📰 HEADLINES

MAJOR LEAGUE RUGBY

• Dates: 
  • 📆 January 22
    • 🏉 Houston SaberCats
  • 📆 January 29
    • 🏉 Rugby ATL

• Takeaway: Houston has scheduled two preseason games on the 22nd. The SaberCats will send a senior squad to Dallas to play the Jackals and a junior squad to New Orleans to play the Gold. 

• Takeaway: Forward Daemon Angel Torres, an assistant coach for the Life University men's rugby team, played in six matches for the Ratlers last season. 

• Takeaway: Otago lock Will Tucker joins his brother Brad Tucker (Seattle Seawolves) in MLR. 

• Takeaway: Utility back Josh Thiel returns to San Diego for the 2022 season after missing most of last year due to a knee injury. 

WOMEN'S RUGBY

• Takeaway: The Welsh Rugby Union awarded full-time professional contracts to 12 women, including sevens star Jasmine Joyce. The 12-month deals represent a first for the WRU. 

🦠 COVID'S IMPACT ON RUGBY

• Quote: "Even though confirmation had not arrived Sale expressed confidence their match at Clermont would go ahead on Sunday but Bath were adamant they would not travel to La Rochelle on Saturday without the requisite guarantees. Newcastle are planning for Friday’s match at Biarritz to go ahead and will travel that morning unless told otherwise."

• Quote: "After discussions with RAN’s Medical Committee and the Mexican Rugby Federation, it is with regret that RAN have made the decision to postpone the RAN Super 7s scheduled for February 2022 in Mexico City,” said RAN General Manager Niall Brooks. “We are taking a precautionary measure as the Omicron variant continues to surge around the globe.” 

🏉 MAJOR LEAGUE RUGBY

• Quote: "We want to inform Legion fans and the San Diego community more generally that we are managing the attendance capacity at SDSU Sports Deck to ensure the wellbeing of our players, staff, and fans. This will mean we will need to prioritize attendance for our Season Ticket holders."

• Quote: "After having to spend two seasons and more than a thousand days away from our incredible fans in Toronto, TSN’s expansive coverage of Arrows rugby is perfectly suited to helping tell the story of our long-awaited return home to playing matches in Canada once again," said Toronto Arrows COO and General Manager Mark Winokur.

🇺🇸 USA RUGBY

• 🎥 WATCH: Goff Rugby Report's Alex Goff chatted with USA Rugby CEO Ross Young about 2021 and what fans can expect for 2022. 

• Quote: "What we want, with all due respect to rugby union, which is played across the world, is to become a true universal sport, which gives the opportunity to each nation, if it applies to it, to become an Olympic champion," said USA Sevens Men's head coach Mike Friday. 

🏉 QUICK HITS

• Canada: Rugby Canada partner with SRI for CEO search (Rugby Canda)
• College Rugby: Top Men D1 college players of the Fall - The Backs (Goff Rugby Report)
• Currie Cup: Exciting new edition kick-starts 2022 season (SA Rugby)
• Super Rugby: What the Blues can expect from forgotten star Caleb Clarke (RugbyPass)
• USA Rugby South: Sumner County Rugby to host elite men's rugby match Saturday (Main Street Preps) 

📆 THIS WEEK IN RUGBY

• Challenge Cup
  • Round 3
• Champions Cup 
  • Round 3
• Currie Cup
  • Round 1
• Pro D2
  • Round 17
• RFU Championship
  • Round 15

• Challenge Cup
  • Round 3
• Champions Cup
  • Round 3
• Currie Cup
  • Round 1
• Japan Rugby League One
  • Round 2 
• National Collegiate Rugby
  • All Star Shield Challenge
• Premier 15s
  • Round 11
• RFU Championship
  • Round 15
• USA Rugby South
  • Panthers vs. Pacific NW Selects

• Champions Cup 
  • Round 3
• Japan Rugby League One
  • Round 2
• National Collegiate Rugby
  • All Star Shield Challenge
• Premier 15s
  • Round 11

🎧 THIS WEEK IN RUGBY PODCASTS