Forgotten stars; Letter.

Sir, On Saturday England women's rugby team were crowned RBS Six Nations Grand Slam champions for the second consecutive year. I watched a tightly fought game against Wales and picked up your paper on Monday expecting at least a mention of their success, but nothing.

What hope is there for English sport when we give more attention to boozed-up "stars" throwing away their opportunities than amateurs who give their all?

Susan Francombe

St Albans

The Times (London, England) (March 20, 2007): p16

England chase title

Rugby union England will achieve their second grand slam in successive seasons if they beat Wales in the women's international in Taffs Well today. Sue Day leads an unchanged XV against a Wales side who have lost once in this year's championship, to France, and are celebrating 20 years of international women's rugby in the Principality.

The Times (London, England) (March 17, 2007): p107.

Scotland; Women's rugby union

SCOTLAND suffered their third loss in four RBS Six Nations matches when they went down 18-6 to Ireland at Meggetland in Edinburgh.

The Irish opened the scoring with a penalty from Jo O'Sullivan and a Sarahjane Belton try gave them an 8-6 half-time lead. Ireland dominated the second half with tries from Jeannette Feighery and Lynne Cantwell sealing their first win of the season.

Sunday Times (London, England) (March 11, 2007): p20.

Scotland's women

SCOTLAND'S women fought back to beat Italy 26-6 in Edinburgh with Lucy Millard grabbing three tries. The visitors took an early lead from a Michela Tondinelli penalty, but the Scots battled back with tries from Millard, converted by Lynsey Harley, and Erin Kerr. The Italians responded with a second penalty in the first-half, but the hosts dominated after the break.

Sunday Times (London, England) (Feb 25, 2007): p26.

Women's pioneer dies aged 106

YOU might think women's rugby is a comparatively recent phenomenon but a remarkable pioneer has died in Cardiff aged 106. Maria Eley played full-back for Cardiff Ladies in a wartime charity match at Cardiff Arms Park on Dec 16, 1917, when Newport won 6-0. Interestingly, reports suggest that the Cardiff team all wore protective headgear, which predates their male counterparts by some decades.

Maria remained a keen player until she married her husband, Hector, and concentrated on bringing up eight children. She attributed her longevity to a love of rugby and an aversion to cigarettes and alcohol. Away from rugby and family duties she chaired the senior citizens club at her native Cogan for 24 years and was still calling bingo until she was 101.

Daily Telegraph (London, England) (Jan 18, 2007): p016

Women's topless haka stunt offends Maori.

IT WAS intended as a cheeky charity stunt but a topless haka performed by a British women's rugby team has been criticised as offensive by Maori in New Zealand.

The team, from Canterbury, Kent, were smeared with mud and wearing only shorts when they were photographed leaping into the air in a parody of the Maori war dance, made famous by New Zealand's rugby team, the All Blacks.

The picture appears in a 2007 calendar intended to raise money for breast cancer research.

The women preserved their modesty with one arm covering their breasts.

"It looks like misuse of the haka to me,'' said Dr Poia Rewi, of the School of Maori Studies at Otago University.

Daily Telegraph (London, England) (Jan 9, 2007): p016.