Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Red Roses: 'I can’t wait to see how many glass ceilings we can smash!'

Rosie Galligan and Maud Muir during a training session in Red Roses preseason camp. Credit: Red Roses/RFU

Another week in paradise… or should I say Hazelwood.

As the third week of preseason comes to a close, we are a week closer to our ‘warm up’ games against two of the best teams in the world!

ADVERTISEMENT

First up, it’s France at Kingsholm Stadium, Gloucester on Saturday 7th September (KO 2.30pm) and then it’s number one in the world welcoming the world champions on Saturday 14th September (KO 2.30pm) as we take on New Zealand at Allianz Stadium.

This week went up another level. Things started to click and it was great to see how we started to piece bits of our attack and defence together.

Video Spacer

Rosie Galligan | Stronger Than You Think

Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
Duration 0:00
Loaded: 0%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time 0:00
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions off, selected
      Video Spacer

      Rosie Galligan | Stronger Than You Think

      You’re probably dying to know what this week’s mini Olympics challenge was.. we had four remote control toy cars and a track laid out in the corridors of the hotel as teams battled in a relay drag race.

      The reds started well off the line with Marlie Packer in the driver’s seat, but quickly the yellow and blue team caught up with Lilli Ives Campion (from the yellows) keeping calm and collected before handing the reigns over to Scaz [Emily Scarratt].

      Scaz did put herself forward for this challenge however insisted that next time it be on the farm in real cars – more her forte she reckoned! Unfortunately for the yellow team, Liz Crake lost her bearings on the turn and was overtaken by the blues, ending a mere third at the finish line.

      But hey, at least we aren’t the green team, who are currently sitting on single-digit points in the standings!

      ADVERTISEMENT

      On Wednesday we went to Twickenham Stadium (soon to be Allianz Stadium) for the Kit Launch and Media Day. On arrival, we headed into the home changing rooms where we were greeted by our personalised kit for the season.

      It’s a really exciting moment for girls who are in their first contract. I remember last year I felt really privileged to be there with my own plaque and also to see the wall of first caps in the changing room with all the other Red Roses and men’s players.

      The day consisted of lots of photos and signing merchandise, however this year there were also a lot more opportunities to speak to different people from the RFU, as well as stands like Continental, the RPA and Guinness who are all incredibly supportive of the women’s game.

      There were also a few other new names there which can’t be spoken about just yet… but there are some very exciting relationships on the way!

      ADVERTISEMENT

      As I was leaving I was sat by the big gates outside the Spirit of Rugby waiting to get in the car. I was greeted by a gentleman who said “Do you like my gates?”. At first I thought he was just being chatty as he was cleaning the gates as we were having our squad photo outside of the stadium.

      Twickenham Rose and Poppy Gates
      Harry Gray with the Rose and Poppy Gates.

      However, it turned out he was the artist who created the Rose and Poppy Gates. Harry Gray was approached in 2016 to design the gates as part of the RFU’s programme of events to commemorate the centenary of the First World War.

      Harry told me the thought process behind the design – at the bottom, there were 15 roses which were worn by the Grand Slam-winning team of 1914 who all volunteered to fight for their country.

      As you go up each layer of the gate you see the merging of the roses into poppies which has been a symbol of remembrance for over 100 years. The brass poppies at the top of the gates are formed from German shell casings fired in action during the 1914-18 war.

       

      View this post on Instagram

       

      A post shared by harry Gray (@harrygrayartist)

      What I loved most about this story was the fact that I had just spent the day in meetings and media looking at how we are going to continue to create our own history and break records. I had a really big appreciation for everyone and everything that had come before and I can’t wait to see how many glass ceilings we can smash!

      Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 tickets

      The Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 is coming to England. Click here to buy tickets.

      ADVERTISEMENT

      Boks Office | Episode 39 | The Investec Champions Cup is back

      Argentina v France | HSBC SVNS Hong Kong 2025 | Men's Match Highlights

      New Zealand v Australia | HSBC SVNS Hong Kong 2025 | Women's Match Highlights

      Tokyo Sungoliath vs Shizuoka BlueRevs | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

      Reds vs Force | Super Rugby W 2025 | Full Match Replay

      The Rise of Kenya | The Report

      New Zealand in Hong Kong | Brady Rush | Sevens Wonders | Episode 4

      The Fixture: How This Rugby Rivalry Has Lasted 59 Years

      Trending on RugbyPass

      Comments

      0 Comments
      Be the first to comment...

      Join free and tell us what you really think!

      Sign up for free
      ADVERTISEMENT

      Latest Features

      Comments on RugbyPass

      I
      IkeaBoy 13 minutes ago
      Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

      Pep didn’t win the ECL in 2009. It was 2008 with Barca. The gap between wins ignores the finals contested. 2 in 2 years with his City Triumph. The most recent put him in the elite company of managers to have won it with multiple clubs. Yet more late career success and history.


      His time with City - a lower win ratio compared to Bayern Munich as you say - includes a 100 PT season. A feat that will likely never be surpassed. I appreciate you don’t follow soccer too closely but even casual fans refer to the sport in ‘pre and post Pep’ terms and all because of what he has achieved and is continuing to achieve, late career. There is a reason that even U10’s play out from the back now at every level of the game. That’s also a fairly recent development.


      How refreshing to return to rugby on a rugby forum.


      Ireland won a long over due slam in 2009. The last embers of a golden generation was kicked on by a handful of young new players and a new senior coach. Kiss was brought in as defence coach and was the reason they won it. They’d the best defence in the game at the time. He all but invented the choke tackle. Fittingly they backed it up in the next world cup in their 2011 pool match against… Australia. The instantly iconic image of Will Genia getting rag-dolled by Stephen Ferris.


      His career since has even included director of rugby positions. He would have an extremely good idea of where the game is at and where it is going in addition to governance experience and dealings. Not least in Oz were many of the players will have come via or across Rugby League pathways.


      Gatland isn’t a valid coach to compare too. He only ever over-achieved and was barely schools level without Shaun Edwards at club or test level. His return to Wales simply exposed his limitations and a chaotic union. It wasn’t age.


      Schmidt is open to staying involved in a remote capacity which I think deserves more attention. It would be a brain drain to lose him. He stepped in to coach the ABs in the first 2022 test against Ireland when Foster was laid out with Covid. They mullered Ireland 42-19. He was still heavily involved in the RWC 2023 quarter final. Same story.


      Look at the talent that would be discarded in Schmidt and Kiss if your age Nazism was applied.

      169 Go to comments
      f
      fl 1 hour ago
      Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

      “He won a ECL and a domestic treble at the beginning of his career.”

      He won 2 ECLs at the beginning of his career (2009, 2011). Since then he’s won 1 in 15 years.


      “He then won 3 leagues on the bounce later in his career”

      He won 3 leagues on the bounce at the start of his career too - (2009, 2010, 2011).


      If we’re judging him by champions league wins, he peaked in his late 30s, early 40s. If we’re judging him by domestic titles he’s stayed pretty consistent over his career. If we’re judging him by overall win rate he peaked at Bayern, and was better at Barcelona than at City. So no, he hasn’t gotten better by every measure.


      “You mentioned coaches were older around the mid-2010’s compared to the mid-2000’s. Robson was well above the average age you’ve given for those periods even in the 90’s when in his pomp.”

      Robson was 63-64 when he was at Barcelona, so he wasn’t very old. But yeah, he was slightly above the average age of 60 I gave for the top 4 premier league coaches in 2015, and quite a bit above the averages for 2005 and 2025.


      “Also, comparing coaches - and their experiences, achievements - at different ages is unstable. It’s not a valid way to compare and tends to torpedo your own logic when you do compare them on equal terms. I can see why you don’t like doing it.”

      Well my logic certainly hasn’t been torpedoed. Currently the most successful premier league coaches right now are younger than they were ten years ago. You can throw all the nuance at it that you want, but that fact won’t change. It’s not even clear what comparing managers “on equal terms” would even mean, or why it would be relevant to anything I’ve said.


      “You still haven’t answered why Kiss could be a risker appointment?”

      Because I’ve been talking to you about football managers. If you want to change the subject then great - I care a lot more about rugby than I do football.

      But wrt Kiss, I don’t agree that 25 years experience is actually that useful, given what a different sport rugby was 25 years ago. Obviously in theory more experience can never be a bad thing, but I think 10 years of coaching experience is actually more than enough these days. Erasmus had been a coach for 13 years when he got the SA top job. Andy Farrell had been a coach for 9 when he got the Ireland job. I don’t think anyone would say that either of them were lacking in experience.


      Now - what about coaches who do have 25+ years experience? The clearest example of that would be Eddie Jones, who started coaching 31 years ago. He did pretty well everywhere he worked until around 2021 (when he was 61), when results with England hit a sharp decline. He similarly oversaw a terrible run with Australia, and currently isn’t doing a great job with Japan.

      Another example is Warren Gatland, who also started coaching full-time 31 years ago, after 5 years as a player-coach. Gatland did pretty well everywhere he went until 2020 (when he was 56), when he did a relatively poor job with the Chiefs, before doing a pretty poor job with the Lions, and then overseeing a genuine disaster with Wales. There are very few other examples, as most coaches retire or step back into lesser roles when they enter their 60s. Mick Byrne actually has 34 years experience in coaching (but only 23 years coaching in rugby) and at 66 he’s the oldest coach of a top 10 side, and he’s actually doing really well. He goes to show that you can continue to be a good coach well into your 60s, but he seems like an outlier.


      So the point is - right now, Les Kiss looks like a pretty reliable option, but 5 years ago so did Eddie Jones and Warren Gatland before they went on to prove that coaches often decline as they get older. If Australia want Kiss as a short term appointment to take over after Schmidt leaves in the summer, I don’t think that would be a terrible idea - but NB wanted Kiss as a long term appointment starting in 2027! That’s a massive risk, given the chance that his aptitude will begin to decline.


      Its kind of analagous to how players decline. We know (for example) that a fly-half can still be world class at 38, but we also know that most fly-halves peak in their mid-to-late 20s, so it is generally considered a risk to build your game plan around someone much older than that.

      169 Go to comments
      A
      AlanCriner 1 hour ago
      Ian Foster address injury rumours to key All Black before World Cup final

      My name is Alan Criner, and I'm a resident of Toronto, CA. I'm a 45-year-old financial analyst who has always been cautious with my investments. However, in my quest to diversify my portfolio, I fell prey to a devastating fake crypto investment scam, losing 125,000 Canadian dollars' worth of Bitcoin. This traumatic experience sent my life into a downward spiral, leaving me depressed and feeling hopeless.

      Despite my repeated attempts to contact the account manager who initially approached me on Telegram, I was met with silence. They refused to provide any explanation or information, and I was locked out of my account on their website. The authorities were unable to assist me, as the scammers were untraceable.

      Just when I thought all was lost, my nephew, a Canadian government lawyer, introduced me to Morphohack Cyber Service, a reputable private investigator and crypto recovery company. I visited their website (www . morphohackcyber . com) and, after mustering the courage, contacted them. They listened attentively as I recounted my ordeal and educated me on the scam, revealing that numerous others had fallen victim to the same scheme.

      Although skeptical at first, I decided to take a chance. Morphohack guided me through the process, instructing me to set up a new wallet. To my astonishment, they successfully recovered my stolen Bitcoin and transferred it to my new wallet. I was stunned, struggling to comprehend how this was possible.

      I initially wanted to keep this experience private, but I realized that there may be others out there who have suffered similar losses. If you're a victim of crypto theft, I urge you to reach out to Morphohack Cyber Service. They can be contacted through their website or email. (Morphohack@cyberservices . com, Info@morphohackcyber . com) Don't give up hope, there is a way to recover your stolen crypto assets.

      29 Go to comments
      A
      AlanCriner 2 hours ago
      Exeter look to Charlie Chapman to boost scrum-half options

      My name is Alan Criner, and I'm a resident of Toronto, CA. I'm a 45-year-old financial analyst who has always been cautious with my investments. However, in my quest to diversify my portfolio, I fell prey to a devastating fake crypto investment scam, losing 125,000 Canadian dollars' worth of Bitcoin. This traumatic experience sent my life into a downward spiral, leaving me depressed and feeling hopeless.

      Despite my repeated attempts to contact the account manager who initially approached me on Telegram, I was met with silence. They refused to provide any explanation or information, and I was locked out of my account on their website. The authorities were unable to assist me, as the scammers were untraceable.

      Just when I thought all was lost, my nephew, a Canadian government lawyer, introduced me to Morphohack Cyber Service, a reputable private investigator and crypto recovery company. I visited their website (www . morphohackcyber . com) and, after mustering the courage, contacted them. They listened attentively as I recounted my ordeal and educated me on the scam, revealing that numerous others had fallen victim to the same scheme.

      Although skeptical at first, I decided to take a chance. Morphohack guided me through the process, instructing me to set up a new wallet. To my astonishment, they successfully recovered my stolen Bitcoin and transferred it to my new wallet. I was stunned, struggling to comprehend how this was possible.

      I initially wanted to keep this experience private, but I realized that there may be others out there who have suffered similar losses. If you're a victim of crypto theft, I urge you to reach out to Morphohack Cyber Service. They can be contacted through their website or email. (Morphohack@cyberservices . com, Info@morphohackcyber . com) Don't give up hope, there is a way to recover your stolen crypto assets.

      0 Go to comments
      T
      Theresa Wright 2 hours ago
      Six Nations: 5 things we've learned from half-way point weekend

      Have always had trust issues with my boyfriend but to clear my doubt I had to hire verifiedprohackers@gmail.com to help monitor all activities done on my boyfriend phone just to be sure his not cheating because am tired of always stalking him when ever he doesn’t pick my calls or has a call and refuses to pick his calls I tend to feel his seeing  another woman so in other to make things easy for me verifiedprohackers@gmail.com gave me the best phone hack with no trace and now I feel satisfied. Thank you so much verifiedprohackers@gmail.com

      5 Go to comments
      TRENDING
      TRENDING Ex-Scotland captain and British & Irish Lions star Laidlaw dies Ex-Scotland captain and British & Irish Lions star Laidlaw dies
      Search