In today's news: Stephanie Frappart and Kateryna Monzul to officiate World Cup qualifiers, England confirm 38-player Six Nations squad and Steph Davis wins British Olympic marathon trials for a place in Tokyo.
Female football officials to make history
Referees Stephanie Frappart and Kateryna Monzul will become the first females in history to officiate men's World Cup qualifiers this weekend.
The landmark decision marks another huge step in closing the gap on gender inequality within football. France's Frappart will take charge of The Netherlands vs Latvia fixture whilst Monzul of Ukraine will lead the Austria vs Faroe Islands clash.
Frappart is rapidly becoming one of the most well known female officials in the game. Saturday's historic match will not be the first time the 37-year-old has broken through the glass ceiling. Prior to this announcement, she made history by becoming the first female to referee in Ligue 1 in 2018, the Super Cup in 2019 and then the men's Champions League in 2020.
England announce Six Nations squad
The Red Roses are ready to tackle the Six Nations head on after Simon Middleton revealed his 38-player squad.
Captain Sarah Hunter returns to the team after a long lay-off due to an injury in her hand. The skipper is joined by Hannah Botterman, Bryony Cleall, Vicky Fleetwood, Sarah McKenna, Zoe Aldcroft, Ellena Perry and Lydia Thompson who are all also back to full fitness again and have made the cut.
Additionally, Harlequins flanker Emily Robinson has received her first international call up. She will feature for England, who will be looking to retain their crown and push for their 17th Six Nations title. The Red Roses will kick off the tournament with a home clash against Scotland on April 3rd.
Steph Davis qualifies for Tokyo
Steph Davis raced to emphatic victory at Kew Gardens today in the British Olympic marathon trials. The Scot finished the women's race in first place, securing a personal best time of 2:27:16.
Davis, despite being relatively new to the sport with no current sponsor, smashed the trials in London this afternoon and has booked her place at the Tokyo Olympics this summer.
Wales' Natasha Cockram finished second behind Davis, but missed out on Olympic qualification by an agonising 30 seconds.
WSL set for blockbuster weekend
It'll be all eyes on the big stages this weekend as two Women's Super League fixtures are scheduled to take place at the men's grounds.
The long-awaited North London derby will be hosted at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Arsenal look to push for Champions League football by toppling their neighbours and bitter rivals.
Up north, Old Trafford will be the hosting ground for Manchester United's clash against West Ham. However, no broadcast is in place for this match, which has not sat well with manager Casey Stoney, who thinks it's a "missed opportunity" to showcase the sport.
All fixtures are available to watch on the FA Player, but Stoney is disappointed that no major broadcast will be televising the event at Old Trafford, given it's the first time the women's team are set to play there.
Rachel Taylor resigns as Wales skills coach
The former Wales captain has left her position as Wales Women national skills coach ahead of the start of the 2021 Six Nations.
Taylor resigns from her role after just four months – her appointment back in November 2020 made her the Welsh Rugby Union's first professional national female coach.
There is currently no reason given for the 37-year-old's departure, but the WRU has thanked Taylor for her contribution across both her playing and coaching career.
Darren Edwards will take over her role on an interim basis, operating under head coach Warren Adams as Wales prepare for the return of the Six Nations.