women's rugby

Exeter Chiefs Women head coach Oli Bishop has named a captain and two vice-captains for the duration of the JAECOO Next Gen Cup.

Emily Robinson will lead the women through a second campaign while there are new vice-captains in place, centurion full-back Merryn Elworthy and Black Ferns prop Amy Rule.

Bishop said: “The three leaders we decided to pick are based on the work...

Exeter Chiefs have signed up promising talent from the U23s pathway to enhance the women’s programme for the 2026/27 season.

Ten young players have been contracted to the club, including 18-year-old Izzy Firth who has only just left Exeter College.

England U18s captain centre Meghan Crilly will join also the Exeter Chiefs transition squad after two years at Loughborough...

Exeter Chiefs Women have promoted assistant coach Oli Bishop to the role of head coach ahead of the 2026/27 season.

Bishop joined Chiefs as women’s attack and backs coach ahead of last season. He arrived from Trailfinders Women with a wealth of experience having spent nine seasons with Wasps Women before coaching for two further seasons in London.

Bishop immediately settled...

Exeter Chiefs Women’s fly-half/centre Liv McGoverne has re-signed with the club to take her into the 2025/26 season.

This extends her second stint with the women’s team. McGoverne originally joined the club for the 2022/23 season but then returned home to New Zealand before bouncing back to the PWR in 2024.

Last season saw her become the league’s leader for most kicks in...

An international study on concussion in sportswomen has been announced by the company that developed a concussion test for adult males based on research led by Dr Valentina Di Pietro and Professor Tony Belli at the University of Birmingham .

Research suggests that female athletes suffer a higher rate of concussion, which may be accompanied by a wider range of more severe and...

World Rugby and Gallagher, a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services company, today announced a multi-year global partnership establishing Gallagher as an Official Partner of Women's Rugby and Rugby World Cup 2025. The announcement signifies Gallagher's commitment to developing participation in the women's game around the world.

As part of the partnership...

When Bideford RFC Ladies happily trudged off the field with a 78-5 victory over Withycombe on December 4, the moment of sporting satisfaction was overwhelmed by a sense of deep pride felt all around the club.

Flanker Alison Mower played the opening 20 minutes of a terrific display and performed with a level of intensity that told just a fraction of her incredible story.

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At Twickenham Stadium last weekend, 50 inspiring female referees marked the launch of a new campaign with the aim of attracting more female officials to the sport.

Brought together by The Rugby Football Union (RFU) and ACME Whistles ahead of the clash between England Men and Japan, the 50 referees surrounded the national flags on the pitch, alongside the players and dignitaries...

2022 has certainly been the year of women's sport in England. The Lionesses won the Euros, the women of Team England sparkled at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and now the Red Roses are red-hot favourites to win the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

However, this success at elite level for women's sport is built on the strong foundations of grassroots projects up and down the...

The RFU has launched a nationwide campaign to inspire 500 new female rugby referees to join the sport by the end of 2024.

The #INSPIRE campaign will celebrate a female referee every day in the build-up to the England v Japan Autumn international on November 12, at which 50 of England’s most inspiring female referees will take to the pitch at Twickenham.

The campaign launched...