Womens XVs Rugby - Global news & Developments

[YamahaKiwi Profile]

There's also a Sakura West v Sakura East All-star womens XVs game being held as one of the events including the mens XVs Japan XV v Asia-Pacific Dragons game, making up the Kansai region rugby festival at Hanazono Stadium in Osaka today. Basically it's an all Japan trial for the women's XVs NT to play in the Asian Champs in June in HKG. No players involved in the 7s squad or training group are involved.

[YamahaKiwi Profile]

Sakura West won for the first time against the East, convincingly, 44-12.

[Canalina Profile]

A very nice investigating work made by ScrumQueens to find the details of the story of Kathleen Trick, the "Mona Lisa of rugby".
The springboks' dress of this little girl with a sulky face, painted in 1907, was a mystery, but now many pieces of the story have been brought up to the light
http://www.scrumqueens.com/news/more-fi ... -springbok

[johnbirch Profile]

I think "sulky" is a bit hard on a five year old girl being asked to stand very still for a long time...

[Canalina Profile]

My english is not so good, the synonym of "sulky" in my language has not a negative connotation. I just wanted to say that she's not smiling and perhaps a bit bored. About standing still, perhaps the painting is based on a photo; in this case the standing time would have been very shorter.
I'm not an expert but the quality of the painting, overall in the details of the face, seems high; I very like it

[grande Profile]

Starting this weekend, the Women's Asian 4 Nations (ARFU Women's Rugby Championship)

May 18th, Japan Vs Singapore
May 18th, Kazakhstan Vs Hong Kong
May 21st, Japan Vs Hong Kong
May 21st, Kazakhstan Vs Singapore
May 24th, Singapore Vs Hong Kong
May 24th, Kazakhstan Vs Japan

The tournament returns to a round robin format again. All games will be held in Hong Kong.

Kazakhstan is going for their 3rd straight win. They've won every A4N that they have participated in.

Previous results here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARFU_Wome ... ampionship

[grande Profile]

Awhile ago, I started working on a site that would essentially be a DB of women's rugby results. I never completed the site, but I did make a ranking based off of the IRB ranking.

I thought I'd keep track of it now, and leading into the World Cup. It takes into account every game going back to the first Women's Test in 1982.

There's not as many teams as other rankings, as I require each team to get a "provisional" ranking by playing five games against full ranked teams.

I also keep track of a challenge trophy, similar to the theoretical Raeburn Shield, called the Utrecht Shield, indicated by "(US)" below.

I've bolded the teams taking place in the ARFU 4 Nations below for easy reading:

1. New Zealand (57.09)
2. England (51.66) (US)
3. France (50.29)
4. Canada (49.25)
5. Ireland (48.07)
6. Australia (46.21)
7. United States (44.21)
-. Nomads (43.09)
8. Italy (41.01)
9. South Africa (40.28)
10. Wales (39.89)
11. Spain (39.58)
12. Samoa (38.26)
13. Kazakhstan (37.36)
14. Japan (35.5)
15. Scotland (34.67)
16. Russia (32.46)
17. Netherlands (31.08)
18. Hong Kong (30.66)
19. Sweden (30.65)
20. Romania (30.16)
21. Singapore (28.88)
22. Finland (26.77)
23. Germany (25.74)
24. Belgium (24.72)
25. Norway (23.19)

[grande Profile]

Women's Rugby World Cup will continue to be every four years, however the next one will be in 2017.

It will remain 12 teams, and the qualification process will be "streamlined," although there's no telling how... (Personally, I'd rather see qualification expanded, even if they stay at 12 teams)

Source: IRB Press release on RugbyCanada.ca.

[NedRugby Profile]

How can qualifying be more streamlined than already? Maybe by inviting 11 teams and making Spain play Italy for the twelfth spot?

[grande Profile]

For this WC, six of the twelve teams were automatic qualifiers... The only other one that might make sense would be South Africa, since they hardly had competition.

[johnbirch Profile]

I suspect the streamlining will be time, with qualification squeezed into a period between the end of the 2016 Olympics and roughly the end of the 2017 Six Nations. For 2014 what qualification there was was spread over about two years (ie 2012 and 2013 6N).

Difficult to see that you could have any WRWC qualification tournaments before the Olympics, esp with the Olympic qualification process taking most of 2015.

Of course it all pre-supposes that much more than 12 teams enter. If Australia do not finish in the top 4 in Paris I can see them giving up on 15s altogther (I'm not wildly sure that they would have bothered this year if they had had to qualify first), while of the active 15s nations in Europe I think only Spain (outside the 6N) would bother. Add in four Asian teams, three in Africa, and two from North America then you only need to slim 18 down to 12 - which would hardly be difficult.

[victorsra Profile Website]

Last weekend São Paulo State Federation organized an Women's XV-a-side event. Three sides played each other with reduced time:

SPAC/Band Saracens 10 x 6 Rio Branco

Rio Branco 43 x 0 Mackenzie/Acauã/Indaiá

Mackenzie/Acauã/Indaiá 0 x 74 SPAC/Band Saracens

In Brazil women's rugby is exclusively sevens, but there are many clubs in the whole country and XVs can be started, for sure. The problem is that Brazilian Rugby Confederation made clear that Women's XVs is the "last priority". Olympic sevens is everything for CBRu. Probably we'll have to wait the end of 2016 to start think seriously about Women's XVs...

[Thomas Profile]

This is not an easy answer should or shouldn't be Rugby XV's in Latin America? I have written about the issues currently facing the continent on Scrum Queens. Brasil is dictated by CONSUR the regional governing body.

I don't agree is the last priority. Olympic Sports will always be the priority since Rugby receives funding and the Latin Psyche has always been Olympics take precedence. In the case of Brasil is not a matter of just having Rugby XV's the question here is how do you maintain sustainability and can it be maintained as a viable force.

Furthermore you got the South American Games (ODESUR) in 2018 will the same level of funding currently being provided to all Olympic Sports in Brasil be maintained once the games are over?

In terms of qualification for the WRWC in my opinion it should be 16 teams to at least allow more African or Asian nations, I don't understand the logic of having 12 teams is a very insular look at Women's Rugby.

[victorsra Profile Website]

Furthermore you got the South American Games (ODESUR) in 2018 will the same level of funding currently being provided to all Olympic Sports in Brasil be maintained once the games are over?

Nobody knows what will happen after 2016. In fact, after 2018, when we'll have new presidential elections. I fear that amateur sports will experience setbacks.

Brazilian women's rugby priority must be U18s. Competitions are just begining and there are few under age players. However, we are experiencing a boom of clubs with women's sides, all over Brazil, in dozens of states. Which means Brazilian rugby has now an impressive pool of players. But most of them playing in small clubs with poor training structures and few well-prepared technical staff.

Women's XV must be taken more seriously because it's the essence of rugby game, more democratic for different physical types. It's more inclusive and for sure is an encouragement for new girls start playing rugby. In national team level it would be the possibility for another Brazilian side reach an World Cup, which is good for self-esteem of players, another encouragement for new girls, and a good marketing.

[grande Profile]

Rugby Canada has released their squad for the New Zealand tour. Cindy Nelles is replacing Barbara Mervin, who is out on injury.

Elissa Alarie, (Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue Rugby Club) Trois-Rivieres, QC
Emily Belchos, (Markham Irish RFC) Barrie, ON
Brittany Benn, (Guelph Redcoats) Napanee, ON
Stephanie Bernier, (Club de Rugby Quebec) Quebec City, Quebec
Tyson Beukeboom, (Aurora Barbarians) Uxbridge, Ontario
Latoya Blackwood, (St. Anne de Bellevue) Montreal, QC
Andrea Burk, (Capilano RFC) North Vancouver, BC
Sammy Crandell, (Hornets RFC) Calgary, AB
Olivia DeMerchant, (Woodstock Wildmen) Mapledale, NB
Kim Donaldson, (Burnaby Lake Rugby Club) Toronto, ON
Jessica Dovanne, (Velox RFC) Victoria, BC
Magali Harvey, (Club de Rugby Quebec) Quebec City, QC
Mary Jane Kirby, (Highland RFC) Brampton, ON
Hilary Leith, (Capilano RFC) Vancouver, BC
Kayla Mack, (Wild Oats RFC) Saskatoon, SK
Mandy Marchak, (Capilano RFC) Winnipeg, MB
Jacey Murphy, (Aurora Barbarians) Alliston, ON
Cindy Nelles (Oakville Crusaders/McMaster University) Belleville, ON
Karen Paquin, (Club de Rugby Quebec) Quebec City, QC
Marie-Pier Pinault-Reid, (Club de Rugby Quebec) Quebec City, QC
Kelly Russell, (Toronto Nomads) Bolton, ON
Laura Russell, (Toronto Nomads) Bolton, ON
Maria Samson, (Calgary Hornets) Calgary, AB
Julia Sugawara, (Burnaby Lake RFC) Surrey, BC
Amanda Thornborough, (Brandon Barbarians RFC) Brandon, MB
Brittany Waters, (Meraloma Athletic Club) Vancouver, BC
Julianne Zussman, (Town of Mount Royal RFC) Montreal, QC

[AUCKLANDREUNION Profile]

The Black Ferns defeated Australia tonight 38- 3, they next play next Saturday night against Samoa, that game being the curtain raiser to the All Blacks versus England.

[grande Profile]

A couple profiles for the upcoming weekend's games.

Australia vs Canada

Australia has played 33 tests prior to this, their first being in 1994, a 37-nil loss to the Black Ferns. Since then, they've become one of the bigger names in women's rugby, although this will only be their second match since the 2010 World Cup (where they finished 3rd).

Current Rank: 4th, with 45.02 points

Canada is certainly a more experienced side, having recently played their 100th test match in April (a narrow win over their regional rivals, the United States). They also have a much longer history, dating all the way back to 1987, one of the first few teams to take women's rugby seriously. They won the Nations Cup in 2013, and have shown they can go head-to-head with the world's best.

Current Rank: 5th, with 44.07 points

Australia's Last 5 - LWLWL

May 31, 2014 - LOSS v New Zealand (38-3)
Sept 5, 2010 - WIN v France (22-8, World Cup 3rd Place match)
Sept 1, 2010 - LOSS v England (15-0, World Cup Semi-Final)
Aug 28, 2010 - WIN v South Africa (62-0, World Cup)
Aug 24, 2010 - LOSS v New Zealand (32-5, World Cup)

Canada's Last 5 - WWLWL

April 19, 2014 - WIN v United Stats (14-10)
April 15, 2014 - WIN v United Stats (51-7)
Nov 13, 2013 - LOSS v England (32-3)
Nov 5, 2013 - WIN v France (11-6)
Nov 2, 2013 - LOSS v France (27-19)

Head-To-Head

Surprisingly, this is their first match up.

New Zealand vs Samoa

New Zealand have the higest win percentage of any women's rugby team. They won their first six games without difficulty, before taking their first loss to the US in the 1991 World Cup. They've won every World Cup since 1998, and they show no signs of slowing down any time soon.

Current Rank: 1st, with 53.82 points

Samoa is the newest team of the four, playing their first test just 14 years ago, a 12-10 loss to Japan. They've been stronger than many others in the past, surprising Ireland, Kazakhstan, and Wales in the 2002 World Cup. However, this will be their first match in over a year (when they qualified for the World Cup), and it won't be easy.

Current Rank: 13th, with 31.08 points

New Zealand's Last 5 - WWWWW

May 31, 2014 - WIN v Australia (38-3)
July 20, 2013 - WIN v England (29-8)
July 16, 2013 - WIN v England (14-9)
July 13, 2013 - WIN v England (29-10)
January 12, 2012 - WIN v England (32-23)

Of note, New Zealand loves playing England. Ten of their last 11 games were against the English

Samoa's Last 5 - WWLLL

April 27, 2013 - WIN v Netherlands (33-14, European World Cup qualification)
April 23, 2013 - WIN v Sweden (29-0, European World Cup qualification)
April 20, 2013 - LOSS v Italy (65-22, European World Cup qualification)
Aug 7, 2009 - LOSS v Australia (87-0, World Cup qualification)
Sept 16, 2006 - LOSS v Spain (10-5, World Cup 9th Place Playoff)

Head-To-Head

New Zealand has only faced off against Samoa once before, during the 2006 World Cup in Edmonton. New Zealand won easily, 50-0.

[grande Profile]

The US will be touring the UK.

June 28: Wales vs USA
July 2: England vs USA
July 6: England vs USA

Source: http://usarugby.org/womens-eagles-news/ ... gory_id=37

[AUCKLANDREUNION Profile]

Last night the Black ferns scored 14 tries in their victory over Samoa.

Playing a curtain raiser to an All Blacks test on Eden Park will be a highlight in many of these girls rugby careers.

Final score 90-12.

[YamahaKiwi Profile]

Nice to see the Manu Sina ladies got a couple of tries of their own. And good result for Canada beating Australia 22 to zip.

[Petelo Profile]

I thought it was going to be 150 for a while there in the 2nd half.

From where this team started from - 5 people to the first training session last year - to putting up a good fight for the first 30mins, it is close to a miracle. The aim for the world cup is to get 1 win, maybe 2.

[grande Profile]

What was the turnout like for the Black Ferns match?

[AUCKLANDREUNION Profile]

What was the turnout like for the Black Ferns match?

48,000, Eden Park was virtually full.

[grande Profile]

Canada lost to the Black Ferns, no surprise there... but they lost 16-8. That's the closest they've ever been. The next best was a 24-8 loss in 1991.

Unrelated: Did people enjoy the "match profiles" I did a few posts up, or was it trivia that you just scrolled past? I won't be offended, I just don't want to clutter the forums if it's only for my benefit

[iul Profile]

I liked the match profiles despite not even careing about women's rugby at all.