Latest news with #WXV2
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Ambition v realism: the balance at heart of Scotland's Murrayfield move
The growth of women's rugby in Scotland has been gathering pace in recent contracts. Glasgow and Edinburgh playing in the Celtic Challenge. The national team winning the WXV2 title. Heading to this summer's World Cup with genuine hope of reaching the knockout Scottish Rugby is seeking to capitalise on the increased exposure and interest by moving next year's Women's Six Nations match with England away from their normal home of Hive Stadium and into the big bowl at an exciting step and an ambitious one. Scotland sold out the 7,800-capacity Hive Stadium for the visit of England last year but moving to the 67,000-seater Murrayfield represents quite a leap of faith. 'We want to lay next gauntlet down' All of this is a far cry to what many players in the Scotland squad experienced when they first represented their country."My first couple of matches were at Broadwood in Cumbernauld," Scotland wing Rhona Lloyd told BBC Scotland. "We played before the under-20s men and there was hardly anybody there."It's been a massive journey over the past 30 years to get to this point and I'm so excited for this moment and then for what that will mean for the future."For Lloyd, the announcement is a reflection of all the work that has gone before and a source of real Rugby's head of women and girl's rugby, Gemma Fay, echoes that but does acknowledge that it is a bold says the initial target is to breach the capacity of the Hive. Then they will look to eclipse the crowd for the most-attended women's match ever held in Scotland, which was when the national football team played Jamaica before the 2019 World game at Hampden drew 18,555 fans and served to inspire not only those who were there, but also those running women's sport in this country."I was at that game and it was absolutely amazing," former goalkeeper Fay says. "It was a moment in time and it's almost like the gauntlet had been laid down to say, 'look what we can do in women's sport in Scotland'."We have an opportunity to better that, but we want to take everybody in women's sport in Scotland with us because this is not about us versus them. "This is about us together. And if we can then go on and lay that next gauntlet down, who knows what can happen within women's sport in Scotland." Lessons to learn from football? That day at Hampden six years ago was the springboard to the Scotland team moving all their matches to the national stadium. However, that record crowd figure proved to be the high watermark rather than a platform for sustained started to dwindle and the vast empty stands did not help create the big-game atmosphere fans crave and, crucially, did not inspire the lies the lesson for Scottish Rugby - ambition is to be embraced, but it must be grounded in a sense of realism about what is achievable, and is no suggestion at this stage of the women's national team decamping full-time to special atmosphere they have developed recently at the Hive should not be given up lightly, and moving next door to the big stadium for a one-off occasion seems like a sensible approach to test the and Glasgow have done so to good effect at Murrayfield and Hampden for their festive 1872 Cup derbies, and the hope is Scottish rugby fans will buy into this match in similar numbers."We don't want this to be a one-off," said Scotland head coach Bryan Easson. "We want to do it maybe once a season to show how far it's come."But we don't want to forget what we've got out there [at Hive Stadium]. The crowd that we've got, it is a different audience. "The Hive is a brilliant home for us and it will continue to be our home. We'll still be there, but we'll also enjoy the occasion out here [at Murrayfield] too."
Perth Now
21-04-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Hinds adds sevens muscle to Wallaroos' World Cup push
Tia Hinds will miss Australia's rugby sevens world championship and instead join Charlotte Caslick and Bienne Terita in edging a step closer towards a Wallaroos World Cup berth. The trio of sevens stalwarts were on Tuesday named in 15-a-side women's coach Jo Yapp's 40-strong squad ahead of Australia's first Test of the season against Fijiana on May 3 in Suva. Two-time Olympian Hinds, 22, captained Australia's sevens outfit in their last event in Singapore this month. But after a 15-a-side taste with the ACT Brumbies in this year's Super Rugby Women's season, Hinds has opted to pursue that opportunity and forgo a shot at more silverware in the sevens Los Angeles finale that falls on the same weekend as the Suva Test. Paris Games representative Terita, 21, also made a cameo in Singapore for the injury-hit squad after recovering from a hamstring complaint to debut for the Brumbies late in the season. The squad will gather in Canberra this week before Yapp trims her squad to 30 next week. The Fijiana Test is one of seven before the World Cup in England from August 23. It's a carrot, along with a 2029 World Cup on home soil, that has lured Rio gold medallist and sevens great Caslick, who impressed at fullback for the Reds this season. Piper Duck (shoulder) is a notable omission from a squad that features 11 potential Test debutantes. Twenty-six players who featured in the Wallaroos' impressive WXV 2 title in South Africa last year have been included. Katalina Amosa, Martha Fua, Zoe Hanna, Manua Moleka, Faliki Pohiva and Ella Ryan join the Wallaroos for the first time, while Ruby Anderson, Ashley Fernandez and Waiaria Ellis return after being part of campaigns last year. Experienced Wallaroos trio Emily Chancellor, Adiana Talakai and Bree-Anna Browne return to the squad after missing the 2024 international season with knee injuries. Super Rugby champions the Waratahs, like the Brumbies, have 13 players in the squad, while beaten finalists the Reds have nine and the Western Force have five. "After a very competitive and successful Super Rugby Women's competition we have selected a squad that can continue the momentum built off the WXV 2 win last year," Yapp said. "It's an exciting year for women's rugby, and the preparation we have with seven Test matches over the next three months is going to be crucial ahead of the World Cup."The squad is a mix of youth and experience, with some new and returning players earning their opportunities."We are looking forward to seeing these players connect and grow throughout the upcoming camps and Pacific Four series." * WALLAROOS SQUAD Katalina Amosa, Ruby Anderson, Bree-Anna Browne, Charlotte Caslick, Emily Chancellor, Lori Cramer, Annabelle Codey, Biola Dawa, Waiaria Ellis, Ashley Fernandez, Georgina Friedrichs, Martha Fua, Caitlyn Halse, Zoe Hanna, Tia Hinds, Eva Karpani, Lydia Kavoa, Kaitlan Leaney, Michaela Leonard, Ashley Marsters, Arabella McKenzie, Desiree Miller, Tiarah Minns, Faitala Moleka, Manua Moleka, Tiarna Molloy, Layne Morgan, Tania Naden, Alapeta Ngauamo, Bridie O'Gorman, Siokapesi Palu, Faliki Pohiva, Trilleen Pomare, Ella Ryan, Cecilia Smith, Maya Stewart, Adiana Talakai, Bienne Terita, Tabua Tuinakauvadra, Natalie Wright
BBC News
09-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Lewis to leave WRU as scrum-half hints at Wales retirement
Ffion Lewis says she is leaving the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) programme after being informed her contract will not be renewed in the scrum-half was one of 37 players to earn a full-time professional contract from the WRU in September last year ahead of the WXV2 midway through the 2025 Women's Six Nations campaign, the 28-year-old has suggested her international career may now be over, but confirmed she plans to continue playing a statement posted on Instagram, Lewis said: "Unfortunately, I've recently been informed that my (WRU) contract will not be renewed in June. "Therefore, with the squad's best interests in mind and the protection of my own mental health, a decision has been made that I will be leaving the programme with immediate effect."She added: "This ISN'T a statement of retirement, as I am nowhere near done with the game."However, this may be the chapter closing on my international career."Lewis suffered a long-term knee injury in the Women's Six Nations two years ago and was subsequently ruled out of the WXV tournament in New then required surgery after being diagnosed with endometriosis after suffering and living with severe period pains and compound her year of hardship, the scrum-half then became a free agent after her club Worcester Warriors Women collapsed after their sponsor was included in Wales' 37-player squad for this year's Six Nations but has not featured in either of her country's opening two matches, against Scotland and Davies, Gloucester-Hartpury's breakthrough player of the season, has been preferred as Keira Bevan's understudy under new head coach Sean means the Bristol Bears back could well have donned the red jersey of Wales for the final time, although Lewis says she is walking away from the WRU with her "head held high".Lewis added: "I've poured my heart and soul into this programme over the last 10 years, sacrificed my career and financial stability and lived and breathed the four walls of the National Centre of Excellence."I've overcome situations I didn't think were possible and found strength in myself that I didn't know was there."I'm walking away with my head held high that I've done everything that has been asked of me, been nothing but passionate and committed, worked hard and stood by the girls through thick and thin."
BBC News
19-02-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Clarke joins sister in Scotland's Six Nations squad
Rhea Clarke has joined sister Elliann in being called up by Scotland and is one of nine uncapped players in head coach Bryan Easson's 34-strong extended training squad for the Women's Six University of Edinburgh scrum-half will hope to emulate her older sibling, with Bristol Bears forward Elliann already accumulating 15 is joined in the squad by uncapped Edinburgh clubmates Aila Ronald, Hannah Walker, Adelle Ferrie, Molly Poolman, along with four debutants from the English Premiership - Loughborough Lightning's Becky Boyd, Sale Sharks' Rachel Philipps and Bristol Bears duo Hollie Cunningham and Meg Philipps was previously part of the squad that travelled and competed in WXV 2 in South Africa in Tigers fly-half Evie Wills, who has three caps, has earned her first call up since recovering from a cruciate ligament injury that ruled her out of action for the 2023-24 season. Saracens centre Coreen Grant, Loughborough lock Emma Wassell and Bristol centre Meryl Smith are currently unavailable through McMillan, Fi McIntosh and Mairi McDonald have been the selected 34 players, Scotland Under-20 and Celtic Challenge players Holland Bogan, Emily Coubrough, Poppy Mellanby (all Glasgow Warriors), Talei Tawake, Natasha Logan and Hannah Ramsay (all Edinburgh) will be invited into camp as day trainers to support their open at home to Wales on Saturday, 22 March before travelling to La Rochelle to take on France a week will then welcome Italy to Edinburgh on Sunday, 13 April before facing England in Leicester six days final match will take place at home to Ireland on Saturday, 26 April. Scotland squad Forwards: Leah Bartlett (Leicester Tigers), Christine Belisle (Loughborough Lightning), Becky Boyd (Loughborough Lightning), Sarah Bonar (Harlequins), Elliann Clarke (Bristol Bears), Hollie Cunningham (Bristol Bears), Evie Gallagher (Bristol Bears), Adelle Ferrie (Edinburgh/Corstorphine Cougars), Jade Konkel (Harlequins), Rachel Malcolm, captain (Loughborough Lightning), Elis Martin (Loughborough Lightning), Rachel McLachlan (Montpellier), Aila Ronald (Edinburgh/University of Edinburgh), Molly Poolman (Edinburgh/University of Edinburgh), Lana Skeldon (Bristol Bears), Alex Stewart (Edinburgh/Corstorphine Cougars), Anne Young (Loughborough Lightning), Molly Wright (Sale Sharks).Backs: Leia Brebner-Holden (Loughborough Lightning), Beth Blacklock (Saracens), Rhea Clarke (Edinburgh/University of Edinburgh), Rhona Lloyd (Les Lionnes du Stade Bordelais), Caity Mattinson (Trailfinders), Francesca McGhie (Leicester Tigers), Liz Musgrove (Trailfinders), Helen Nelson (Loughborough Lightning), Rachel Philipps (Sale Sharks), Chloe Rollie (Trailfinders), Lucia Scott (Edinburgh/Gloucester-Hartpury), Emma Orr (Bristol Bears), Lisa Thomson (Trailfinders), Hannah Walker (Edinburgh/University of Edinburgh), Evie Wills (Leicester Tigers), Meg Varley (Bristol Bears).
