World Rugby has today unveiled the pools and action-packed match schedule for WXV, the highly anticipated return of the women’s 15s competition which promises thrilling encounters across all three levels in Vancouver, South Africa and Dubai with the final six Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 places up for grabs.
Kicking off on Friday, 27 September and scheduled to run across three weekends through to Saturday, 12 October, the three-level tournament will see 27 fixtures played across the globe. Dubai (WXV 3) and South Africa (WXV 2) are returning hosts having each welcomed six teams in 2023 with Canada the new host of WXV 1 in 2024.
There will be a combination of standalone, double and triple header fixtures across the match weekends, maximising fan attendance and helping to create an exciting atmosphere in each of the host cities.
VIEW THE FULL MATCH SCHEDULE HERE >>
Vancouver set for WXV 1 spectacle
No stranger to hosting international rugby, BC Place in Vancouver will open proceedings with a triple header treating fans to a jam-packed day of rugby action that kicks off with USA against England and hosts Canada facing France. Ireland will be aiming to make their mark on WXV 1 having leapfrogged from winning WXV 3 to the top level of the tournament after finishing third in the Guinness Women’s Six Nations earlier this year. They will hit the ground running as they face New Zealand on the opening day.
World Rugby Pacific Four Series 2024 champions Canada will be hoping to continue to draw on their home advantage across the three weekends as they build towards the final day when they will face reigning WXV 1 champions England.
WXV 2 continues to build in South Africa
Kicking off proceedings in WXV 2, South Africa will play Japan in what promises to be an exciting match. South Africa’s physicality and home crowd support will be significant factors when they take on the Sakura 15s in the opening round on Friday 27, September. Saturday 28, September will see Australia and Wales enter WXV 2 for the first time as they go head-to-head in their opening match with Italy also set to face Scotland on the same day.
The final game of WXV 2 features Australia against Scotland. Both teams will be keen to end their campaigns strongly with the Wallaroos hoping to take Scotland’s crown as reigning champions and qualify for England 2025 in the process.
Race to secure Women’s Rugby World Cup places in Dubai
All eyes will be on WXV 3 as the hunt for the remaining Women’s RWC 2025 spots continues. Spain will face Madagascar for the first time in Dubai on Friday, 27 September. Fans will be treated to a double-header the next day with Hong Kong China and the Netherlands also participating in the tournament for the first time adding further excitement.
A new WXV 3 champion will be crowned on the final weekend, starting on Friday, 11 October with Samoa v Madagascar playing the first of the final two fixtures wrapping up the tournament on Saturday, 12 October. The Netherlands go up against Hong Kong China and Fiji will play Spain as all teams aim to finish on a high note.
Sally Horrox, World Rugby Chief of Women’s Rugby, said: “We are delighted to reveal the fixtures for what is set to be an incredibly exciting and important second edition of WXV.
“With six Women’s Rugby World Cup places up for grabs, teams will be vying to secure qualification by ranking as highly as possible at the end of the tournament. No doubt, there will be some exhilarating matches, some new match ups and star players that will captivate fans around the world.
“We look forward to welcoming 18 of the top teams to Dubai, Cape Town and Vancouver in September, WXV is the next important milestone on the road to the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 in England’
WXV pools revealed
WXV pools for each level have also been confirmed following World Rugby Women’s Rankings as of Monday, 8 July, 2024. For WXV 1, the pools are based on positioning of teams from regional qualifiers, the Guinness Women’s Six Nations and World Rugby Pacific Four Series 2024, respectively. For WXV 2 and WXV 3, teams have been allocated using the snake format, as used in WXV 2023.
WXV 1 tickets set to go on sale
Tickets for WXV 1 in Vancouver will go on sale at 10:00 (PDT, GMT-7) on Thursday, 25 July and are available here. WXV’s Worldwide Partner Mastercard is also offering its cardholders access to a priority sale on Tuesday, 23 July.
Fans are encouraged to secure tickets early and support their team in what promises to be a landmark tournament in the rugby calendar. For more information and ticketing details, please visit the official WXV website. Ticket information for WXV 2 and WXV 3 to follow in due course.
Following its launch in October 2023, WXV remains central to World Rugby’s ambition to increase the profile and participation of the women’s game and accelerate its growth around the world. WXV provides more competitive matches for unions, greater visibility and investment on the road to an expanded 16-team Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 in England.
WXV is supported by partners Mastercard, Capgemini, Gallagher, Mitsubishi Electric and ChildFund Rugby, with World Rugby also injecting multi-million pound investment over an initial two-year period on the road to Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 in England.
