commenting on the launch, World Rugby Chief of Women’s Rugby Sally Horrox said: “Building on the successes of Impact Beyond 2025, it is fantastic to see the Women in Rugby Careers Programme evolving and reaching more women around the world who see rugby as a pathway for growth and opportunity.

“By equipping participants with confidence, skills and networks, the programme plays a vital role in strengthening pathways across the game and advancing our ambition to create equal opportunities for women and girls, both on and off the field.”

Programme highlights

The programme features seven interactive virtual webinars delivered between April and November 2026, each focused on practical career development and confidence-building. Participants will benefit from a supportive and inclusive learning environment, access to global experts, and opportunities for meaningful peer-to-peer connection across the rugby community.

How to apply

Applications open on Thursday 12 February and close on Thursday 26 February 2026. More information on the programme is available here.

With thanks to World Rugby 

There is British representation in skeleton, cross-country skiing, biathlon and snowboard cross – which will all hand out medals on Friday – while there is also curling action.

Skeleton

The men’s skeleton reaches its climax on Friday evening, with Matt Weston and Marcus Wyatt both in action.

Weston leads the standings after two runs with a combined time of 1:52.09.

Wyatt is seventh with a total of 1:53.21.Action starts at 6.30pm (GMT).

The women’s event also gets underway on Friday afternoon, with Tabby Stoecker, Freya Tarbit and Amelia Coltman all in action for Team GB.

Stoecker recently became the first British woman since 2015 to win an overall skeleton World Cup medal, claiming bronze. The trio will get underway from 3pm (GMT).

Cross-country

The men’s 10km interval start free will welcome a trio of British participation, as Andrew Musgrave, Joe Davies, and Joe Clugnet all compete from 10.45am (GMT).

Biathlon

Jacques Jeffries returns to the range for the men’s 10km sprint from 1pm (GMT).

Jeffries made his Olympic debut in the men’s 20km on Tuesday.

Snowboarding

Charlotte Bankes, who in January won her first World Cup event since recovering from a broken collarbone, competes in the women’s snowboard cross from 9am (GMT).

Should she progress, the final will take place at 1.41pm (GMT).

Curling

Team Mouat take on Italy in the men’s event at 8.05am (GMT), while Team Morrison continue their women’s round robin campaign against South Korea at 1.05pm (GMT)

With thanks to Team GB

With 44 Tests for the Black Ferns, the two-time Rugby World Cup winner became the second woman to play in four World Cups in England last year, completing a remarkable return from injury to play her first Test since 2021.

Her trophy haul also includes two Sevens World Cup titles, seven World Series sevens titles, Olympic and Commonwealth gold medals, silver at the 2016 Rio Olympics, bronze at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and silver at the Sevens World Cup that same year.

After 18 years of playing rugby at the highest level, Brazier said she knew it was time for the next chapter of her career.  “I reached a point where both my body and mind started to feel the wear and tear and I wanted to step away while I could still contribute at my best,” Brazier said.

“Growing up in New Zealand, I was like any other kid with a dream of representing my country and playing at the Olympics. To have done that not just once, but multiple times is something I’m incredibly proud of. It’s truly been an honour and privilege to represent New Zealand and something I’ll always hold close to my heart.

“My journey wasn’t always smooth sailing, but it was during those challenging moments that I learned the most about myself and what I was capable of. The experiences, the lessons, and the people I’ve met along the way are things I’ll carry with me always, and I am thankful for every moment spent in the Black Ferns jersey.”

Off the field, Brazier has been working with New Zealand Rugby (NZR) to help develop her as a coach. Most recently she was an Assistant Coach at Global Youth Sevens and with the New Zealand Development Sevens team. She has also been appointed Chiefs Manawa Assistant Coach in this year’s Super Rugby Aupiki. Prior to this, she was Brave Louvre Club Assistant Coach in Japan for the Taiyo Seimei Women’s Sevens Series.

“My retirement decision came with exciting opportunities to transition into coaching, something that has always been a passion of mine and it felt like the perfect time to embrace the next challenge and share the knowledge I’ve gained with the next generation of players,” Brazier said.

Interim NZR CEO Steve Lancaster said: “It’s evident from Kelly’s list of achievements the impact she has had on our game. To have served the black jersey and been a part of many milestones across both formats is truly remarkable and inspiring. A huge thanks to Kelly for her long contribution to women’s rugby in Aotearoa and wish her all the best in the next stage of her rugby journey in coaching.”

Black Ferns Sevens Head Coach Cory Sweeney said: “Kelly is a true professional with world-class habits, a competitive mindset that never breaks and a rugby IQ up with the best in the world. It has been an absolute privilege working alongside her to reach the milestones she has.

“When I think of Kelly, training ethic and a heart to match is what stands out. She has not only been world-class on the field but her willingness to support, house and nurture future athletes is also a great attribute of hers. Kelly is a wahine trailblazer, leaving a legacy and pathway for the next generation.”

With thanks to New Zealand Rugby