Sitting In The Cheap Seats

Tomorrow morning will see Simon Middleton name his Red Roses team for the first of the autumn internationals. The team take on the Black Ferns in Exeter and like any match between England and New Zealand it promises to be a spicy affair. Ahead of finding out who Simon names I had a little go at naming a team of my own… I wonder how wrong I will be?

The Allianz Cup kicks off this week, a new cup competition to sit alongside the Premier 15s and give players who aren’t called up for international games some competitive rugby when the league would normally be paused. The format sees the league split into two groups, with the top two teams from each going on to play-offs and eventually a cup final in late April. Ahead of the first round we caught up with Harlequins Women scrum half Emma Swords to find out how preparations are going.

The autumn internationals are upon us and England head coach Simon Middleton has named his England squad ahead of fixtures against New Zealand, Canada and USA. Middleton has named eleven uncapped players in his squad which also includes a number of returning faces. Versatility is the keyword for Simon as players like Maud Muir , Flo Robinson and Holly Aitchison add not only their undoubted skill but also the ability to cover multiple positions. Alex Matthews and Helena Rowland return to the fold after their time with GB7s and are joined by Aitchison whose rangy runs and kicking game could well see her slot into the 12 shirt. Bombastic props Sarah Bern and Hannah Botterman are also back after time out injured and scrum half Leanne Riley is included despite having been injured herself for some time. Other notable inclusions include impressive Gloucester-Hartpury full back Emma Sing and a deserving call up for the ever-impressive Heather Cowell of Harlequins. Check out our video ...

Later this week Simon Middleton will announce the England Women squad for the autumn internationals. These games, against New Zealand, Canada and the USA are the perfect chance to test out options, cap young players and find out who is ready for the World Cup next year. Ahead of the announcement here are five questions bouncing around my head and some thoughts on the players who might answer them.

LONDON-BASED grassroots rugby platform  Fill Your Boots  has launched a brand-new social network, designed to help clubs across the UK find players, fixtures and resources – bringing together the grassroots rugby community like never before.