Women's Rugby Rundown

Welcome to WRR 202 for May 19–25. New Zealand reclaimed the 2025 Pacific Four Series title, with Canada finishing as runners-up and Australia taking third as coach Jo Yapp announced she will step down after the World Cup. Japan secured a third straight Asia Rugby Championship title. The 2025 RAN Inter-Regional tournament kicked off with Mexico defeating Jamaica in the opening match. In a major ste...

Welcome to WRR 201 for May 12-18. We start with the Asia Rugby Championships, where Japan opened their title defense with a dominant shutout over Kazakhstan. In PAC4 action, Canada and New Zealand battled to a thrilling draw in Christchurch, while the Wallaroos outlasted the USA. World Rugby marked 100 days to go with a new trophy and fresh ticket release as England 2025 shapes up to be the bigges...

Welcome to Women’s Rugby Rundown 200 for May 5–11. We’re stepping away from the usual format this week to celebrate a milestone as we mark our 200th episode. I didn’t set out to make a show. I just wanted to make sure people knew what was happening in women’s rugby because too often, no one was telling those stories. What began as a few scattered updates has grown into weekly coverage of 33 unique...

Welcome to WRR 199 for April 27-May 4. New Zealand closed out the HSBC SVNS season with a commanding World Championship win over Australia, while Canada secured bronze against the USA and four teams: Brazil, China, Kenya, and Spain earned their way into next year’s Division 2 under World Rugby’s newly launched three-tier Sevens model. The format revamp has not been universally welcomed, with conce...

Welcome to WRR 198 for April 20-27. The USA Women’s Eagles hosted Japan for the first time on U.S. soil, falling just short in a thrilling back-and-forth match in Los Angeles, while the Eagles now head to Kansas City for a record-breaking clash against Canada to open the Pacific Four Series. England edged France 43-42 in one of the greatest Women’s Six Nations matches ever to claim their fourth st...

Patreon, LinkedIn, Facebook, THREADS, and Reddit Welcome to Women’s Rugby Rundown 197 for April 14-20. This week, we gear up for the 2025 HSBC SVNS Grand Final in Los Angeles on May 3-4 and celebrate the news that Rugby 7s will return to the Olympics at LA28. The USA Women’s Eagles are set to smash the attendance record in Kansas City with their upcoming match against Canada, while South Africa op...

Welcome to Women’s Rugby Rundown 196 for April 7–13. Kenya made history by winning the HSBC Sevens Challenger Series, while South Africa claimed the final leg in Krakow, with Argentina and Colombia also booking spots in the upcoming SVNS Play-off in Los Angeles—though World Rugby’s ongoing format review has cast uncertainty over promotion. In the Guinness Women’s Six Nations, England and France st...

Welcome to Women’s Rugby Rundown 195 for March 31–April 6. The Black Ferns locked up the SVNS League title after a dominant regular season, capping it with a statement win over Australia in Singapore. Pools for the upcoming SVNS Championship in Los Angeles were confirmed, with the final Challenger spots still up for grabs in Krakow next weekend. Spain improved to 2-0 in the European Championship a...

Welcome to Women's Rugby Rundown 194 for March 24–30. Round 2 of the Guinness Women’s Six Nations delivered big moments, with France staying unbeaten thanks to a bonus-point win over Scotland and a rare drop goal from Pauline Bourdon-Sansus, England routing Wales in front of a record crowd, and Ireland earning their first away win since 2021 against Italy. Spain kicked off their European Champ...

Welcome to Women’s Rugby Rundown 193 for March 17–23. The debut of Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) lit up the USA with history-making matchups, as the Boston Banshees and TC Gemini opened the first-ever women’s professional rugby league with comeback wins and wild endings. Over in the Guinness Women’s Six Nations, France held off a determined Irish side in Belfast, Scotland made it two straight over Wal...

Welcome to Women's Rugby Rundown 192 for March 10-16!   In troubling news, New Vision reports allegations of sexual harassment by male coaches within Uganda’s national team setup. In a separate blow, the Lady Rugby Cranes have withdrawn from the penultimate leg of the World Rugby Challenger Series in Poland due to visa issues, raising questions about who will replace them—Belgium currently sit...

Welcome to Women's Rugby Rundown 191 for March 2-9. Kenya went back-to-back at the HSBC Sevens Challenger, securing another title as the top eight teams booked their spots for the next round in Krakow on April 11-12, while Fiji named Richard Walker as the new head coach of the Fiji Airways Fijiana 7s. The Wolfhounds dominated the Celtic Challenge, sealing a second straight title with a stateme...

Welcome to Women’s Rugby Rundown 189 for February 10-16. Olympian and USA Eagle Jillion Potter continues her fight against non-curative cancer while preparing to face upcoming life changes—let’s support her journey. Tunisia dominated the Arab 7s Championship, clinching their fourth straight title without conceding a single try, while  Vancouver SVNS will take center stage this weekend with New Zea...

Welcome to Women’s Rugby Rundown 188 for February 3-9. Fiji Rugby acted quickly to remove Laijipa Naulivou after her discriminatory comments, but her appointment in the first place highlights ongoing systemic issues. In the Latin Cup, Iberians Elche went unbeaten at 2-0, while Iberians Majadahonda struggled at 0-2, and Italy’s teams split results at 1-1. The Celtic Challenge saw Wolfhounds extend...

Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) has officially announced the names, logos, and branding of its inaugural teams, setting the stage for a groundbreaking 2025 season. We dive into the league’s structure, what makes WER unique, and a closer look at the six teams that will compete in the first U.S. professional women’s rugby league. Learn more: https://scrumhalfconnection.com/2025/02/03/womens-elite-rugby-we...

Welcome to Women's Rugby Rundown 187 for January 27–February 2 . Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) revealed the names, colors, and crests of their six inaugural teams ahead of their March 2025 launch, and Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix secured the All Japan Championship title. Round 6 of the Celtic Challenge saw big wins for the Wolfhounds and Clovers, with Gwalia extending their streak and the Wolfhounds holdi...

Welcome to Women’s Rugby Rundown 186 for January 13-26. Australia captivated a sold-out crowd in Perth with a thrilling 28-26 victory over Olympic champions New Zealand in the HSBC SVNS final, with France securing bronze over Canada. As the action shifts to Vancouver, the next SVNS stop is set for February 21-23. In the Celtic Challenge, the Wolfhounds hold their lead after Round 5. Belinda Moore...

Welcome to Women’s Rugby Rundown 185 for January 6-12. The pools for the third HSBC SVNS stop in Perth are set, with Australia, New Zealand, and the USA leading their groups in a tournament that will see the women’s Cup Final headline the weekend for the first time. Round 4 of the Celtic Challenge brought pivotal wins for the Clovers, Wolfhounds, and Gwalia, with the Wolfhounds taking the top spot...

Welcome to Women's Rugby Rundown 184 for December 2 - January 5. We’re back after a nice break—Happy New Year! The Black Ferns claimed the Cape Town 7s, leading the HSBC SVNS standings, with USA, France, and Australia rounding out the top four. Next up, the SVNS heads to Perth on January 24-26, and the schedule for the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Challenger 2025 is now confirmed. In XVs, Edinburgh sit...

It’s time to set the record straight on Ilona Maher: She’s not just a 7s star—her rugby journey started in XVs. Stop the misinformation. Let’s break it down. Read more: https://scrumhalfconnection.com/2024/12/02/ilona-mahers-transformations-from-the-rugby-pitch-to-the-dance-floor-and-beyond/

Welcome to Women’s Rugby Rundown 182 for November 25-December 1. Ilona Maher made history as the runner-up on Dancing with the Stars and hinted at joining the PWR, potentially becoming the highest-profile American in the league. Australia opened the 2024-25 HSBC SVNS with a dominant performance at the Dubai 7s, while the Cape Town Wild Dogs and Honey Badgers women solidified their Rugby Tens domin...

Welcome to Women’s Rugby Rundown 181 for November 18-24. Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten have reached the DWTS Season 33 finale alongside four other pairs, with the Mirror Ball Champion set to be crowned on Tuesday. Mexico edged Jamaica 19-12 to win RAN 7s, with both teams earning spots in the 2025 World Rugby Challenger Series. Oceania Rugby announced its Oceania 7s schedule, where the top two women...

Welcome to Women’s Rugby Rundown 179 for November 4-10. South Africa secured another Africa 7s title, booking their place in the World Rugby Challenger Series alongside Kenya and Uganda, while China took top honors in the Asia 7s Series, with Hong Kong and Thailand also qualifying for the Challenger Series. HSBC SVNS 2025 kicks off later this month, and Singapore and Los Angeles have been confirme...

Welcome to Women’s Rugby Rundown 178 for October 28-November 3. Less than a year after an independent review exposed a “toxic” culture, Wales faces renewed scrutiny over contract negotiation failures, reportedly resorting to threats of disciplinary action and even the potential withdrawal of its women’s team from the WXV and 2025 Rugby World Cup. This weekend, the Rugby Africa Women’s Sevens Tourn...

Welcome to WRR 177 for October 21-27. World Rugby has announced the match schedule for the expanded 2025 Rugby World Cup, setting the stage for the largest event yet with 16 teams. Ilona Maher made waves as the only rugby player ranked among SportPro’s top 10 most marketable athletes of 2024. Argentina defended their South American 7s title in Lima, securing a World Rugby Challenger Series berth a...