There’s been a lot of rugby union news this week, good and bad. Let’s kick off with that.

Sports News

Rugby Union

Neath RFC, the oldest rugby club in Wales, hit the headlines thanks to a poster for a match which had the graphic ‘Not for Girls’ emblazoned on it. It’s hard to work out what they were trying to achieve with it but their women’s and girl’ section, Neath Panthers were not impressed, and we can see why. Do better next time Neath.

There was much more positive news coming from the StoneX stadium where 45,000 people watched Gloucester Hartbury take on Saracens in the premiership final on Sunday March 16. Gloucester-Hartpury found themselves trailing behind 19-5 at half time, but they refused to let the curtain fall just yet. With a fiery determination, they staged an epic second-half comeback, turning the tables to secure a thrilling 34-19 victory. This win marked Gloucester-Hartpury’s third consecutive Premiership Women’s Rugby title, cementing their status as the queens of the pitch. Congratulations Gloucester-Hartpury!

Welcome our new track and field writer, Ava John!

I am a heptathlete which means I compete in an exhausting, seven-event competition which runs over two days. I’ve competed for Great Britain and England several times over the past couple of years, which has allowed me to meet so many incredible women and girls who’ve had their lives changed by sport. I am passionate about encouraging female participation across all sports at all levels. I’ll be contributing to this newsletter by keeping you up to date with all track and field news for UK athletes across the world!