Latest news with #Women'sRugbyWorldCup
IOL News
13 hours ago
- Sport
- IOL News
30 days to go: Johannes-Haupt confident Bok Women can put on good show in hometown against Black Ferns
Springbok Women's assistant coach Laurian Johannes-Haupt will focus heavily on the breakdown with the forwards this week. Picture: SA Rugby Image: SA Rugby Laurian Johannes-Haupt feels when she faced up to the mighty Black Ferns haka at the Women's Rugby World Cup back in 2010, the women's game was virtually unrecognisable from the high-impact professional sport it has now transformed into. The Springbok Women's assistant coach is the embodiment of the change within the game after the 40-year-old swapped her classroom at Athlone High School in Cape Town for a Bok tracksuit on a fulltime basis at the beginning of the year. Johannes-Haupt can now focus all her energies on preparing the Boks for their all-important clash against the Black Ferns XI in her hometown when the traditional rivals meet at the historic Athlone Stadium on Saturday. 'We played them in the 2010 World Cup and from where the game has gone to, there's been massive, massive improvements,' Johannes-Haupt said, on the sidelines of the Boks training at UCT on Monday. 'The game has evolved so much. The Black Ferns come with a special skill set. Their skill set is really unmatched. They play from all over the park. They have a good set piece as well. We're in for quite a good game and I think we're going to give them a good show.' The @WomenBoks working hard at UCT ahead of their match against the @BlackFerns XV at Athlone Stadium on Saturday. @IOL @IOLsport — Zaahier Adams (@ZaahierAdams) July 21, 2025 Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading The Black Ferns are six-times world champions and will be one of the favourites to raise the trophy a seventh time when the Women's Rugby World Cup gets underway in exactly 30 days in England next month. The Kiwis have therefore sent a second-string squad to face the 12th ranked Boks. Johannes-Haupt feels this is no less a challenge with plenty of the Black Ferns squad in Cape Town boasting Test-match experience. 'It's not the regular players, but there are quite a few capped Black Ferns in their team, as well as a few Sevens players of the Black Ferns,' she said. 'We're preparing for a proper physical encounter because we've watched their previous games, we know what to expect and we're just going to do what we need to do for the game to be successful.' The Bok Women have been preparing steadily themselves for WRWC25 with two hard-fought Test matches against No 2 ranked Canada leading up to the clashes with the Black Ferns. Springbok Women lock Vainah Ubisi is fit and firing again after an injury layoff. Photo: BackpagePix Image: BackpagePix The home team showed significant improvement in the second Test, especially at the breakdown where they stalled the momentum of the Canadians. 'We definitely want to get better at the breakdown. The first game against Canada, we weren't that good at the breakdown,' Johannes-Haupt said. 'Second one, we came out sharper and now we just want to carry on with that trend going into the Black Ferns game. 'Our transitional play could also be better and that's what we're going in for. We want to transition better and want to play a more attacking brand of and finishing it. 'We definitely want to give it our best showing and want to take our good positives going into the World Cup because it's all part of the prep for the ultimate goal, the World Cup.' The Boks' chances have been boosted with the return of influential lock Vainah Ubisi, who was nominated for SA Rugby Women's Player of the Year last year, after her recovery from a serious knee injury. Johannes-Haupt feels Ubisi's contagious positive spirit has also rubbed off on the rest of the squad. 'She (Ubisi) was beaming. Beaming with excitement just to be able to be back on the park,' she said. 'Firstly, she's been waiting a long time to get back and she's been doing well. It's good to see her back in form and there's still a road ahead of her, but she's good to go. 'It's always special to have our younger ones back. She's like 23 years old. She's built a lot of experience from the WXV to where she is now, so to transition her back into the game is just special and everybody just loves having everyone around, so it's good vibes all the way.'
North Wales Live
a day ago
- Sport
- North Wales Live
Red Roses legend Sarah Hunter believes Women's Rugby World Cup will change sport forever
Former England captain Sarah Hunter believes the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup will create a lasting legacy for the game. England will play host to the biggest Women's Rugby World Cup ever seen when it gets under way in Sunderland on 22 August. Ticket sales have already broken records, but Hunter believes the impact goes past just the game in England, 'It is global. Because we are in England, we think about what the growth can be like here, but I genuinely think this could be a moment in time for the women's game worldwide,' Hunter said. 'What it can do to create that lasting legacy that really puts women's rugby on the map. If you look at where all the countries are coming from, you have South America, Brazil coming to their first World Cup, you've got Samoa returning for the first time in 11 years. 'All these wonderful nations, including Canada and the USA which in the men's game you might not think they are traditional rugby countries. I think that is what is so good about the women's game is that actually, it gets into places that maybe it hasn't been thought they play rugby. 'The eyes of the world will be on this tournament and if that is in countries that don't normally have rugby then that is a window where they can create their own legacy in their own right. Whether that is playing, whether that is fanbase, whatever that might be, I just think we've got a real opportunity, we've got more media attention, more fans coming from around the world. 'I think it is a prime opportunity to grow the game globally.' It is not just on the pitch or in the stands that the World Cup will have impact, with coaching set to be a key focus. The Gallagher High Performance Academy (GHPA) will see 16 female coaches embedded within their unions during the tournament. The World Rugby initiative aims to increase the number of female coaches in elite rugby by providing workshops and mentors as well as first-hand experience at tournaments. Hunter, who now serves as England defence coach, was part of the first GHPA cohort and believes it is doing important work in removing the barriers for women coaching in rugby. She added: 'Some of the barriers females find going into coaching, they don't often know the pathway exists or the opportunity is there. Sometimes I guess it might be seen as a risk to take on board a female who all the previous experience doesn't necessarily have, but they have got the skillset and the ability to do it. 'But they haven't been given the opportunity so that is what the High-Performance Academy does. It gives people the opportunity to get a foot in the door, and it also allows the nation to have a female come in and just see the added value can have in their programme.'
The Age
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Age
Cross-code star almost salvages Broncos comeback, as battle for signatures loom
Broncos rugby union convert Kerri Johnson has vowed to make her NRLW crossover a long-term project, despite once harbouring a desire to represent New Zealand at the Women's Rugby World Cup in 2029. The Brisbane flyer, making just her third rugby league appearance, scored in the corner for her third try of the season to keep her side in the hunt with two minutes remaining, before ultimately suffering a 30-26 defeat to the Sydney Roosters on Sunday. The 22-year-old, who jumped to the 13-woman code after plying her trade for the Auckland Blues and Melbourne Rebels, came up with her third line-break of the afternoon in the lead up to her try, with five-eighth Gayle Broughton then drawing a sin binning from Roosters star Jessica Sergis. Johnson, who finished with 159 running metres and five tackle busts, is joined at the Broncos by former union and rugby sevens stars Shalom Sauaso, who missed the clash with a sternum injury, Skyla Adams, Broughton and Azalleyah Maaka. But while she admitted she felt some allure to the possibility of representing the Black Ferns at the World Cup, and even featuring at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, Johnson now envisioned an extensive tenure in the NRLW. Loading 'I was just watching it [the NRLW], and it looked a bit more like the way I like to play, a bit more running it up and a bit more space too than in union,' Johnson told this masthead. 'NRLW is definitely something I want a long-term shot at, but I'm always open to anything really. I'd been in sevens for a couple of years, just with the New Zealand development team going overseas, and [the Olympics] was definitely something on my radar. 'Coming off the back four and running straight into the middles on the opposite team is definitely different for me. I think I'm adjusting to it pretty quickly, it's a similar sport to union – just [slightly] different roles – so I'm definitely adjusting pretty quick.'
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
Cross-code star almost salvages Broncos comeback, as battle for signatures loom
Broncos rugby union convert Kerri Johnson has vowed to make her NRLW crossover a long-term project, despite once harbouring a desire to represent New Zealand at the Women's Rugby World Cup in 2029. The Brisbane flyer, making just her third rugby league appearance, scored in the corner for her third try of the season to keep her side in the hunt with two minutes remaining, before ultimately suffering a 30-26 defeat to the Sydney Roosters on Sunday. The 22-year-old, who jumped to the 13-woman code after plying her trade for the Auckland Blues and Melbourne Rebels, came up with her third line-break of the afternoon in the lead up to her try, with five-eighth Gayle Broughton then drawing a sin binning from Roosters star Jessica Sergis. Johnson, who finished with 159 running metres and five tackle busts, is joined at the Broncos by former union and rugby sevens stars Shalom Sauaso, who missed the clash with a sternum injury, Skyla Adams, Broughton and Azalleyah Maaka. But while she admitted she felt some allure to the possibility of representing the Black Ferns at the World Cup, and even featuring at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, Johnson now envisioned an extensive tenure in the NRLW. Loading 'I was just watching it [the NRLW], and it looked a bit more like the way I like to play, a bit more running it up and a bit more space too than in union,' Johnson told this masthead. 'NRLW is definitely something I want a long-term shot at, but I'm always open to anything really. I'd been in sevens for a couple of years, just with the New Zealand development team going overseas, and [the Olympics] was definitely something on my radar. 'Coming off the back four and running straight into the middles on the opposite team is definitely different for me. I think I'm adjusting to it pretty quickly, it's a similar sport to union – just [slightly] different roles – so I'm definitely adjusting pretty quick.'
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
I'm a female sports presenter, here's what it's really like being a pundit, you wouldn't believe the sexism I have faced
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THIS summer the spotlight is truly on women when it comes to the world of sport. With the Lionesses storming into the semi-finals of the Euros and the Women's Rugby World Cup set to kick off in August, girl power is the theme on and off the pitch. 5 Reshmin Chowdhury has opened up about the sexism and racism she suffered as a sports presenter Credit: The Sun 5 She says that people would mistake her for someone who was there to make the tea and take notes Credit: Getty However, unfortunately despite their incredible achievements so many women in the industry are still at the receiving end of toxic sexist comments as Reshmin Chowdhury knows all too well. 'I had to fight hard to be a female sports presenter,' Reshmin, 47, says. 'It wasn't easy and I tackled racism and sexism in sport reporting to forge my career. 'There was no playbook for me to follow to get to the job I have now.' Mum Reshmin, lives in London with her daughter, 12 and 12 year old son while dividing her time appearing as a presenter and sports commentator on TNT Sports and hosting Game Day Exclusive on talkSPORT on Saturday mornings. In the last five years she's made headlines fronting the FIFA World Cup in Qatar for BeIN Sports, covering the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games for Eurosport and Discovery Plus, and helping helm the UEFA Euro 2000 for ITV Sport. Reshmin says: 'If you had told me 30 years ago this would be my job, I'd have said you were crazy. 'I would have laughed it off as an impossible dream. 'Now I know through the ups and downs the impossible is possible. 'It's been hard to get here, and I have fought some tough battles to be accepted.' Reshmin Chowdhury talks about ethnic prejudice in sports broadcasting Reshmin grew up in East London, raised in what she describes as an open minded and progressive Bengali Muslim family. She says: 'Aunts and uncles surrounded me and I grew up supported by a huge second-generation community where education, culture, religion, and music constantly celebrated.' As a teenager Reshmin admitted she was sports crazy. 'My brother and I would obsessively watch everything from Wimbledon to football together,' she says. 'I was a 'sports nerd girl' - that was unusual but when it came to facts and figures about all different types of sport I lived and breathed them.' After leaving school Reshmin graduated from the University of Bath with a degree in politics and economics. In 2003 she completed a post graduate diploma in newspaper journalism at Harlow College. 'I had a degree in politics and started doing low level assistant jobs in newsrooms and that made sense to people,' she says. 5 She has also opened up at her annoyance over nepo babies Credit: Talking Futures 5 Reshmin says it was always her dream to work in sport Credit: Alamy 'I had a politics degree, and I was training as a news reporter. 'The thought of a British Bengali woman being fascinated by sport and becoming an expert sports commentator was something most people didn't even consider possible. 'I soon realised I didn't want to be pigeonholed. 'I wanted to be a TV presenter and reporter, and I wanted to do sport. 'When you factor in, I was not just a woman but a British Asian woman and the odds were pretty much stacked against me.' Reshmin admits she thrives on challenges saying the key to her success was a passion for sport and a desire to prove people wrong. 'I went through a number of years knowing what I wanted to do but not knowing how to get into TV presenting and reporting,' she says. 'There was no guidance or even training programmes then which could be followed when I was starting out. There were times it was unpleasant. It wasn't right Reshmin Chowdhury 'Diversity hiring wasn't common then and I didn't use that track to jumpstart my career.' Reshmin admits she found herself constantly having to prove to potential bosses and colleagues she knew all the ins and outs of football. 'Everyday was a test, a test to be recognised and taken seriously,' she says. 'I'd be asked questions in the office or even on air about unusual football facts or players and I knew if I got something wrong, I'd be judged negatively 'There were times it was unpleasant. It wasn't right. 'There were times people thought I was there to take notes or make the coffee. Ultimate sports presenters rich list TV sports presenters make a mint. The biggest and best are signed up on yearly deals with the likes of the BBC, ITV and Sky for your viewing pleasure. Laura Woods is dominating the media landscape at the moment, leading TNT Sports' coverage and ITV's. Alex Scott and Jermaine Jenas are two of the fresher faces for the BBC's sporting output. Then, it's the old guard of Gary Lineker and Mark Chapman who also command hefty fees for their Match of the Day programmes. SunSport has taken a look at how those big names rank and compiled a list of the top 10 highest earning stars that grace our TV screens. With number one worth a whopping £29.4million more than number 10! Read the story and see the full list here. 'Would they have asked a man to jump through hoops in sports journalism? No, of course not. But like it or not women have to even today. 'I'm not full of myself but looking back I am proud I could pioneer a small path for other British Asian women in the competitive field of sports reporting world.' Reshmin admits that she finds the rise of nepo babies, children who are successful because of their parents, 'annoying'. 'When I started my TV career, I didn't have an 'in',' she says. 'We've all seen an increase in nepo babies - the children of the rich and famous all over the world getting jobs on the back of their parents. 'It puts so much pressure on those kids and it isn't fair on other people. Some children from non-famous families give up because they feel the system is rigged.' Reshmin admits she also has her hands full juggling motherhood and a high-profile career and struggles with mum-guilt. 'My children were born 20 months apart and I took time off to care for them,' she says. 'I came back and had to work extra hard to catch up. 'It's not a complaint, it's just what happens in the work of competitive sports journalism. 'I always have mum guilt. I worry I am not doing enough and have to be regimented with my time.' Would they have asked a man to jump through hoops in sports journalism? Of course not Reshmin Chowdhury Reshmin has partnered with Talking Futures to launch the Career Transfer Hub – giving parents access to information on their child's education options just like football agents have transfer insiders, negotiation teams and career scouts. 'I know the pressure kids feel in the lead up to GCSE's, A- Levels, and mock exams,' she says. 'Many are making huge decisions before summer holidays about leaving school, starting college, or getting jobs. 'I know just how vulnerable many teens feel and how confused they are about these live altering decisions. 'That's why the Career Transfer Hub is such a great solution to getting parents – like me – more engaged. 'It's time we used the same passion and time we give to football to help our teens take their next step. "Whether it's T-levels, apprenticeships, HTQs or other options, these are the real career-defining transfers – and our teens deserve our full support.'
