WRP 136 - Christmas round-up. Finishing up 2022 with a speedy round up of a load of news from the world of Women's Rugby! Scotland's union awarded 28 contracts last week, we speak to friend of the pod Dr Rachel Malcolm. The Scotland captain gives us a sense of what this milestone means to her and the rest of the team, how it has come about and the differences she believes it will make. In Ireland over the weekend Blackrock College were crowned club champions, Hannah O'Connor, the victorious number 8; takes us through the match and hints at how good the celebrations were!! In England the Premier XVs has restarted at a great pace, none more so than Gloucester-Hartpury, dropping only a single point. Their front rower Kelsey Jones chats about "The Circus," the characters in it - old and new - her budding friendship with Red Rose star Maud Muir! But also why things are clicking on the field and why they've had the start they have.

There's all the rest of the news as well, big news too! RFU's announcement on the teams that have secured places in next season's P15s, 8 so far with Leicester and Ealing in and Wasps, Worcester, DMP and Sale out - as it stands. There's results from France, Hong Kong, Cape Town. News of coaching movements, new fixture announcements and retirees.

Enjoy and have a very Merry Christmas.

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WRP 135 - Captain Cymru. This week we Siwan Lillicrap joins us, following her announcement, to retire from international rugby. The "50-capper" doesn't look back too far to begin with, by reminiscing about her time in New Zealand at the World Cup. The skipper reflects on the tournament as a whole but also her nation's performances. Then we take the trip down memory lane, recounting where Siwan first fell in love with rugby, her influences, where and when she first played. For a lady who has been at the centre, and often the driving force, for some of Welsh Women's darkest but also brightest days he re-lives it all with Johnnie. Then there are the quick fire questions: best room mate, best memory, best ground, toughest opponent?!!

There is also all the news from around the world; the sevens, news from Mexico, Cameroon, China, Sweden, Australia and who won all the awards at the Black Ferns end of season do.........?

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WRP 134 - We are Warriors!  This week, Worcester's Director of Rugby Jo Yapp joins the pod. The former England international is very honest about the last few months that she & the rest of the Warrior players & staff have had to go through. How she has coped not knowing what the future was going to hold but also where the club (women's section) is now & how are they able to operate. The playing side of matters is also spoken about; the victory over Quins at the weekend, which is a double, as they beat them a few weeks back in the cup. In addition, where the squad find themselves now, with all that has gone on & a tender process to go through. Johnnie & "Yappy" do look back at the World Cup & the final, did England lose it or did New Zealand win it? Jo is thrown a curve-ball too.......what would you answer be if England came calling.........

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WRP 133 - WRP + SQ WC D-B!! (in English WRP & Scrum Queens World Cup debrief!)

Recovered yet?! Ali Donnelly, the founder of Scrum Queens, joins Johnnie Hammond for a full debrief of the Rugby World Cup 2021, days after the New Zealand's Black Ferns beat England at the big dance, again. Now the dust is settling the pair discuss that final: the red card, the yellow card, the tactics, the substitutions, the decisions, the performances, England's bumpy road leading into the final & how the result has made them feel. The tournament as a whole is spoken about & the teams within in it that impressed & showed glimpses of what the future could look like. And looking ahead to England 2025 & the the immediate future for The Red Roses, is it time for fresh perspectives?

Ali & JH also pick a team of the tournament: who will make the back 3, does Cockayne get the nod over try scoring machine Tuttosi, where do they go in the back row?!? And from that a player of the tournament touched on. A fascinating & insightful chat between these two.....not to be missed.

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WRP 132 - Final .......captain's log.  The World Cup final is upon us & yet again the Red Roses skipper Sarah Hunter (MBE!) hosts the pod with broadcaster Johnnie Hammond. We dive head-first into the England camp & get "Sunter's" thoughts on the semi final games, the quality & drama. Sarah also speaks about this week, what the mood is like in the camp, what they have been up to & who does what to relax & recuperate. The chat then moves to New Zealand & the match, Sunter's thoughts on facing them again in a final but this time in their back yard. Thoughts turn to selection & we hear from Simon Middleton - the Red Roses head coach - about the changes he has made & in particular the midfield selection. In the final part Sunter chats about the week as the captain, what she is doing & needs to do to get herself in the best possible place; when she will talk & when she will let others do the talking all the way up to kick off. And how this World Cup compares to others.

A truly special in depth chat with England's historic captain, days out from another final, not one to be missed..........wonder if she won at "Tuc-Tuc!?!!?"

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WRP 131 - Captain's log: smiling semis with Fluhler, De Goede & Tuttosi. A comprehensive look at the World Cup semi finals with the lady of the hour, the record breaker Sarah Hunter MBE & challenging her for smiles we also have Black Fern Stacey Fluhler; as well as Canadian pair Sophie De Goede & Emily Tuttosi. "Sunter" takes us back to winning the record 138th cap at the weekend, what it has meant to her, how the squad & beyond showed their admiration, the celebrations, the role of her parents & also her performance against Australia. The chat quickly turns to rugby (Sunter was delighted!!), & what it was like to play rugby in a monsoon but also looking ahead to the semi final versus Canada. Does the Red Roses captain have an issue with her side's use of their forward power & how will they use that against Canada? We also go into the Canada camp to chat Halloween costumes, Emily Tuttosi's scoring record, the drive behind the Canadians' incredible success - as amateurs; & what sort of a captain is Sophie De Goede. From the other semi final we have multiple World Cup winner, "The Smiling assassin," Stacey Fluhler to chat what it is like to play in a home World Cup. Also the fun the Ferns have off the field, as well as what it is like to play in that backline.

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WRP 130 - Captain's log: round three 

Again this week we go right into the heart of the England camp with (our own &) their captian, Sarah Hunter. Off the back of round 2 & ahead of round 3, of the Rugby World Cup, the gang are back together to discuss it all! "Sunter," World Cup winner, Rachael Burford & World Cup commentator Johnnie Hammond look back at the round two results, with wins for England, Australia, USA, New Zealand, Canada & of course Fiji. Not only do we have the opinion of the lady who equalled the record number of caps for an English player, on the Red Roses' victory but also that of Bryony Cleall, twin sister of Poppy joins. They chat about where France got the better of England, where the improvement needs to be & are the no.1 team in the world holding back?!? They also look ahead to South Africa & the improvements the African nation has made in such a short period of time, as well as the admission that everyone is now a "Fiji fanatic!" From pool A a massive game for Wales up against Australia, the fly half - who has been having a stella tournament, so far - El Snowsill talks about the challenge the Wallaroos pose. The physicality they poses, where Wales can edge the encounter & also her analysis of her own performances to date. Heart-broken Scotland face New Zealand; the gang chat about what an opportunity that is to end on a high and all the other clashes from round 3 are covered as well: including Fiji taking on France, is there an upset there? Or perhaps for Japan taking on Italy?!!!!!?

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WRP 129 - La Crunch preview: Cockayne & Cornborough 

Huge game in pool C at the World Cup, the biggest; England against arch rivals France. these two great rugby nations are normally the ones battling it out for the 6 Nations titles, no love lost between the two & not many points normally separate them either. England have won the last ten but as two of The Red Roses's front rowers chat about, this World Cup game is different. Both nations started the tournament with wins but slow starts, Amy Cockayne & Vicki Cornborough discuss this start against Fiji & how they over came it. "We are all now Fiji super fans," was the upshot of that round 1 game but focus quickly goes to France. Their physicality, the importance of the scrum & territory is spoken about & the rivalry. Listen to what happened in the tunnel last time these two met....................

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WRP 128 - Captain's log, part 1

The Women's Rugby World Cup started with a bang in New Zealand! England with a record breaking win v Fiji & France lying in wait this weekend. So who better to have on than our very "our" Sarah Hunter MBE, England captain & in line to win cap 137! Sunter takes us right into the Red Roses camp, an exclusive, privileged insight; speaking of waterfalls, cricket matches, marathons, electronic spiders & everything in between!! There is also some rugby chat, about just how good Fiji were, the pace of the game, what England need to brush up on. The mental side of dealing with these experiences on & off the field so that The Roses can stick to their "processes," is discussed. And what about the support & families out there in New Zealand & what will MrsHunter (Sarah's Mum) do with the flag.......wash or not to wash......

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WRP 127 - Pool C Pod 

In the third and final pod this week, we cover off World Cup pool C, containing England, Fiji, France and South Africa. No better person to look ahead at England's opener and the rest of the pool games than the lady who lifted the trophy in 2014, Katy Daly-McLean (MBE!). The former captain talks about this time before the opening game and the keenness to get started, where England will go with selection and also tactics. JH and Katy chat about Fiji, the relatively unknown side of the competition, what they bring and how much of a challenge they will present to England. Lynne Cantwell, South Africa's Women's High Performance Manager, joins in with her experiences of New Zealand so far, what the team have been up to, her personal excitement and just how difficult it is to be in "management" not a player! How France will fair is also talked about, the change up of the squad and how they will play in these opening pool games.

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