Rugby

The Canadian women's rugby sevens team was scheduled to leave late Friday for Australia and the HSBC SVNS Perth, bolstered by the return of veteran Olivia Apps and fellow Olympian Florence Symonds.

BRISTOL, England (AP) — U.S. rugby star Ilona Maher is set to make her first start for the Bristol Bears on Sunday at the Exeter Chiefs. The 28-year-old Maher, who helped lead the U.S.

PERTH — The Canadian women have been drawn in Pool B alongside Britain, Fiji and the U.S. at the HSBC SVNS Perth in Australia later this month. The Perth event, the third round of the seven-stop rugby sevens season, runs Jan. 24-26 at HBF Park.

It's a big year for the Canadian women's rugby team, with the World Cup set to kick off in August in England. Canada coach Kevin Rouet hopes it will be a historic one.

BRISTOL, England (AP) — U.S. rugby star Ilona Maher made her debut for the Bristol Bears women's team in front of a record home crowd of 9,240 fans on Sunday.

BRISTOL, England (AP) — Ticket sales have broken a record ahead of U.S. rugby star Ilona Maher making her debut for the Bristol Bears women's team.

Steve Meehan acknowledges his own rugby playing career "wasn't too flash." An injury in his first year out of school caused his shoulder to repeatedly pop out of place. "It brought a bit of a sudden halt to things," he said.

LONDON (AP) — Bill Beaumont was named interim chairman of the England Rugby Football Union on Friday, hours after Tom Ilube resigned because of an outcry over executive payouts.

Australian Steve Meehan has been named coach of the Canadian men's rugby team, succeeding Kingsley Jones.

VANCOUVER — The Canadian men's team will be part of the Vancouver Sevens, competing in an invitational event in conjunction with the HSBC SVNS stop in February.