WXV 2024 - What we know with 100 days to go

The second edition of WXV will kick off in 100 days when round one begins on 27th September.

Competition for all three levels will take place on the same weekends (27 September – 12 October) with Canada hosting WXV 1 in Vancouver, South Africa hosting WXV 2 in Cape Town, and Dubai being the stage for WXV 3.

WXV 1 will be played BC Place and Langley Event Centre, WXV 2 at DHL Stadium and Athlone Stadium, and WXV 3 at The Sevens Stadium. 

With 100 days to go, all teams 18 have qualified for WXV, with only Wales and Spain still to determine their levels in a play-off match.

Inaugural WXV 1 winners England will join Canada, New Zealand, France, Ireland, and the USA in the top level, with Ireland, who won WXV 3 last year, and the USA, who competed in WXV 2 in 2023, both making their debuts in the top level.

WXV 2 winners from last year, Scotland, return to Cape Town for a second year, and will be joined once again by South Africa, Japan, and Italy. Australia move down from WXV 1 after their last-place finish in the Pacific Four Series, and the lineup will be completed by the winners of the Wales vs Spain play-off on 29th June.

WXV 3 will also return to the same destination for a second year, this year with Fiji, Hong Kong China, Madagascar, Netherlands, and Samoa on the roster already, to be joined by the loser of the Wales vs Spain play-off.

This year’s WXV provides the added prize of Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 qualification for six teams who are yet to secure their place.

Teams who will be vying for the six RWC places are: Scotland, Italy, Australia, Wales, Spain, Hong Kong China, Madagascar, Netherlands, and Samoa. 

Given Japan and South Africa have already qualified for RWC 2025, four places will be allocated to the remaining WXV 2 teams with two places up for grabs in WXV 3.

As Fiji have already qualified as a result of their Oceania Rugby Women’s Championship title, it will be all to play for for the remaining five teams in WXV 3 to finish in the highest position and gain the two remaining places.

Qualification – how each team secured their WXV place

WXV 1

England* – Guinness Women’s Six Nations champions 

Canada* – World Rugby Pacific Four Series champions 

France* – Six Nations runners-up

New Zealand* – Pacific Four Series runners-up

Ireland* – Six Nations third place

USA* – Pacific Four Series third place

WXV 2 

Scotland – Six Nations fourth place 

Italy – Six Nations fifth place

South Africa* – Rugby Africa Women’s Cup champions

Japan* –  Asia Rugby Women’s Championship winners

Australia – Pacific Four Series fourth place

TBD – Winner of Wales vs Spain

WXV 3 

Fiji* –  Oceania Rugby Women’s Championship winners

Hong Kong China – Asia Rugby Women’s Championship runners-up

Madagascar – Rugby Africa Women’s Cup runners-up

Netherlands – Winner of a play-off with 2023 WXV 3 last place Colombia

Samoa –  Oceania Rugby Women’s Championship runners-up

TBD – Loser of Wales vs Spain

*already qualified for RWC 2025

Qualification for Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 so far

New Zealand – RWC 2021 semi-finalists (and eventual winners)

England – RWC 2021 semi-finalists (runners-up)

France – RWC 2021 semi-finalists (third place)

Canada – RWC 2021 semi-finalists (fourth place)

Ireland – 2024 Women’s Six Nations, highest finishers behind already qualified teams (third)

USA – 2024 Pacific Four Series, highest finishers behind already qualified teams (third)

South Africa – 2024 Rugby Africa Women’s Cup champions

Japan – 2024 Asia Rugby Women’s Championship winners

Fiji – 2024 Oceania Rugby Women’s Championship winners