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Japan draw proves costly as USA slip down rankings

Action from the first match of the two-Test series between Japan women and USA at Mikuni World Stadium, Kitakyushu on 11 August, 2024 (photo credit: JRFU).

USA slipped two places to ninth in the latest World Rugby Women’s Rankings following a dramatic 17-17 draw with Japan in Kitakyushu.

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Japan outscored their visitors three tries to two at Mikuni World Stadium, but the metronomic boot of McKenzie Hawkins ultimately helped earn the USA a share of the spoils in the first of the teams’ two-Test series.

The USA were 14-12 in front at half-time – thanks to tries from Olivia Ortiz and Summer Harris-Jones, both converted by Hawkins – but fell behind early in the second half to an unconverted home try.

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Watch the best tries of WXV 2023

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Watch the best tries of WXV 2023

Despite playing much of the match in Japanese territory, the Women’s Eagles had to wait until the final two minutes for the opportunity to equalise.

Hawkins made no mistake from the kicking tee, taking her personal tally for the match to seven points and ensuring the match ended all square.

Japan gained 0.34 rating points for the draw, but they remain in 11th place, 4.97 points behind Ireland in 10th.

Things are much tighter in the top 10 and having lost the same amount of points – 0.34 – the Women’s Eagles dropped from seventh to ninth.

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Wales and Italy are the teams to benefit, moving up to seventh and eighth respectively in the wake of Sunday’s result.

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The USA are now just 0.71 rating points ahead of Ireland, but there are also only 1.75 points between the Women’s Eagles in ninth and sixth-place Scotland.

Sunday’s match was a useful run-out as both teams prepare for WXV 2024. Japan will again line up in WXV 2 in South Africa, where they are scheduled to play the hosts, Scotland and Wales.

USA, meanwhile, will make their top-level debut next month and are due to play England, France and Ireland in Canada.

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The second and final Test of USA’s tour will played at Shizuoka Stadium next Saturday and you can stream it live and for free via RugbyPass TV.

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N
NB 44 minutes ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Nice bit if revisioniusm but that's all it is JW.


For your further education, I found the following breakdown of one prominent club's finances in the Top 14 [Clermont].


For Clermont (budget of €29.5 million for 2021-2022) :

- 20% from ticket sales

- 17% from the LNR (includes TV Rights, compensation from producing french internationals and other minor stuff)

- 5% from public collectivities (so you're looking at funds from the city of Clermont, the department of Puy-De-Dôme and the region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes)

- 4% from merchandising and events

- 3% from miscellaneous

- 51 % from sponsorships and partnerships. They've got 550 different partners. The main ones are CGI, Groupama, Limagrain/Jacquet, Omerin, Paprec, Renault and of course Michelin (not surprising since they're actually the founders of the club).


As you can see nothing comes from the FFR at all. The LNR is a separate entitiy to FFR and their aims frequently do not accord.


It is also why the European breakaway plotted by LNR and PR back in 2013 had nothing to do with the governing bodies of either England or France - and it most certainly did not have their blessing https://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/story/_/id/15331030/jean-pierre-lux-anglo-french-cup-detrimental-european-rugby


And from the horse's mouth [ex AB skipper Sean Fitapatrick] about the comp between Top 14 and Super Rugby:


"The Top 14 in France is probably the best rugby competition in the world at the moment, purely for the week-in, week-out.”


“I think the quality of players. They are bigger, they are faster, they are stronger. Which then carries on into the international game.”

Take it from someone who knows JW😅

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