All posts by 234Radio

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) has confirmed that England women’s head coach John Mitchell will continue in the role even if the Red Roses don’t win the Rugby World Cup at home this year.

Regardless of the outcome of the World Cup’s opening match in August, Mitchell, 61, and his England coaching staff have all signed contracts until June 2026.

England lost to New Zealand in the previous two World Cup finals, which was last won in 2014.

Results are important, according to Conor O’Shea, RFU director of rugby performance. “You don’t want people thinking about what their next job will be by having their contracts expire that day,” he said.

The men’s team failed to leave their pool at a 2015 World Cup in their absence, and the Red Roses lost the 2010 World Cup final to New Zealand on home soil.

Over the course of the next four or five months, Mitch [John Mitchell] will try to relieve that pressure from the group while also dealing with it and coming up with solutions, O’Shea continued.

Anyone who has successfully guided the All Blacks, England, the United States, and Japan will understand how to block out noise while also using pressure in a really effective way.

In a 43-42 thriller at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham on Saturday, England comfortably won their first four games of the Women’s Six Nations before holding on to defeat France by a point.

To extend their winning streak to 25 games, the victory gave them a fourth successive Grand Slam and seventh Six Nations title in a row.

The Black Ferns’ World Cup final defeat in 2022, when the Red Roses and Les Bleues squared off, was the closest the series had ever come to an end.

Anyone who believes they will win a World Cup because they are the hosts is lying to themselves, ex-Harlequins rugby director O’Shea continued.

The RFU continues to invest £15 million annually, keeping England’s women from making a profit.

However, there are green shoots, with ticket sales increasing by 391% over the previous four years.

Despite losing the women’s game overall, they have collected £2.4 million in ticket sales just last season.

It’s not all about making money, said RFU director of the women’s game Alex Teasdale. In the end, I believe our purpose is to help the game grow.

37, 573 people tuned in to Allianz Stadium for last Saturday’s victory over France, a significant decrease from the 58, 498 people who also watched the same game in 2023.

Teasdale says: “We have got rugby world cup tickets on sale at the moment as well,” noting that Teasdale is not concerned by the figures.

Between Premiership Women’s Rugby and the RFU, we sold 250, 000 tickets for (women’s) rugby in England this year, according to “an interesting kind of stat from this season.”

We are in for more than a million tickets this year when you add the Rugby World Cup tickets to that (275, 000).

500 red cowboy hats were sold in the official stadium stores and outlets, one small success from the Allianz game.

Ellie Kildunne and Megan Jones, two Red Roses players who self-declared as the cowboys, are the owners of the hats.

About two hours before kick-off, Teasdale said the demand for hats “would need to significantly increase for the World Cup.”

Given that the Red Roses are known for having a very strong influence and background in their kind of country, she continued, “The cowboy hats are just really important in our trying to create a really strong fan engagement piece.”

Nat Sciver-Brunt, an all-rounder, has been named England’s new captain.

After nine years in the position, Heather Knight is replaced by Sciver-Brunt, 32, who is only the fourth woman to hold the position permanently since 2000.

Following a review of the humiliating 16-0 Ashes defeat earlier in the year, Knight was fired in March.

Former head coach Charlotte Edwards was appointed in his place in the wake of the departure of legendary former captain Jon Lewis.

“I’m really proud to be playing the captain, and it’s a great honor to have been asked by Charlotte, a person I’ve always admired,” said Sciver-Brunt.

“I’ve always wanted to help the team every way I can, even since I made my England debut in 2013.” I’ll do everything in my power to help this team succeed while also giving them the ability to be their best selves.

“We have a really talented group, and we have a group that is united,” he said. I think it’s a team that can work together and have a lot of success.

One of England’s most advanced all-format cricketers, Sciver-Brunt, was the most likely choice to succeed him, having previously served as Knight’s vice-captain.

She had previously led England in 11 T20s and one one-day internationals, with nine of those being wins, when Knight’s future remained uncertain during the Ashes.

Despite failing to implement a proper succession plan despite the considerable length of Knight’s tenure, Sciver-Brunt’s appointment also came out as inevitable given England’s lack of other leadership options.

Other potential candidates, including Sophie Ecclestone, 25, and Charlie Dean, 24, both had captaincy experience.

Although Sciver-Brunt’s record as captain is encouraging, two of the three defeats have occurred under extreme pressure, again highlighting England’s lack of structure without Knight.

When Knight suffered a hip injury during the T20 World Cup in 2024, the team’s fielding failed to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games, and the team’s fielding suffered an injury that caused them to withdraw at the group stage.

However, Sciver-Brunt might gain from the opportunity to take the lead in her own style rather than simply step into Knight’s shoes for a brief period of time, and Edwards’ partnership is likely to give her a significant boost.

The pair have collaborated for Mumbai Indians in the Women’s Premier League, where they won the title a second time last month.

Sciver-Brunt took 12 wickets and 523 runs in 10 innings, leading the tournament in terms of runs scored.

However, her workload will be a source of concern when she assumes the captaincy as one of England’s most important batters and bowlers with the most experience.

Chief cricket correspondent Stephan Shemilt’s analysis

It would have been a shock if Nat Sciver-Brunt had been given the job, despite all the talk of Charlie Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, or even Grace Scrivens taking over as England’s captain.

The all-rounder claimed she wanted the position after being England’s best player before becoming vice-captain. There was only one candidate when Charlotte Edwards, who herself claimed she wanted a three-format regular in charge, was added to her already existing relationship.

There will be concerns about giving a crucial player more responsibilities, but Ben Stokes’ appointment as men’s captain has proven to be a masterstroke.

Perhaps more concerning is how well leadership will align with Sciver-Brunt, who retired from cricket in 2022 to concentrate on her mental health after serving as the Commonwealth Games’ captain.

Edwards will enter this area. The new coach will likely do a lot of leadership, tactics, and team culture, while Sciver-Brunt will set the standard for others on the field. Their personalities ought to work well together.

If Sciver-Brunt’s appointment for the series against West Indies was unconcerned, then the squad for the series should add more intrigue, especially with England having appointed a first-time national selector.

Antonio Rudiger, a Real Madrid defender, has knee surgery and will need to watch for a while.

As Real lost the Copa del Rey final to Barcelona in extra time on Saturday, Rudiger was forced to leave in extra time. He later learned that his left knee had a partial tear to the external meniscus.

Real did not specify a recovery date, but Spanish media reports suggest that he might be out for six to eight weeks, which would make him unfit for the Club World Cup, which will begin on June 15.

After being redone for throwing an allegedly ice cube at the referee during the Barcelona defeat, the 32-year-old German international is already facing a lengthy ban.

Rudiger could receive a suspension for between four and twelve matches under the disciplinary code of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), which covers “mild violence” against referees.

Rudiger apologized for the incident, which took place after he was substituted, saying that there was “definitely no excuse” for his actions.

As both players furiously reacted to a foul that was committed against Kylian Mbappe just before the end, team-mate Lucas Vazquez, who had also been substituted, was also sent off.

Jude Bellingham, 21, a Real England midfielder, was also later dismissed for dissention.