Rugby chiefs want women's Global Series to build on World Cup 'energy'

Rugby chiefs on Thursday launched a new WXV Global Series in a bid to harness the "energy" of the ongoing Women's World Cup in England.

The competition builds on the existing WXV tournament, created to bolster international women's rugby union between World Cups.

The new version will run between 2026-28 and feature 18 international teams divided into two divisions.

The top 12 countries –- Australia, Canada, England, France, Italy, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, the United States and Wales –- will compete in a home-and-away touring model in September and October.

Unions will retain domestic commercial rights to their home fixtures, with World Rugby recognising "the importance of growing the value of the women's game in each country".

Brazil, Fiji, Hong Kong China, the Netherlands, Samoa and Spain, meanwhile, will meet in a single venue in both 2026 and 2028, with World Rugby funding those tournaments to ensure teams can compete without financial hardship.

According to World Rugby, the top 18 teams will play over 100 matches between them from 2026-28.

The Global Series will also help a team reach the 2029 Women's World Cup in Australia, with the second division tournament in 2028 acting as a final qualifier for that event.

"The launch of the WXV Global Series is a pivotal next step for the women's game," Sally Horrox, World Rugby's head of women's rugby, told a press conference.

"We want to build on the energy of the World Cup," she said, with a sell-out crowd of over 80 000 already secured for next week's final at Twickenham.

Horrox, speaking in Bristol, which is staging the semifinals between world champions New Zealand and Canada and between England and France, added: "The WXV Global Series will bring consistency, clarity and certainty of global competition."