To minimal fanfare last week, a quiet revolution began in women’s rugby. Italy’s victory against Japan in Stellenbosch, South Africa, might not have troubled the headline writers, but it marked the inauguration of a groundbreaking competition. Called WXV, the three-tier global series involving 18 Test teams is expected to usher in a new era of the women’s game.
Designed to improve the competitiveness of Test teams before an expanded 16-team World Cup in England in 2025, WXV is the centrepiece of a new women’s global calendar that promises to help women’s rugby capitalise on growing popularity and will involve all the world’s leading nations aligning their domestic and international schedules.
