Expected, this new competition reinforces the development of women’s rugby by bringing together the best teams in the world.
The course towards the 2025 World Cup is launched. Less than a week after the end of the Six Nations Tournament, World Rugby, the governing body of world rugby, announced the creation of a new annual women’s international competition on Friday May 5. This competition will bring together the 18 best nations in the world, divided into three divisions, defined according to the level of the teams involved. Created with the idea of ” increase the competitiveness, reach and impact of elite women’s rugby“, WXV will take place over three weeks and will notably allow the nations of the north and the south to cross swords more regularly.
After the popular enthusiasm for the last World Cup, accompanied by record crowds in the stadiums, or even that of the last Tournament, where the spectator record was broken during the England-France match at Twickenham, World Rugby is therefore taking head on the development of women’s rugby at international level. Emphasizing that ” women and girls are at the forefront of the global sport development strategy”Sir Bill Beaumont, chairman of World Rugby, wants to highlight a competition that ” increase the reach and impact of the sport and boost the overall competitiveness of women’s international rugby, with a view to an expanded 16-team Rugby World Cup in 2025 in England and subsequent Rugby World Cups in Australia in 2029 and in the United States in 2033.”
A competition to wear women’s rugby
Director of women’s rugby for World Rugby, Sally Horrox, also completes the words of its president. ” The WXV is the flagship competition pillar of our strategy to accelerate the global development of women in rugby. It’s more than a world-class competition, it’s a statement of intent, a means to greatly increase the reach, competitiveness and value of elite women’s rugby and to develop rugby more generally. , projecting the sport to new audiences in new markets.“
The New Zealand federation, which will host part of the competition, expressed its joy in hosting an event of such magnitude for the second consecutive year. ” The Rugby World Cup last year united and inspired our nation. We have witnessed the passion and enjoyment that Aotearoa has for women’s rugby. We are pleased“, explained the general manager, Mark Robinson
Lynne Cantwell, head of high performance women’s rugby in South Africa, insists on the benefits of this new competition. ” This is a huge event for women’s rugby and we can only congratulate World Rugby for designing and funding this competition which will allow the world’s top 18 teams to play more competitive matches. I have no doubt that it will raise the level of the game.“
France well surrounded
The XV of France will play in the first division (WXV 1), made up of the three best European nations of the last Six Nations Tournament (France, England and Wales), and the three best nations of the Pacific Four Series 2023, which ends this summer. New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the United States will compete for the three places. For this first edition organized on the All Black territory, there will be no relegation within this first division.