I’m back to a favourite topic of mine, the unfairness of language in rugby. It takes a different slant this time. I concentrate solely on the eighteen referees designated to cover the three levels of the WXV (full list below). First, congratulations to all of them. The referees’ assessment board goes to inordinate lengths to
World Rugby has today announced the team of Emirates Match Officials selected for the upcoming September and October women’s internationals and three-level inaugural WXV competition to be held in New Zealand, South Africa and Dubai between 13 October to 4 November Match officials confirmed for 10 warm-up fixtures across four continents in September and October
Ireland Women’s Training Squad: Scott Bemand has announced the names of 30 players to form his first training squad preparing for the WXV: Forwards: Aoife Wafer (Blackrock College/Leinster), Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere/Ulster), Christy Haney (Blackrock College/Leinster), Deirbhile Nic A Bhaird (Old Belvedere/Munster), Dorothy Wall (Blackrock College/Munster), Edel McMahon (Exeter Chiefs/Connacht), Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere/Ulster)*, Grace
Rugby greetings cards come in an assortment of colours: yellow, red and now pink or ‘bunker’, recently added to the referee’s palette. The worry is: how big a role will they play in the coming WXV? England’s men’s team have now learned that they will start the 2023 World Cup minus their captain, Owen Farrell,
The FFR were kind enough to announce a squad to prepare for WXV before anyone else. But it is a work in progress, not the finished article. Who can tell where an axe may fall before the plane finally takes off? The group of 35 divides up 19 forwards,16 backs, but we must bear in
Canada The Canadian squad continues to scale mountains. We need only recall the semi-final score at the last World Cup, Canada 19 England 26, to see the stern stuff they are made of. Before that, a week after the Black Ferns had conceded 56 points to England in November 2021, the Maple Leafs briefly took
Australia and Wales The sextet that makes up the elite group of the new WXV divides into two. Canada, England, France and New Zealand sit far ahead of Australia and Wales. This split neatly mirrors their world rankings, 1-6, but the fear remains that even within those subdivisions wide gaps will appear when the tournament
The draw is made. At last World Rugby has provided precise details for the biggest event of the year alongside all the other information that has been available for a long while. To nobody’s surprise, there is no question of a ‘blind’ draw. The programme has been carefully structured to ensure the greatest drama, the
The world champion Black Ferns will play France during a blockbuster opening weekend of the inaugural WXV 1 tournament at Sky Stadium in Wellington as the world’s top six teams kick off a new era for international women’s rugby in New Zealand this October. Women’s Six Nations champions England will play Australia in the opening
World Rugby has today unveiled the bumper match schedule for WXV, which sees the Red Roses go up against Australia on the opening weekend. The new women’s international 15s competition, designed to increase the competitiveness, reach and impact of elite women’s rugby, boasts three levels with New Zealand welcoming the world’s top teams, including England,
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