The Women's Rugby World Cup has seen remarkable growth and intense competition over the last 20-30 years, with some of the world's top teams battling for supremacy. Since the 1994 tournament in Scotland, the competition has showcased the highest level of Women's Rugby World Cup, starting with England's triumph over the USA in the Rugby World Cup Final, securing their first title. The 1998 Rugby World Cup in the Netherlands marked the beginning of New Zealand's dominance in the sport, as they clinched their first title by defeating the USA. New Zealand continued to assert its dominance, winning subsequent tournaments in 2002 in Spain, 2006 in Canada, and 2010 in England, where they consistently overpowered top contenders like England in thrilling finals.
The 2014 Rugby World Cup tournament in France saw a power shift, with England breaking New Zealand's winning streak and claiming their second title by defeating Canada in the final. However, New Zealand quickly regained its supremacy, winning the 2017 Rugby World Cup in Ireland in a closely contested final against England.
The most recent tournament, held in New Zealand in 2022, was a testament to the growing competitiveness of the sport, with New Zealand narrowly defeating England in a dramatic final to secure their sixth title. Throughout these years, New Zealand and England have emerged as the top teams in the Women's Rugby World Cup, with New Zealand holding six titles and England securing two. The USA and Canada have also made significant contributions, reaching the finals in multiple tournaments.
The Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 is set to continue this tradition of excellence and competition, with the tournament being hosted in England. While the exact venues are yet to be confirmed, major cities across England, including London, are expected to host the matches, with iconic stadiums like Twickenham potentially being chosen for the final. The anticipation for the Women Rugby World Cup 2025 tournament is already building, as teams prepare to compete for the ultimate prize in women's rugby on one of the sport's biggest stages.
Ten teams have already qualified for the Women's Rugby World Cup 2025. As the host nation, England automatically secured their place in the tournament. Canada, France, and New Zealand also qualified directly after finishing in the top four at the Women's Rugby World Cup 2021, which was held in New Zealand in 2022.
Ireland earned their spot by placing third in the Guinness Women’s Six Nations 2024, while South Africa secured their place by finishing first in the Rugby Africa Women's Cup. The USA clinched qualification by defeating Australia in the Pacific Four Series in May and June 2024. Additionally, Fiji qualified by topping the Oceania Rugby Women's Championship, and Japan secured its place by winning the Asia Rugby Women's Championship. Brazil became the most recent team to qualify, earning their spot by defeating Colombia in the Sudamerica play-off.
The remaining six teams will need to qualify through the final qualifying competition, WXV 2024. Starting in 2025, the Women's Rugby World Cup will expand to include 16 teams, up from the 12 that competed in 2021. On 12 May 2022, World Rugby announced that England, Australia, and the United States would host the next three women's tournaments in 2025, 2029, and 2033, respectively. As part of a new strategy, Australia and the United States were also awarded the preceding men's tournaments in 2027 and 2031, respectively marking the first time that the men's and Women's Rugby World Cups will be held consecutively in the same host nation.