In his annual report the chairman of the Welsh Rugby Union, Rob Butcher, has addressed the problem of women’s rugby in the Principality. It amounts to an admission of guilt. He resorts to the use of the future tense to an alarming degree, rather like a government promising gold at the end of the rainbow:
News breaks that Rachel Taylor, once briefly assistant coach to Wales women, has been appointed as Performance Coach at Sale Sharks. There she will assist Katy Daley-Mclean in continuing Sharks’ advance, begun last year. This is merely the latest item of unwelcome news for the Principality. It’s impossible to find any findings of the enquiry
Back last April I wrote: ‘WRU’s idea of placing its best players in an optimal position is to advise them to cross the Severn Bridge and join an Allianz Premier 15s club. Back at home the structures at club and regional level are inadequate.’ The situation in Wales now becomes more dire. Ex-international Gemma Hallett
News of Warren Abrahams’ departure from his post as head coach of Wales women’s rugby is desperately sad. He had been in position since last November, a period that saw the national team finish last in the Six Nations a second time running. His approach was to encourage small advances, to retain optimism as wins
England Women Head Coach Craig Richards has selected his 19-player squad ahead of Friday’s National Lottery Mid-Season International against Wales at the Halliwell Jones Stadium. Leeds Rhinos wing and 2019 Women’s Super League Grand Final hero Fran Goldthorp is named in the squad for the first time following an impressive start to the 2021 season.
Italy v Ireland; Scotland v Wales The clash of the two I’s in Dublin is hard to predict. Both sides have match-winners; both have shown flashes of outstanding form. Italy are full of confidence as they reach No 5 in world rankings, three places above the hosts. They may pay the penalty of surrendering home
Your choice: ‘20 training camps since our last international against Italy on 24 October 2020’ or ‘we played last week’. I hope you went for the first option Ireland blew Wales off the map. If Warren Abrahams sought brave words to explain last week’s effort in France, his hair may be turning grey after this
France put Wales firmly in their place as they dominated their first match of the 2021 Six Nations. Warren Abrahams now knows the size of the task he has shouldered. The hosts held all the trumps in Brittany; history revealed an average points margin of 25 in their favour, Wales winning just two of their
Wales open their Six Nations Campaign They face France on Saturday evening in Vannes; kick-off 20.00 Squad: 15 Robyn Wilkins (Worcester Warriors) 14 Lisa Neumann (Sale Sharks) 13 Hannah Jones (vice-captain, Gloucester-Hartpury) 12 Kerin Lake (Gloucester-Hartpury) 11 Jasmine Joyce (Bristol Bears) 10 Elinor Snowsill (Bristol Bears) 9 Jess Roberts (Sale Sharks) 1 Caryl Thomas (Worcester
On the eve of the fourth round of the 6 Nations the most disturbing twist yet in the ongoing Covid-19 crisis befell the Scottish team. One of their own players succumbed to the virus, was taken at once to a healthcare centre, and several staff and players self-isolated as well. Their series has been the
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