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 in the standings after Edinburgh’s first loss. The European Championship will return in March featuring defending champions Spain and rising Portugal, while Majadahonda secured their second consecutive Iberdrola Iberian Cup. And we round up all the global Premier and Club competitions worldwide.

Read more🔗: https://scrumhalfconnection.com/2025/01/13/celtic-challenge-shake-up-2025-rugby-europe-kicks-off-and-iberdrola-glory-for-majadahonda-wrr-185/

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 sits on top of the Celtic Challenge after Round 3, while the Netherlands edged Brazil with a last-minute converted try. The Latin Cup, featuring Spain and Italy, has been saved, and Asia will revive the Asia Championship and Division 1, with Japan, Hong Kong, UAE, and others returning to action. Tanzania also unveiled their first-ever women's XVs kit—another milestone for the growing game. We round up all the global Premier and Club competitions worldwide.

Read more🔗: https://scrumhalfconnection.com/2025/01/05/wrr-184/

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 dominance. The Netherlands secured a win in the first of two matches against Brazil. Meanwhile, the suspension of Papua New Guinea Rugby Union by Oceania Rugby and the PNG Olympic Committee raises critical questions about the future of their teams, and the Latin Cup has been canceled following the end of World Rugby funding. And we round up all the global Premier and Club competitions worldwide.

Read more🔗: https://scrumhalfconnection.com/2024/12/02/ilona-maher-dances-to-2nd-australia-dominates-dubai-7s-netherlands-triumphs-wrr-182/

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’s teams outside of Fiji will also qualify for the Challenger Series. The HSBC SVNS Series kicks off this weekend Dubai. The 2024 World Rugby Awards celebrated women’s rugby with Maddison Levi named Women’s 7s Player of the Year, Ellie Kildunne taking Women’s XVs Player of the Year, and Erin King earning Breakthrough Player of the Year. As always, we round up all the global Premier and Club competitions worldwide.

Read more🔗: https://scrumhalfconnection.com/2024/11/25/ilona-maher-dances-to-dwts-finale-world-rugby-awards-honor-stars-mexico-jamaica-qualify-for-challenger-series-wrr-181/

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 confirmed as the final two stops. The 2024 RAN 7s in Trinidad will see 6 teams vying for Challenger spots, and Wales continues to face scrutiny after Wales Women’s head coach Ioan Cunningham’s departure. And we round up all the global Premier and Club competitions worldwide.

Read more🔗: https://scrumhalfconnection.com/2024/11/11/south-africa-clinches-africa-7s-china-takes-asia-7s-title-and-hsbc-svns-2025-set-for-singapore-and-la-wrr-179/

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 Tournament in Ghana brings together 12 national teams competing for a spot in the 2025 Challenger Series, led by top contenders Kenya, Tunisia, and Zimbabwe, as South Africa has already secured a place in the HSBC SVNS. And we round up all the global Premier and Club competitions worldwide.

Read more🔗: https://scrumhalfconnection.com/2024/11/04/ghana-hosts-rugby-africa-sevens-challenger-series-qualification-wru-threats-to-womens-players-wrr-178/

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 alongside Colombia, who took third with a tight win over Uruguay. Major hosting news includes Ghana gearing up for the Rugby Africa 7s in November and the Solomon Islands set to welcome teams for the Oceania Rugby 7s in December, each offering Challenger Series qualification. Meanwhile, 7s will be notably absent from the 2026 Commonwealth Games. We cover all this and round up the global Premier and Club competitions worldwide.

Read more🔗: https://scrumhalfconnection.com/2024/10/28/ilona-maher-among-top-marketable-athletes-2025-rwc-schedule-released-wrr-177/