Formed 2004 ... Herts 7s U14 Runners-up 2005 ... North Herts U14 team, Herts Youth Games 2005 runners-up (coached by Letchworth)... Herts Superteams U14 Runners-up 2005 ... Herts SuperTeams "Fairplay" winners 2006 ... Rochford 10s U17 Champions 2006 ... East Midlands 10s U17 Runners-up 2007 ... East Midlands 10s U17 "Fairplay" winners 2007 ... National 10s U17 5th place and "Fairplay" winners 2007 ... Herts 7s U17 Plate runners-up 2007 ... National 7s U17 Plate winners 2007 ... RFU "President's XV" Award winners 2007 ... Herts Superteams winners 2007 ... Midlands 10s U18 Runners-up 2008 ... National 10s U18 4th place 2008 ... North Herts U11 team, Herts Youth Games 2008 runners-up (coached by Letchworth girls) ... London and SE 7s U18 Plate runners-up 2008 ... Herts 7s U18s runners-up 2008 ... National 7s U18s quarter-finalists 2008 ... Gloucester City 10s U18 Bowl runner-up (6th) 2009 ... Worthing 10s U18 Plate runner-up 2009 ... National 7s U18 Plate winners 2009... Worthing 10s U15 Plate winners 2010... Worthing 10s U18 Shield winners 2010... Herts 7s U15 and U18 Bowl runners-up 2010... National 7s U18 Plate runners-up 2010...

Saturday, December 20, 2008

World Cup 2010: European qualification process announced

First news about the qualification process for the 2010 Women's Rugby World Cup (WRWC) has been announced... by the Swedish RFU. The IRB were supposed to be publishing full details back in October, but seem to have forgotten all about it. Luckily the Swedes have not decided to wait for a formal IRB statement, and have just published full details on their own website. In Swedish

So this is quite possibly the first time this information has appeared anywhere in English...

And the shock headline news is that Europe are to be given six of the 12 places, instead of five in 2006 and the top 12 teams in Europe (based on current FIRA rankings) will compete for these places.

The first four places will be awarded to the top four teams in the 2009 Six Nations. The two teams finishing fifth and sixth (probably Italy and Scotland) will then play off for the final two places against Spain, Netherlands, Russia, Sweden, Germany, and Belgium in a tournament to be held in Sweden in May. Details here.

The effect of all this is that another part of the world loses out. As four of those six teams must inevitably be USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand this means that all the nations of the Caribbean, South America, the Pacific Islands, Asia and Africa now have only two places to play for. Somehow.

It would be nice if the IRB could maybe explain how it intends to get this quart into a pint pot. I don't think we should hold our breath, though.

Result from Dublin: Irish President' XV 8, England 19. 
Sounds like an impressive performance by an understrength Irish team... No match reports available yet.

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