England to play New Zealand, Australia and Canada this autumn as part of new tournament WXV; game against Black Ferns will be repeat of 2021 World Cup final with New Zealand beating England 34-31; England skipper Marlie Packer: “WXV presents another opportunity to take further strides”
England will face New Zealand in their final match of new women’s rugby tournament, WXV
England will face New Zealand in repeat of the 2021 Rugby World Cup final as part of new women’s competition WXV.
The three-tier tournament begins in October with England, New Zealand, Wales, France, Australia, and Canada placed in the top group, WXV1.
England will play three matches in New Zealand culminating in a game against the Black Ferns – the side that beat them 34-31 in last year’s World Cup final – on November 4 in Auckland.
The Red Roses’ first fixture is against Australia in Wellington on October 20, while they will then face Canada in Dunedin on October 27 ahead of their clash with New Zealand the following week.
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Six nations are split into two pools with each team playing the three sides in the other pool before final placings are decided via a points table.
England, Wales and France are in one pool in WXV1 with Australia, Canada and New Zealand in the other.
The entire WXV competition will take place over four weekends between Friday October 13 and Saturday November 4.
England captain Marlie Packer said: “It’s always a privilege to represent your country, especially in a hotbed for international women’s rugby.
“WXV presents another opportunity to take further strides forward on the next part of our journey together. It’s an exciting time to be a part of the Red Roses.
“We want to continue to test ourselves against the best teams in the world; there’s no better way to do that than playing in this exciting new tournament.
“We’re relishing facing three world-class teams in Australia, Canada and New Zealand this autumn.”
South Africa is the venue for the WXV2 matches, with that tier featuring Scotland, Italy, Samoa, South Africa, Japan and USA.
The WXV3 fixtures will be staged in Dubai, with Ireland, Kenya, Fiji, Kazakhstan, Columbia and Spain the teams involved.
World Rugby chief of women’s rugby, Sally Horrox said: “WXV represents the start of a new era for women’s rugby with the three-level tournament model providing opportunities for the best athletes around the world to show their skills on the international stage.
“We’ve seen the rapid development of the women’s game in recent years and WXV will push it to another level again.
“We’re really proud of the exciting array of fixtures on offer and I’ve no doubt we are in for a thrilling competition with some exhilarating matchups on the pitch set to follow.”
