Sara Orchard

England are preparing for the inaugural WXV Global Series with World Rugby’s new size 4.5 balls, which are slightly smaller but retain the weight of standard balls. Head coach John Mitchell says coaching will determine their impact, while acknowledging possible effects on passing, offloading and kicking. Mitchell has also become a UK citizen, sees Flo Robinson as a potential successor to veteran Natasha Hunt, and is giving Emily Scarratt greater responsibility within the coaching staff. He views the six-match series against Australia, Canada and the USA as preparation and an audition for the long-distance travel and demands of the 2029 World Cup.

Henry Pollock could theoretically earn £1m per season, but Premiership salary-cap rules make such a deal difficult, especially if he remains at Northampton Saints. Clubs face a £6.4m cap and a £5.4m spending floor, while excluded-player rules require a player to have spent two full salary-cap years at a club and use three-year salary averaging to prevent contract manipulation. Northampton may lack the cap space, and reallocating an existing excluded-player designation would be complicated. The rules are intended to prevent overspending and protect clubs’ financial viability, with the league citing record revenues and recent examples of club investment. A £1m deal is therefore possible in Premiership rugby but highly unlikely at Northampton in the near term.

Aimee Barrett-Theron, the most-capped female international rugby referee, has stepped down after being diagnosed with breast cancer but says treatment is underway and she intends to return. She discovered the disease through a self-check and urged others to monitor their health. Barrett-Theron, who recently officiated South Africa A versus Zimbabwe and gained attention during the Under-20 Six Nations, received strong support from South African Rugby Union president Mark Alexander, who praised her determination and resilience.