Rugby

The rugby news you need to know – from the Premier 15s and Red Roses to the Six Nations and Rugby World Cup,

Women’s Sport Daily has it covered

Red Roses set to inspire the next generation of female rugby players

England’s Red Roses will take on New Zealand’s Black Ferns at Exeter’s Sandy Park at the end of the month in a fixture that could “inspire the next generation of female rugby players.”

England Women take on New Zealand in the first of their autumn internationals at Sandy Park on Sunday 31 October - kick-off 2.30pm. Tickets have already gone on sale.

It’s the first of a...

Exeter Chiefs head coach Sue Appleby looks ahead to new Allianz Premier 15s season

EXETER CHIEFS’ emphatic introduction to the Allianz Premier 15s has sparked more players dreaming of Devon, says head coach Susie Appleby.

Chiefs finished sixth last year, their maiden top-flight season, tying fifth-placed Gloucester-Hartpury Women with 50 points apiece but missing out on the top half of the table on points difference.

It’s been a busy offseason for Appleby...

women's rugby, Harlequins Women, Shaunagh Brown

Champions of England: Quins win Premier 15s title at last

Having lost two previous finals and then suffered the frustration of a cancelled campaign due to coronavirus, Harlequins finally won the Allianz Premier 15s title at the fourth attempt against old rivals Saracens.

Despite the emergence of far more competitive opponents than the early years of the competition, it was still the same two teams who qualified first and second - Sarries...

women's rugby, rugby world cup, england women

Delayed Rugby World Cup 2021 dates confirmed

Dates for the delayed 2021 Rugby World Cup have been confirmed, with the tournament extended to avoid fixture clashes. All matches will now have a stand-alone time slot in a change to the original schedule which had some games kicking off at the same time during the pool stage.

The tournament in New Zealand will run from 8 October to 12 November 2022, extending the length of the...

women's rugby, Premier 15s, London Irish

London Irish to launch elite women's team with aim to join Premier 15s

London Irish have declared their intention to launch a team to enter the top-flight of the women’s game. Preparations are underway with a view to formally applying for a place in the Allianz Premier 15’s for the next intake of teams, due in 2023.

The decision to add an elite tier of women’s rugby at the Club builds on and supports the vision for the women’s game at London Irish. With...

Rugby team hugged together

Cleall calls for clarity on professional status of the Six Nations

England star Poppy Cleall has called for an end to amateurism in elite women's rugby following another season of uneven results during the Six Nations.

The Player of the Tournament made the comments on Instagram after the Red Roses won the title for a third year in a row.

England, whose players are on full-time contracts, thrashed both Italy and Scotland during in the pool...

Floodlight failure brings early end to Red Roses season

It was not the showcase for women's rugby organisers were hoping for. Just over an hour into the rematch between France and England following the Red Roses' success in the Six Nations final, the lights went out in Lille eventually leading to the abandonment of the match.

Although the players lingered on the pitch, hoping for the match to resume with England edging another tight...

Rugby ball on pitch women's sport

Red Roses reach Six Nations final following dominant display in Italy

England recovered from a slow start to score nine tries in a rampant performance against Italy to secure a place in the final of the revised Six Nations.

The Red Roses are likely to face France at the Twickenham Stoop on Saturday 24 April after making it two wins from two in their pool matches in this year's shortened competition.

Italy competed hard in the first half and...

England Women, Red Roses, Six Nations, England rugby, women's rugby

Hunter returns as Red Roses ring the changes for Italy Six Nations clash

Captain Sarah Hunter returns to the England line-up for the first time in 13 months to earn her 124th cap for the Red Roses against Italy in Parma on Saturday.

There will be an all-Harlequins front row of Vickii Cornborough, Amy Cokayne and Shaunagh Brown as head coach Simon Middleton makes eight personnel plus a further two positional changes to the side which produced a convincing...

England Women, Red Roses, Six Nations, England rugby, women's rugby

Middleton "frustrated" by flat England performance despite opening Six Nations victory

His side may have scored seven tries but head coach Simon Middleton was left "frustrated" by England's performance in the victory against Scotland in the Six Nations.

The 52-10 scoreline belies a number of squandered opportunities and ill-discipline from the Red Roses at the beginning of the defence of their title.

England were poor in the second half, going half an hour...