Opinion
A few learnings from this opening block of PWR fixtures
This opening block has been glorious, and - bonus - educational. For those interested, here’s a little of what I’ve learned.
Claire Thomas
13 Nov 2024, 4:48
Contributors
Claire Thomas
@Claire_GThomas
Claire Thomas has lived and breathed sport all her life, covering it as a student whilst competing at international level. Now a full time broadcaster, she's never happier than when commentating on the Allianz Premier 15s, tearfully belting out Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, or painstakingly pausing Squidge Rugby videos so she can cackle at all the tiny in-jokes.
Analysis
Who is the Queen of Nuisance Land or Top of the Props? A statistical end-of-season PWR feast
Statistics only tell a sliver of the story: they’re just one lens through which to view sport, and, come the business end of thi…
Claire Thomas
25 Feb 2025, 6:10
Opinion
Down Under, Women’s Rugby’s on the up: 7s Supremos and a New Head Coach
The Australian women's sevens team are currently flying the flag for Australian rugby - easily the best team Down Under - but ther…
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14 Dec 2023, 10:50
Two rounds down, and plenty to go: Some early season lukewarm takes on PWR
We’ve scarcely got going with this new Premiership Women’s Rugby campaign - if the season were a sprinter, it’d only just ha…
Claire Thomas
28 Nov 2023, 11:13
Analysis
The Circus is Back in Town: Let the Gloucester-Hartpury Title Defence Commence
The jubilant scenes at the Premier 15s final on June 24th are the ones which make the early season montages now, but this was a si…
Claire Thomas
24 Nov 2023, 5:40
Premiership Women’s Rugby - out with the crisps, in with the wacky clothes and new broadcast deal
They might not be dishing out the giant bags of crisps anymore, but this thing never fails to entertain - so grab yourselves some …
Claire Thomas
15 Nov 2023, 10:01
Analysis
Ferns strewn and history made: A re-watch of the Red Roses WXV 1 triumph
So they huffed, and they puffed, and they blew the house in - storming the land of the long white cloud, and leaving ferns strewn …
Claire Thomas
08 Nov 2023, 5:58
Analysis
What we’ve loved, and what’s at stake: The state of play as WXV reaches grand finale
Fiji and Spain were involved in some proper tussles - competition their set-ups have been craving - whilst Kazakstan battling past…
Claire Thomas
01 Nov 2023, 10:19
Interview
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‘Winning is a habit’ is something you hear an awful lot in sport, and Scotland’s recent results suggest that’s a truism ba…
Claire Thomas
26 Oct 2023, 7:48
Analysis
Nominees for ‘Best Team in the World’ continued: A WXV Preview
Welcome back from that brief intermission. We hope you did something fun - like watching a supercut of Alisha Butchers highlights,…
Claire Thomas
19 Oct 2023, 16:10
Analysis
Awards Season is upon us: The WXV 1 nominees are in
This Autumn, the WXV1 trophy will be raised for the very first time - and the nominees are blockbuster. It’s time to cast our ey…
Claire Thomas
19 Oct 2023, 4:21
Analysis
Let the revolution commence: Your whistle-stop tour of the opening weekend of WXV
WXV is here: 18 teams, three tournaments, and a yearly opportunity for women’s rugby to dazzle on a planetary scale. A truly wor…
Claire Thomas
12 Oct 2023, 9:44
Analysis
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There aren’t many fairytales in sport, but it felt like we’d just witnessed one of them: a side whose captain had poured her W…
Claire Thomas
28 Jun 2023, 4:22
Opinion
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From out-and-out league disciples, to those dipping a curious toe into the waters of the best women’s domestic competition in th…
Claire Thomas
19 Jun 2023, 9:10
Interview
Cassius Cleaves: England's viral sensation eyes U20 glory
The Harlequins flyer became an online hit with an incredible schoolboy highlights reel. Now he longs to win the U20 World Champion…
Claire Thomas
22 Jun 2023, 3:13
Opinion
Premier 15s semis: 'There’s going to be a new name on the trophy this year'
There’s going to be a new name on the Premier 15s trophy this year. Just let that sink in one more time. It’s barbecue season,…
Claire Thomas
15 Jun 2023, 2:00
Analysis
And then there were four: Everything’s in place for a spectacular Premier 15s sprint finish
The pacemaker of the regular Premier 15s season has stepped off the track and the bell’s sounding: there’s a lead pack of four…
Claire Thomas
08 Jun 2023, 7:37
Opinion
Premier 15s: How Exeter find themselves at the centre of an intriguing final round
One more regular round to go. Exeter Chiefs are looking to secure home advantage in the Premier 15s play-offs, after all, it’s h…
Claire Thomas
31 May 2023, 11:38
Opinion
Jeopardy saturated: What's at stake in the final two rounds of the Premier 15s
16 rounds of the Premier 15s played. Two remain. It’s almost closing time. Gloucester-Hartpury, Exeter Chiefs, Saracens, and –…
Claire Thomas
24 May 2023, 9:20
Opinion
How Bristol got serious: 'Blown away' by an afternoon in Bear Country
2021 was the year Bristol Bears Women got serious: when they grew fangs and sharpened their claws. I spent an afternoon at the clu…
Claire Thomas
17 May 2023, 5:09
