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Alan Gilpin on Rugby World Cup Host Selection

Rugby World Cup

Wed 24 November, 2021

Alan Gilpin on Rugby World Cup Host Selection

The World Rugby Council has approved revisions to the Rugby World Cup host selection process, awarding exclusive Preferred Candidate status to England for Rugby World Cup 2025 and Australia for Rugby World Cup 2027 while confirming USA will enter into exclusive targeted dialogue for Rugby World Cup 2031 within a model that focuses on building meaningful partnerships between World Rugby and potential host countries.
RWC 2021

Dates confirmed for Rugby World Cup 2021 Final Qualification Tournament

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World Rugby has announced the Rugby World Cup 2021 Final Qualification Tournament will take place on 18 and 24 February, 2022 at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai.
  • Final Qualification Tournament to take place on 18 and 24 February, 2022 
  • Scotland, Samoa, Colombia and the winner of the Hong Kong v Kazakhstan play-off will compete for the final place in Pool A at RWC 2021 
  • Final Qualification Tournament will take place at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai

Teams from Scotland, Samoa, Colombia and the winner of the Hong Kong v Kazakhstan play-off will compete for the last remaining place at Rugby World Cup 2021 in New Zealand, now due to take place between 8 October–12 November, 2022. 

The Final Qualification Tournament will operate in a semi-final, final format over two match days. Teams will be seeded as per World Rugby Women’s Rankings powered by Capgemini as of 20 December, 2021 with seed 1 v seed 4 and seed 2 v seed 3 meeting in the semi-finals.   

This is the first time the women’s edition of Rugby World Cup has featured a Final Qualification Tournament offering teams a second pathway to qualify for RWC 2021 with the winner booking their place in Pool A alongside hosts New Zealand, Australia and Wales next year. 

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Eleven teams have already booked their place at Rugby World Cup 2021, including New Zealand, England, France, Canada, USA, Australia and Wales, who qualified through their final ranking at Ireland 2017, and South Africa, Fiji, Italy and Japan who qualified through their regions. 

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Rugby World Cup 2021 Tournament Director, Alison Hughes, said: “We are pleased to be able to share the details of the Rugby World Cup 2021 Final Qualification Tournament. A first for a women’s edition of a Rugby World Cup the tournament offers teams a second opportunity to qualify for the pinnacle event and we anticipate a thrilling contest between competing teams in Dubai in February.” 

Tom Burwell, The Sevens Stadium General Manager, said: “We are hugely excited to host world-class women’s 15s rugby at The Sevens Stadium. It will be the first time such a competition has taken place in the UAE. With the Emirates Dubai 7s returning over the next two weekends, it’s an exciting time for rugby in the region. We are honoured to be working with World Rugby once more in delivering international rugby. With the winner going onto New Zealand and RWC 2021, we are excited to be part of a nation’s journey to the very top of the women’s game.”

The RWC 2021 Final Qualification Tournament will be live streamed across World Rugby and RWC 2021 digital and social platforms. 

Rugby World Cup 2021 will be the showpiece event in women’s rugby union 15s, with the first tickets for Rugby World Cup 2021 selling out in minutes. Tournament organisers are calling on fans to secure their tickets early to avoid disappointment.

More information on tickets can be found here.