Rugby World Cup qualification would ‘open the door to many other dreams’

The Sevens Stadium, way out in the Dubai desert, will be a scene of agony and ecstasy this weekend as sporting dreams are made and crushed.

Four teams have made it to the final round of WXV 3 2024 with a shot at becoming champions of the third level.

Yet, perhaps more crucially, the same number – Spain, Samoa, Hong Kong China and the Netherlands – are still in contention, mathematically at least, for Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 qualification.

Securing passage to the showpiece tournament in England would not only represent the realisation of a personal and squad objective but could provide a transformative impact to those involved.

Qualifying for a World Cup brings with it exposure, sponsorship, funding and crucially, matches. For the players, it promises the potential of the metaphorical shop window and a pathway to a better career.

“Getting the pass to the World Cup would mean fulfilling a dream, giving meaning to a lot of work and sacrifice on the part of all of us,” Spain fly-half Amalia Argudo, whose side top the standings with nine points after two rounds, told RugbyPass this week.

“Furthermore, I believe that fulfilling this dream would open the door to many other dreams.

“I hope that getting the qualification also means a big step forward for Spanish rugby and especially for women's rugby.”

By virtue of winning this year’s Oceania Rugby Women’s Championship, Fiji had already booked their place at next year’s showpiece tournament before they set foot in the United Arab Emirates.

For the other five teams in WXV 3, however, the goal – at least one of them – was always to secure one of the two remaining tickets to England available from the third level.

Madagascar, without a point from their two matches so far, know a World Cup debut is out of reach. The Netherlands, meanwhile, have made peace with the fact they probably will not be playing in England next August and September.

There is a specific set of results that could yet propel the Dutch to Women’s RWC 2025, but given it would need Madagascar to beat Samoa, and by a large score, before they even think about their own match with Hong Kong China, realism has set in.

In the days after they lost 20-0 to Spain – a result that followed a dramatic 8-8 draw with Samoa – the Netherlands squad gathered to process the fact their wait for a fourth World Cup appearance would go on for at least another four years.

Last Sunday, a group of players headed to a waterpark, others stayed in their rooms to rest or went to a bakery close to their hotel. On Monday, they had a session with the team psychologist.

“It could happen, but I don’t think anyone is expecting it to happen,” Dutch flanker Mariet Luijken said.

“We didn’t make the World Cup and it sucks but I think we’ve all also got over it and we are just trying to show what we can do, and hopefully keep playing at this level and get better and finish on a high against Hong Kong.”

Samoa fly-half Cassie Siataga has been on the opposite psychological journey to Luijken and the Netherlands.

Siataga had the opportunity to win Manusina’s opening match against the Dutch but her conversion, with time in the red, was charged down by Lieve Stallmann and the match ended as a draw.

It was only natural that the playmaker, usually a metronomic kicker who had never previously been charged down, would question whether she had cost her country a chance of World Cup qualification.

However, with the backing of her team-mates, Siataga kicked 15 points to help Samoa to a 45-17 victory against Fiji.

Manusina now head into their final match against Madagascar with their destiny back in their own hands. Victory will secure their passage to a first World Cup since 2014.

“I myself didn’t have a lot of confidence going into that Fiji game, but the team did. They still had confidence in me,” Siataga said.

“The Netherlands game, it probably rocked me a lot more than anyone else because in my head I was like, 'Is that our World Cup chances over with that charge down?'

“But I never once faltered in the belief of our team getting the job done against Fiji. So, it's pretty awesome to think that we're one game away, one win away from being back in the World Cup.”

The victory against Fiji has given Samoa a huge boost, but Siataga is taking nothing for granted. “We haven't wavered in our preparation or taken Madagascar lightly in any kind of sense,” she added.

“We just want to keep the ball rolling and step up our game because we know we have so much more to give. And our girls… they're all in, they all want to go to World Cup.

“We're all buying into it and at the end of the day, we're trying to get our people back on the map and do it for our people.”

It is a similar story for Spain, who know a third successive win would tie up the title and World Cup qualification but need only two points against Fiji to be absolutely sure of the latter.

But having suffered heartbreak in their finale against Ireland last year, conceding 12 unanswered points in the final quarter to lose 15-13 and miss out on the inaugural WXV 3 title, they know there is work to be done.

“We have a very clear objective of winning the tournament and getting a ticket to the World Cup,” Argudo added.

“For me it would be a pride to be able to take Spanish rugby to the highest competition of our sport.”

Hong Kong China are the final team in contention for a ticket to England, and they have an outside shot at the title too.

But given they need at least one of Spain and Samoa to fail to win this weekend, it is no surprise that they are concentrating on performance above anything else.

“We haven't talked too much about the ramifications,” Hong Kong China head coach Andrew Douglas said on Thursday. “This is an intelligent group; they know the sums and the maths and what it takes.

“So, we've tried to focus on what we need to do. We can't change and control what happens outside of our group.

“So, we've just focused on ourselves and tried to really enjoy our last week, enjoy our time together.”

For two teams this weekend, that focus will drift to a glorious month-long odyssey in England next year and the potential opportunities it will open up.