2025 Rugby World Cup qualifying
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 3 February – 13 October 2024 |
← 2021 2029 → | |
The qualification process for the 2025 Rugby World Cup in England began during the knockout stage of the 2021 tournament in New Zealand, at which the four teams that reached the semi-finals qualified automatically for the 2025 event. A further six teams will qualify as winners of six regional tournaments in 2024. The final six spots will go to the highest-finishing WXV teams who have not yet qualified.[1][2]
Qualified teams[edit]
| Region | Automatic qualifiers | Teams in qualifying process | Qualifying places |
Qualified teams | World Cup pools |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Africa | 0 | 4 | 1 | ||
| Americas | 1 | 2 | 1 |  Canada (AQ) |
|
| Asia | 0 | 3 | 1 | ||
| Europe | 2 | 4 | 1 |  England (AQ) France (AQ) Ireland |
|
| Oceania | 1 | 4 | 1 |  New Zealand (AQ) |
|
| Pacific Four | — | 2 | 1 | ||
| WXV | — | 9 | 6 | ||
| TOTAL | 4 | 23 | 12 | — | — |
Qualification process[edit]
Following the previous World Cup, four teams received an automatic qualification berth - these berths being given to the top 4 teams (New Zealand, England, France, and Canada). England also automatically qualified as host. The remaining 12 berths for the tournament will be awarded to the winners of four regional tournaments, the highest finishing not automatic qualifying teams in the 2024 Women's Six Nations and 2024 Pacific Four and the six highest finishing 2024 WXV teams who have not yet qualified.[1][3][4]
Africa[edit]
Rugby Africa was granted one spot to the winner of the 2024 Rugby Africa Women's Cup (Africa 1).[2]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | TB | LB | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  South Africa
|
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 118 | 5 | +113 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | Qualifies as Africa 1 |
| 2 |  Madagascar
|
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 27 | +14 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 9 | Does not directly qualify but can still qualify via WXV |
| 3 |  Kenya
|
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 27 | 92 | −65 | 5 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 4 |  Cameroon
|
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 67 | −62 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Americas[edit]
Rugby Americas North was not granted a direct spot to the World Cup, but Sudamérica Rugby was granted one spot, awarded to the winner of a qualifying match between Brazil and Colombia (South America 1).[2]
Asia[edit]
Asia Rugby was granted one spot to the winner of the 2024 Asia Rugby Women's Championship (Asia 1).[2]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | TB | LB | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Hong Kong
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Qualifies as Asia 1 |
| 2 |  Japan
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Does not directly qualify but can still qualify via WXV |
| 3 |  Kazakhstan
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Europe[edit]
Rugby Europe was granted one spot to the highest finishing team in the 2024 Women's Six Nations Championship that hadn't already qualified automatically (Europe 1). Ireland qualified as Europe 1 by finishing third behind England and France.[2]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | GS | TB | LB | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England
|
5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 270 | 41 | +229 | 44 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 28 | Automatically qualified via the previous World Cup |
| 2 | France
|
5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 152 | 79 | +73 | 22 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 19 | |
| 3 | Ireland
|
5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 99 | 170 | −71 | 13 | 26 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10 | Qualifies as Europe 1 |
| 4 |  Scotland
|
5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 54 | 104 | −50 | 8 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | Does not directly qualify but can still qualify via WXV |
| 5 |  Italy
|
5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 72 | 146 | −74 | 10 | 23 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 7 | |
| 6 |  Wales
|
5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 55 | 162 | −107 | 7 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
Oceania[edit]
Oceania Rugby was granted one spot to the winner of the 2024 Oceania Rugby Women's Championship (Oceania 1).[2]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | TB | LB | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Fiji
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Qualifies as Oceania 1 |
| 2 |  Papua New Guinea
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Does not directly qualify but can still qualify via WXV |
| 3 |  Samoa
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 |  Tonga
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Pacific Four[edit]
One qualifying spot is awarded to the highest finishing team in the 2024 Pacific Four Series that had not already qualified automatically (P4).[2]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | TB | LB | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canada
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 7 | +43 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | Automatically qualified via the previous World Cup |
| 2 |  Australia
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Qualifies as P4 |
| 3 | New Zealand
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Automatically qualified via the previous World Cup |
| 4 |  United States
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 50 | −43 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Does not directly qualify but can still qualify via WXV |
WXV[edit]
The final six spots in the World Cup to qualify would be awarded to the highest six finishers in the 2024 WXV who have not already qualified through other means.[2]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "WXV 2024 heads to Canada, South Africa and Dubai as qualification for Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 intensifies". World Rugby. 28 February 2024. Archived from the original on 28 February 2024. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "All You Need To Know About The Women's Rugby World Cup England 2025 Qualification Pathway". Rugby World Cup. Archived from the original on 20 March 2024. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
- ^ "New Qualification Pathway Confirmed For Rugby World Cup 2025". World Rugby. 27 January 2022. Archived from the original on 6 October 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
- ^ "All you need to know about the Women's Rugby World Cup England 2025". World Rugby. 2 March 2024. Archived from the original on 20 March 2024. Retrieved 6 March 2024.