Wallaroos fullback Mhicca Carter won't be playing Super W in 2020 after signing a two-year deal with new AFLW side West Coast Eagles.
The Eagles will join the AFLW competition next season and Carter was announced this week as one of their alternate sport rookies.
It's a move that all but ensures she will not feature in Super W next year with her contract precluding her from playing other sports.
Carter's loss is a big blow for the RugbyWA Super W side - the 29-year-old captained the WA team through the competition this season and was one of their most valuable players.
The fullback made her Wallaroos debut in 2018 and has progressed into a key role with the team, starting against the Black Ferns in Auckland last month.
Whether she will return to rugby for the 2021 Rugby World Cup is unclear but there will certainly be plenty of eyes on her when the AFLW kicks off early next year.
Carter told the Eagles' website this week that she was somewhat surprised by the call to join the squad.
“I never really saw this coming, so this is a huge privilege and I’m really excited to be joining the team,” she said.
This is huge.@WallaroosRugby fullback Mhicca Carter has signed on in the blue and gold.
— West Coast Eagles (@WestCoastEagles) August 30, 2019
Must read: https://t.co/PcyYTLWtw7 pic.twitter.com/bc9P9itFNb
“I think the transition is going to be really challenging, but really exciting for me as well.
“I’m going to be working alongside Adam (Selwood) for the next couple of months to get my skills to where they need to be and then I guess we’ll hit the floor running on November 1.
“I’m just looking forward to preparing for the new season and hopefully surprising myself at how quickly I can pick up the game.”
Familiar faces in Samoa squad
Samoa named their Rugby World Cup squad this weekend and there'll be a few faces in the mix that plenty of Aussie fans will recognise.
The squad will travel to Australia this week to take on the Wallabies in Parramatta and for some of them it will be very familiar territory.
Allan Alaalatoa's brother Mike, Force centre Henry Taefu and Queensland Country's Scott Malolua will all be part of the group for the tournament.
Check out the full squad here.
TMO tweak for red cards
Any red card decision for a high tackle or shoulder charge will have to be verified by the TMO under a World Rugby law change announced this week.
The governing body made the change on Friday, making it mandatory for on-field officials to refer any red card decision for a high tackle to the video referee before sending a player off.
This already happens in most cases but the move to make it compulsory is to ensure greater consistency among decisions.
Schools to play for Manu Sutherland Shield
Schoolboy Test curtain-raisers look set to become a permanent fixture of the Australian rugby calendar with Rugby Australia creating a prize for schools to play for in each match.
Schools who play before Wallabies Tests, as Brisbane's Nudgee College and Brisbane State High did in July, will play for the Manu Sutherland Schools Shield.
Any team who wins one of the curtain-raiser matches will have their school's name engraved on the trophy along with the date, venue and the Test that was staged that day.
The shield is named in honour of rugby stalwart Manu Sutherland who passed away earlier this year.
Sydney Uni take the NSW first grade double
Chants of "Anyone but Uni" have been silenced for another year after the Sydney Uni Lionesses took out the Jack Scott Cup.
The Lionesses followed in the steps of their male counterparts taking a second straight premiership, beating new Jack Scott team Randwick in the final.
Sydney Uni's women won the decider fairly convincingly, taking a 34-3 win over the Magic in dreary Sydney conditions.
The Sydney Uni side includes plenty of Wallaroos stars including Emily Chancellor, Grace Hamilton and Sera Naiqama as well as former skipper Ash Hewson.
Randwick's lineup had their own star power with Eva Karpani and former Aussie Sevens player Georgie Friedrichs among their list.
Vikings take unusual route to NRC opener
The Vikings took a big win in their opening NRC match this weekend but it wasn't all plain sailing for the visitors in Melbourne.
Canberra's men were thrown a late spanner when their bus set to take them to the game failed to turn up.
So, they piled into ubers to head to Box Hill Rugby club.
The late change didn't seem to worry the Vikings - they took a 47-22 win over the Rising once they made it to the ground.
International coaches create a storm in Melbourne
Triple Super Rugby-winning coach Scott Robertson and Premiership winner Mark McCall were both sharing their insights in an unusual place this week.
The pair were part of a group of international coaches who descended on NRL club Melbourne Storm in a sharing forum.
Robertson and McCall, among others, spent time with the Storm's football department and were also in the box for the recent Storm-Titans match.
The visit was part of a regular initiative where coaches from around the world share their knowledge with one another.
No word on whether Robertson was imparting any break dancing tips.
Jaguares take Currie Cup title
The Jaguares might have missed out on Super Rugby glory this year but they will have some silverware to add to the cabinet after claiming the second division Currie Cup crown.
With no regular second-tier competition in Argentina, the Jaguares fielded a Jaguares XV in the Currie cup second division this season.
The Jaguares beat the Griffons 27-13 in Friday's final, despite having three players sent to the bin in the clash.
The win capped off a perfect run for the side, that won all its pool games as well as the semi and final.
