Scrum Queens

The Story of Women's Rugby

Scrum Queens charts the fascinating journey of women's rugby, from widespread social disapproval to the modern era of Olympic recognition and professionalism. This meticulously researched book features all the major moments in women's rugby and celebrates the pioneers and players who have made the game what it is today.

Special updated 2025 edition of the critically acclaimed and Sports Book Awards-shortlisted Scrum Queens: The Story of Women’s Rugby.

By Alison Donnelly, one of women’s rugby’s most authoritative voices and founder of Scrumqueens.com.

This innovative book charts the fascinating journey of women's rugby, from widespread social disapproval to the modern era of Olympic recognition and professionalism. Read and you will discover:

• All the major moments in the history of the women's game, from groundbreaking matches during the war, to the first World Cup in 1991 and a momentous first appearance for women's rugby at the 2016 Olympics
• Stories of the pioneers who fought to get the game played in its earliest days, like New Zealand's Nita Webbe and France's Henry Fléchon as well as the more modern-day drivers of the game, like England's Carol Isherwood
• The success and heroics of the sport's top players and teams, exploring New Zealand's dominance of the game at every level alongside their long-time rivalry with England, plus the more recent successes of teams such as Ireland and Fiji, and the rise of the sevens game and its impact on women's rugby
• Updated chapters including the story of the World Cup in 2022 (which was won in the dying moments in front of a record crowd by New Zealand), the 2024 Olympics in Paris (which included a breakout moment for rugby’s first female global superstar Ilona Maher), plus further progress in the professionalisation of the women's game

Scrum Queens is a must-read for any fan of rugby, women’s sport or first-class sport-history writing.

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