30 November 2020

Women’s Rugby World Cup to expand to 16 teams from 2025

The women’s Rugby World Cup will expand from 12 to 16 teams from 2025.

For next year’s tournament in New Zealand, the usual format of three pools consisting of four teams will remain.

But the expansion will then take place for the 2025 competition, which will mean quarter-finals are also added to the format rather than teams advancing straight from their pools to the last four.

It comes after research showed 28 per cent of those who play rugby globally are now women and girls.

Bill Beaumont, the chairman of World Rugby, described the expansion as a ‘milestone moment’ for the women’s game.

The draw for the 2021 World Cup has already been made, with England set to face France and holders New Zealand taking on long-time rivals Australia.

New Zealand have won the World Cup a record five times, with the only other sides to have won the tournament being England and the USA.

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