Weekend Edition: Russian dolls, fax machines & legal threats - the making of the first Women's Rugby World Cup - The Sports Agents

The News Agents

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Friday, 29 August 2025 - 22 minutes

Our guest today, Alice Cooper, fought to set up the first ever Women's Rugby World Cup in 1991, along with three other trailblazing women. It took players selling Russian dolls and vodka to pay their way, organising everything over fax, and Alice losing her job - but they did it. Alice tells Gabby and Mark the story of how they paved the way for this year's World Cup.

Plus, we look back at the best bits from this week's shows: former Nottingham Forest player David Prutton asked, could Mourinho replace Nuno at Forest?! After dream debuts for 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha and 15-year-old Max Dowman, Max's former coach at Arsenal, Temisan Williams, and The Telegraph's Sam Wallace joined us. And comedian and Grimsby fan, Lloyd Griffith, took the mickey out of Mark after their shock Carabao Cup win over Man United.

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Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides

Producer: Sophie Penney

Video Producer: Sam Trudgill

Social Media Editor: Calum Scotland

Guest Booker: Kirsty Giddings

Tom Hughes is Editor for The News Agents podcast network

Vicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for Global

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