RUGBY MATTERSBRENDAN GALLAGHER

THERE were gongs aplenty for sporting folk in the New Year’s honours list and it would have been easy to overlook two richly deserved awards for rugby folk who have both furthered the cause of women in sport. Namely Karen Almond OBE and Jill Douglas MBEAlmond was the first fly-half for England women’s team and probably still the best. When I reported on her debut for England for the South Wales Echo at Pontypool Park in April 1987 I suggested she was probably the best England ten seen in Wales since the War and the following day we were...