Sunday, 31 August

1. Which RWC 2025 second-Saturday try do you prefer?

We hope you enjoyed the second Saturday of Rugby World Cup 2023. Four superb matches and a mountain of tries. You can catch up with all the highlights here.

But in the meantime, here are a few of our favourite tries to check out, starting with Fiji's opening stunner against Scotland:

What about this one from Canada's Asia Hogan-Rochester on her RWC debut?

Then there is this one from Australia's flying teenager Caitlyn Halse:

Finally, what a way for Jess Breach to bring up her 50th England touchdown:

2. Samoa smiling after slotting first RWC 2025 points

They may have gone down heavily to tournament favourites England – a side ranked 14 places higher than them – but there is no doubt Samoa won a legion of fans in Northampton on Saturday evening.

First for this:

And then this:

3. Sophie de Goede: an all-action superhero

Some rugby players excel ball in hand, some are supreme defenders, others never miss a kick, while still more offer unrivalled power in close-quarters. Canada’s Sophie de Goede does them all.

Check this out: on Saturday she carried 19 times, made more than 100m, secured two turnovers and slotted six out of six conversions. All from second-row.

No wonder she was the Mastercard Player of the Match, as Canada became the first team to secure a quarter-final spot.

4. Scotland fan shows support by darning 285 thistles

Needlework has been a theme of RWC 2025, with England’s players particularly devoted (see below). But now rivals Scotland have got in to the act, thanks to a super-fan who darned a remarkable 285 thistles in order to inspire her nation.

After sending 50 to the Scotland squad, the knitter extraordinare gave 235 out to the crowd at the Pool B double-header in Manchester on Saturday. It clearly worked with Scotland beating Fiji to qualify for the quarter-finals for the first time since 2002.

5. While England follow ‘knitting trail’ to victory

Captain for the game against Samoa in Northampton on Saturday, England’s Marlie Packer said she was “definitely not” one of the squad’s ‘crocheting crew’ but admitted it was “absolutely awesome” to see the knitting trail (part of which is below) that the local WI (women’s institute) had created from Northampton Train Station to Franklin’s Gardens.

“The bus drove us past it on the way back from our team run,” said the back-row forward. “Abby Dow [England’s crocheter-in-chief) was giving us some insight, explaining that the yarn was of a particular type so that they can reuse it [to make clothes and blankets] for homeless shelters."

For Packer, it was another “fill-your-cup-up moment” as the England team witness communities up and down the country embracing Rugby World Cup 2025.

6. Victorious Lioness adds star power to England's campaign

Just weeks after driving England to the Women's European Football Championship title, Chloe Kelly was in Northampton and adamant that together, the Lionesses and the Red Roses can do great things:

Something that the squad enjoyed hearing in person:

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