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Mik A @mikadooo.bsky.social · 59m

The full report from the Sutton Trust is here:

www.suttontrust.com/wp-content/u...

www.suttontrust.com

Mik A @mikadooo.bsky.social · 59m

It's interesting how the proportion who went to University appears to have dropped over time in multiple sports - I wonder if it's to do with better development pathways and pro opportunities coming earlier in life than used to be the case. The trend is least clear with Women's rugby.

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Mik A @mikadooo.bsky.social · 59m

Amongst a range of sports, cricket had by far the most private school attendees (based on people who played for England in the year up to March 2025). Olympic medallists from Paris 2024 also notably drawn from private schools.

It's unclear whether Women's rugby's % drop from 2019 is a real trend

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Mik A @mikadooo.bsky.social · 59m

Men's rugby is notably posher, with 36% having attended private school, but less brainy (only 31% went to Uni).

The rugby players surveyed were the Men's and Women's Six Nations squads for England, Scotland and Wales this year.

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Mik A @mikadooo.bsky.social · 59m

According to the Sutton Trust, Women's rugby isn't too bad a reflection of the overall UK demographic. 10% educated outside the UK, 9% at private schools and virtually all the rest at comprehensives.

The proportion that went to Uni is however high compared to the UK norm (around 50% I think)

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Mik A @mikadooo.bsky.social · 1h

FWIW the yellow card against Bordeaux #9 (Canadian Taylor Donato) seemed very harsh to me. She was carded for cynically killing the ball, but so far as I could see, she was jackalling legally before Toulouse #6 flopped all over her.

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Mik A @mikadooo.bsky.social · 1h

Highlights of the Elite 1 match between Toulouse and Bordeaux are up on YouTube:

youtu.be/b5MNcrg6PKY?...

Axa Elite 1 : Le résumé de Toulouse - Bordeaux

YouTube video by France Rugby

youtu.be

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Mik A @mikadooo.bsky.social · 13h

Ah that explains it. What incredibly low effort

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Mik A @mikadooo.bsky.social · 14h

@STFeminin est bon sur Twitter

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Mik A @mikadooo.bsky.social · 1d

The other thing of interest is Berthoumieu's explanation of how she (by her account) panicked feeling claustrophobic with Wafer's arm across her face. This feels a little odd from a flanker who must have found herself at the bottom of hundreds of rucks in her career but heck, who's to say.

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Mik A @mikadooo.bsky.social · 1d

Apart from that, the additional evidence doesn't do a lot to excuse the refereeing team from having missed the bite on the day. There was apparently reddening to Wafer's arm at the point where it was bitten, but it's strange that Aimee Barrett-Theron didn't check for this herself on field.

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Mik A @mikadooo.bsky.social · 1d

Just in case anyone is still following this issue, World Rugby did publish the written decision of the Disciplinary Committee and... I guess the main "additional evidential submission" was Berthoumieu admitting biting.

resources.worldrugby-rims.pulselive.com/worldrugby/d...

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Mik A @mikadooo.bsky.social · 1d

Particularly odd is the refusal of the Elite 1 Twitter account to use the correct handle for Toulouse Women, given that that account is active. Instead they consistently link to the parent club, which barely mentions the Women’s team at all.

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Mik A @mikadooo.bsky.social · 1d

Very weird how the Elite 1 Twitter account has posted naming the teams in that league but giving dead links to most of them.

I get that French rugby isn’t particularly big on Twitter, and some teams have no live presence there. But it’s not hard to do better than this post.

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Mik A @mikadooo.bsky.social · 1d

Yeah. You understand Canal+ wanting to start with a showpiece but it looks like the person responsible for getting the match rescheduled didn’t understand it would be affected by the World Cup.

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Mik A @mikadooo.bsky.social · 1d

I noticed a few international players appeared in the finals of the PWR Cup. I hope that was by choice, not by pressure. So far as I could see it was all players who didn’t appear in the semifinals or finals of the RWC, which mitigates the impact a bit, I suppose.

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Mik A @mikadooo.bsky.social · 1d

To compare with England, I don’t know if the RFU has a formal position on player rest but in previous seasons, England players have taken breaks of varying lengths after WXV. And although that might rob clubs of some star power temporarily, it also lets other players shine, which is good IMO.

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Mik A @mikadooo.bsky.social · 1d

And if Bordeaux feel they are particularly affected by post-RWC absences, with so many French (& Canadian) stars missing, I’m going to need a smaller violin. Other clubs would love to have all those stars.

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Mik A @mikadooo.bsky.social · 1d

But surely a week’s rest after a RWC campaign is crazy small? Surely clubs and the FFR should be planning on giving players a month off? If that impacts the start of the season, either replan the season or live with it. If Canal+ failed to foresee the issue when they set the schedule that’s on them.

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Mik A @mikadooo.bsky.social · 1d

However the framing of the issue is odd to me. The FFR gives the players a minimum rest period of a full week, with an option of a second week. Bordeaux trainer François Ratier appears to bemoan that semi-pro players can’t be compelled to play if they don’t want to.

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Mik A @mikadooo.bsky.social · 1d

France’s Elite 1 competition started with what should have been a showpiece match between the two best teams in France - Bordeaux and Toulouse - televised on Canal+. Unfortunately most of France’s World Cup stars were absent, slightly devaluing the occasion.

Ouatère Brex @bastisme.bsky.social · 1d

Énorme.

« C'est frustrant de ne pas pouvoir jouer avec les meilleures » : l'absence de plusieurs stars pour le choc Toulouse-Bordeaux, un problème de programmation ?

Toulouse reçoit Bordeaux dimanche à 17h45 pour lancer la saison d'Élite 1. Une affiche de prestige, diffusée sur Canal +, mais amputée de nombreuses internationales encore en repos après la Coupe du m...

www.lequipe.fr

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Reposted by Mik A

Brendon Shields @rugbycology.bsky.social · 1d

Rugbycology is a new database for rugby union that makes it possible for every schools and club team around the world to measure and compare performance.

youtu.be/GN14D13FekQ

@squidgerugby.bsky.social @ekrugby.bsky.social @linebreakrugby.bsky.social @bloodandmud.bsky.social @rugbykino.bsky.social

Using the Zoom tool on Rugbycology

YouTube video by Rugbycology Analytics

youtu.be

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Mik A @mikadooo.bsky.social · 1d

I disagree with Reynal’s logic re the bunker. It’s not about who’s the best ref, it’s about the bunker ref having ten minutes to go through all the video to determine the right sanction while the game continues.

Mik A @mikadooo.bsky.social · 1d

Thanks for the link!

I agree with the scrum law trial (although would also be ok with refs simply enforcing the existing law. I also like the move against players in mauls swinging into offside positions.

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Mik A @mikadooo.bsky.social · 11d

They’re on rugbypass tv if you happen to be somewhere where local media haven’t secured rights

rugbypass.tv/interstitial...

England v USA | Rugby World Cup 2025 | Full Match Replay

Watch the full match replay as England took on USA in the Rugby World Cup 2025 opener in Sunderland

rugbypass.tv

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