The pools for the highly anticipated Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 in England have been announced, sparking excitement among rugby fans worldwide. The tournament, set to take place from August 22 to September 27, 2025, promises to be the most significant celebration of women’s rugby to date, featuring thrilling matchups and historic milestones.
The live draw unfolded during BBC’s popular program The One Show, hosted at the iconic Broadcasting House in London. Rugby legends and prominent figures, including Gabby Logan, former World Cup champion Maggie Alphonsi, and presenter Roman Kemp, carried out the draw, which was independently supervised by PWC to ensure fairness.
Pool Allocations
Ahead of the draw, the 16 qualified teams were seeded into four bands based on the World Rugby Women’s Rankings as of October 14, 2024. The top four teams—England, Canada, New Zealand, and France—automatically secured the first position in their respective pools.
The pools are as follows:
- Pool A: England, Australia, USA, Samoa
- Pool B: Canada, Scotland, Wales, Fiji
- Pool C: New Zealand, Ireland, Japan, Spain
- Pool D: France, Italy, South Africa, Brazil
Key Matchups
The stage is set for captivating clashes. Host nation and world number one England will face fierce competition in Pool A, going head-to-head with Australia, USA, and Samoa. Meanwhile, reigning champions New Zealand find themselves in Pool C, matched against Ireland, Japan, and Spain, as they aim to defend their title.
In Pool B, second-ranked Canada takes on northern hemisphere rivals Scotland and Wales, alongside the ever-unpredictable Fiji. France, bronze medalists in the previous tournament, are set to compete in Pool D against Italy, South Africa, and Brazil.
Tournament Format
Over three weekends, teams will play against every other team in their pool, with the top two teams advancing to the quarterfinals. From there, the tournament moves into the knockout stage, culminating in the final at Twickenham Stadium.