Rugby World Cup 2021 - Symbol
Sign up for the latest news and ticket information.
Sign Up
rugbyworldcup.com
World Rugby
Website language English
  • English
  • Français
  • Español
  • 日本語
Rugby World Cup 2021 - Symbol Rugby World Cup 2021 - Symbol Rugby World Cup 2021 - Logo
Listen Live
  • Teams
  • Video
  • News
  • Media
  • Teams
  • Video
  • News
  • Draw
  • Tickets
  • Visit
  • Venues
  • Qualifiers
  • Volunteer
  • HOSPITALITY
  • Media
  • Women In Rugby
  • Back to Rugby World Cup
  • Back to World.Rugby
Website language English
  • English
  • Français
  • Español
  • 日本語
  • Visit
  • Venues
  • Qualifiers
  • Volunteer
  • HOSPITALITY
  • Media
  • Women In Rugby
  • Back to Rugby World Cup
  • Back to World.Rugby

Our Social Channels

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
Latest News
Rugby World Cup 2021 Draw

RWC 2021

Wed 16 Dec 2020

New Zealand confirm Rugby World Cup 2021 coaching intern

World Rugby and New Zealand Rugby today announced that New Zealand Barbarians assistant coach Whitney Hansen will join the Black Ferns management team as their selected Rugby World Cup 2021 coach intern.
Nicki Nicol

Women in Rugby

Fri 11 Dec 2020

Resilient Nicki Nicol helping New Zealand Rugby rebuild from COVID-19

World Rugby Women’s Executive Leadership Scholarship recipient is playing a key role in the efforts to limit the impact of the pandemic on the game in New Zealand.
Ireland v Australia - Women's Rugby World Cup 2017

RWC 2021

Thu 10 Dec 2020

Sophie Spence keen to learn and improve through RWC 2021 Coaching Internship Programme

The former Ireland international talks to World Rugby about joining the Wales coaching staff on the road to New Zealand 2021.
Sophie Spence

RWC 2021

Wed 09 Dec 2020

Wales Women confirm Rugby World Cup 2021 coaching intern

World Rugby and the Welsh Rugby Union today announced that former Ireland international Sophie Spence will join the Wales Women management team as their selected Rugby World Cup 2021 coach intern.
Rugby - 2019 Rugby Africa Womens Cup - South Africa v Kenya - Bosman Stadium - Brakpan - South Africa

Rugby World Cup

Thu 03 Dec 2020

Zenay Jordaan “proud” of South Africa career as she looks ahead to Rugby World Cup 2021

The Springbok Women fly-half talks to World Rugby about her 11-year international career, which could stretch to a sixth Rugby World Cup appearance in 2021.
Latest Videos
WR awards thumb
1:36:38 mins

Awards

Mon 07 Dec 2020

World Rugby Awards Special Edition - watch the whole show

Re-live the World Rugby Awards Special Edition and find out the winners of the Player, Try and Team of the Decade 2010-19 for both men and women, plus celebrate rugby's heroes of COVID-19.
Full Draw ceremony for Rugby World Cup 2021
27:21 mins

RWC 2021

Thu 19 Nov 2020

Full Draw ceremony for Rugby World Cup 2021

Live show hosts and interviewers react post-draw
01:20 mins

Thu 19 Nov 2020

Live show hosts and interviewers react post-draw

Live programme hosts Elma Smit and Ugo Monye spoke with New Zealand broadcasters and co-hosts Karl Tenana and Rikki Swannell after the draw.
Alycia Washington USA post-draw interview
03:04 mins

Thu 19 Nov 2020

Alycia Washington USA post-draw interview

Kendra Cocksedge NZL Post-draw interview
03:12 mins

Thu 19 Nov 2020

Kendra Cocksedge NZL Post-draw interview

women in rugby
Friday 03 July 2020

Kazakhstan women aiming for Rugby World Cup return

Presented By
Once one of the leading women’s teams in international rugby, Kazakhstan are attempting to mount a revival in 15s rugby.
  • label.share.via_facebook_messenger
  • label.share.via_whatsapp
  • label.share.via_facebook
  • label.share.via_twitter
  • label.share.via_copy
    URL Copied

Kazakhstan women have come out of the international wilderness and are now hoping to make it to their seventh Rugby World Cup.

In July/August last year, the Kazakhs beat China 23-13 on aggregate in a two-legged Asia Rugby Division 1 play-off, despite lacking competitive game time over the last four years.

The victory over China meant promotion to the top tier of the Asia Rugby pyramid, where they will compete with Japan and Hong Kong for the region’s direct qualification spot for Rugby World Cup 2021. The runner-up will go into the final qualification tournament.

Should they get to New Zealand, it would make up for missing out on the last tournament in 2017 – the first time they had not been involved at that level for 26 years.

Kazakhstan’s absence in Ireland came as a bitter disappointment to people like Ana Khamova, a three-time Rugby World Cup participant, But it was almost inevitable after the focus of rugby in Kazakhstan switched from 15s to sevens following rugby’s return to the Olympic Games.

Now they are on their way back and Khamova, who managed a young and raw team in China, is proud of the way her team came together in such a short space of time to keep their Rugby World Cup dream alive.

Hear the journey rugby pioneers took to making #WRWC the global event it is today. pic.twitter.com/hnbPTuTrhD

— World Rugby (@WorldRugby) November 24, 2017

Steep learning curve

“We didn’t play international 15s for four years, and honestly it was tough to put all the players together in one team because everyone is playing sevens, not 15s, especially the young players,” Khamova told World Rugby.

“We had a two-week training camp before the competition in China. It was not enough to prepare because I think around 70 per cent of the team had never played 15s before.

“I tried to show them how to play 15s, and how to understand 15s, because this is the game for Kazakhstan ladies. 

“It is a very smart game, you have to think first and then do and, of course, it is very physical.”

Kazakhstan lost the first game in China 13-8 but bounced back four days later to win 15-0, also in Jiujiang.

“We lost the first game, I think, due to the weather conditions; it was very hot, and the humidity was very high. Also, it was a long way for us to travel.

“But for the second game, we just told them they now know enough (about 15s) and to just go out there and be smart and play.”

Other than their last appearance in 2014, Kazakhstan have won at least one match at each of the tournaments they have competed in.

Proud to wear the jersey – any jersey

For Khamova, who started playing rugby aged 20, the most memorable tournament from a personal perspective is her first in 2006 in Edmonton in Canada.

“Before the World Cup, we were training back at home and I wasn’t in the starting XV. But once we got to Canada, I became the scrum-half. My first reaction when the coach told me was ‘what!?’

“It was my first big tournament and I was really nervous before the game against Samoa. But when I got onto the pitch I calmed down and said to myself, ‘okay, this is your moment to shine’ and I tried to do my best.

“I think I played in about six or seven different positions in that World Cup. Our coach was a big thinker of the game and believed you should be able to play anywhere in 15s, but maybe not the front or second row as they are specialist positions.”

Also an international-standard referee, Khamova retired from playing after the 2014 tournament.

While her contribution to Kazakhstan rugby has been huge in so many ways, her biggest influence arguably came in October 2009 when she was part of the delegation that persuaded the International Olympic Committee to include rugby sevens on the programme for the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Games.

That historic decision paved the way for sevens to attract funding via the National Olympic Committees, and, like in many countries, Kazakhstan decided to focus on the shorter format of the game.

While 15s remains her first love, she is sure of one thing – she needs rugby in her life, whatever the format.

“I am always around rugby; I couldn’t live without it,” she said.

“It’s good that rugby sevens became an Olympic sport because awareness of rugby has increased. Rugby sevens got all the attention but, to me, 15s is classic rugby.”

Read more: The history of the Rugby World Cup

Rugby World Cup 2021 - Logo

Teams

Video

News

Volunteer

Tickets

  • Rugby World Cup Limited © 2007 - 2021. All Rights Reserved.
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Cookies Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Rugby World Cup
  • World Rugby Media Zone

Managing Cookies on the Rugby World Cup 2021 website

We use cookies to help make our sites function properly. We would also like to use cookies to continually improve our sites, offer you a better experience and deliver personalised content to you. Our use of cookies is described further in our Cookies Policy.

You can enable all optional cookies by clicking “Accept All Cookies”. You can also choose to adjust your cookie settings and select to have only necessary cookies and the cookies you wish to be deployed to be used.

Using this tool will set a cookie on your device to remember your preferences.

Necessary Cookies

Necessary cookies enable basic functionality on our sites such as page navigation, access to secure areas, authenticating logins, and the delivery of other core functions. This category of cookies cannot be disabled on our sites. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of these sites will not then work.

Cookie Consent: Analytics

We would like to use Analytics cookies provided by Google to help us to improve our website by collecting and reporting information on how you use it. The cookies collect information in a way that does not directly identify anyone. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited these sites and will not be able to monitor their performance.

Cookie Consent: Advertising

We would also like to use advertising cookies, which collect information, and combine it with previously collected information, to select and deliver advertisements for you, and to measure the delivery and effectiveness of such advertisements. This includes using previously collected information about your interests to select ads, processing data about what advertisements were shown, how often they were shown, when and where they were shown, and whether you took any action related to the advertisement, including for example clicking an ad. These cookies may be on-site cookies or third party cookies.