The what, when and where of WXV

SPOTLIGHT: The annual WXV kicks off this Friday, and there have been many questions surrounding this global tournament.

First and foremost WXV stands for the Women’s fifteens – the ‘W’ is short for Women’s and the ‘X’ and ‘V’ are Roman numerals.

The WXV is only in its second year and has been growing rapidly.

WXV is a three-level international women’s competition hosted in three different countries.

This year’s edition will be hosted by Canada, South Africa and Dubai.

Each level features six teams, which qualify through regional competitions each year.

The tournament will be played over three weekends from September 27 to October 12.

WXV is a chance for teams to compete outside the existing regional tournament and also allows teams who qualified for the 2025 World Cup to prepare themselves.

To make things more intense there are spots at next year’s World Cup on the line.

*READ: Getting to know WXV 

All teams in WXV 1 have already qualified, New Zealand, England, France, and Canada as a result of their top-four finishes at World Cup 2021, and Ireland and the USA due to their placing at the 2024 Six Nations and Pacific Four Series respectively.

From WXV 2, South Africa and Japan have already qualified due to winning the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup and Asia Rugby Women’s Championship. At the completion of the tournament, Scotland, Italy, Wales, and Australia will have their places confirmed.

The pressure is on in WXV 3 as the final two places at RWC 2025 are up for grabs. Fiji, who secured their place in England next year by winning the Oceania Rugby Women’s Championship in 2024 can focus on their preparation, but the remaining five teams will battle for the last two places.

Hong Kong China, Madagascar, the Netherlands, Samoa, and Spain are all in contention, and the places will be won by the two highest-finishing teams (behind Fiji if they finish in the top two).

#SPOTLIGHT: All about the @WXVRugby this week #rugby #news #sports #WomenInSports #WomenInRugby https://t.co/AJeGZ2vfbB

— rugby365.com (@rugby365com) September 23, 2024

The qualification process

Qualification for the WXV has been underway since March with unions from around the world competing to secure one of 18 spots across the relevant levels through their regional competitions.

Teams can only qualify for WXV through this process, meaning that no place at any level is guaranteed, even for the previous winners.

WXV 1 places were awarded to the top three teams at the Women’s Six Nations (England, France, and Ireland) and the top three teams at the Pacific Four Series (Canada, New Zealand, and the USA). Ireland and the USA will both compete in WXV 1 for the first time this year, moving up from WXV 3 and WXV 2.

WXV 2 features the fourth and fifth-placed teams from the 2024 Women’s Six Nations (Scotland and Italy), the winners of the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup (South Africa) and Asia Rugby Women’s Championship (Japan), and the winner (Wales) of the playoff between the Six Nations sixth place (Wales) and winner of the Rugby Europe Women’s Championship (Spain).

Due to Samoa finishing sixth in WXV 2 2023, two teams from Oceania will compete in the third level as Fiji return as regional champions alongside the Manusina.

The Asia Rugby Women’s Championship runners-up (Hong Kong China) and Rugby Africa Women’s Cup runners-up (Madagascar) take their place with the winner (Netherlands) of the play-off against Colombia, last year’s bottom-placed side, and Spain, the losers of the WXV 2/WXV 3 play-off against Wales.

*Additional sources: World Rugby & Rugbypass