Red Roses captain pivotal in quelling French revival and winning her first Six Nations title since taking the roleRibcages shook as the baseline dropped. Boom. Boom. Boom. The vibrations matched the march of the teams coming out. Fireworks blasted red and white into the sky and Taylor Swift’s familiar voice sang: “Are you ready for it?” The world record crowd definitely were and it is a good job Twickenham does not have a roof or it would need repairing as these teams are used to breaking the glass ceiling.England rugby’s reputation needed some patching at their home, given that the last time a team frequented this grass the men were booed off after being destroyed by France in March. If...
Even in the crushing disappointment of defeat, there is much for the Red Roses to be proud ofIt was not the rose-tinted outcome that England wanted, but Saturday’s World Cup final was still, in many ways, a significant triumph. As the beaten Red Roses captain, Sarah Hunter, emphasised following her side’s agonising 34-31 loss: “People have finally woken up to what women’s rugby is all about.” This was the weekend that changed not just how female rugby players are perceived, but could also yet have a transformative effect on the men’s game.Everyone who attended the final left Eden Park saying the same things: the atmosphere was more family-friendly than the men’s equivalent, the players’ visible enjoyment and sense of adventure...
Depressing report into the state of the Black Ferns highlights problems even as move towards professionalisation acceleratesEngland’s success at attracting a record crowd in Gloucester last week for the win against Wales, plus a likely even better one against Ireland next Sunday in Leicester as the Six Nations resumes, is neat evidence of women’s rugby’s impressive ascent.Italy becoming the latest Test nation to announce contracts for their players in recent days adds weight to the argument that 2022 has been the most transformational year for the women’s game. Continue reading...
England will be big favourites but the tournament can flourish in a separate window from the men’s competitionA debate that has raged for years will come to an end this weekend. The Women’s Six Nations finally has a permanent window in the calendar, and with it comes a chance to forge its own identity, removing its grip from the coattails of the men’s championship, a reliance which was once vital but had started to suffocate.As the women’s competition continued to grow in popularity both with live crowds and TV audiences, bumping up against men’s and under-20s fixtures – all vying for broadcast slots and favourable kick-off times over the same spring weekends – had become untenable. And while the change...
Great strides have been made but the financial side is still lagging way behind the men’s game and solutions are neededOn the face of it women’s rugby has entered a brave new world. Almost everywhere you look there are emerging role models, from pioneering referees and executives to talented players eager to make it at the highest level. When England’s impressive captain, Sarah Hunter, spoke last week about the 2022 World Cup being a potential game-changer for her sport she did so fully aware of the vast leaps already taken over the past decade.For anyone who loves the game it should be great news that, finally, rugby has made genuine advances on inclusivity. Double-header club fixtures alongside the men, as...