FIVE years have passed since the last women’s Rugby World Cup was held, but in that time the sport has evolved by light years. Or at least, that is what the organisers and the 12 participating teams hope will become evident when the tournament kicks off in New Zealand in the early hours of tomorrow [Saturday] British time.
There are strong arguments in favour of having 16 teams in the finals, not least that it would avoid the prizes-for-nearly-everyone approach that will see only four sides eliminated at the pool stage this time round. But at least this year’s format ensures a real concentration of talent: of the dozen nations who have qualified, ten are ranked in the world’s top 12, with Japan just outside and Fiji the only real outliers. That should ensure more close games than ever.
A levelling-up was also in evidence in some elements of the convoluted qualifying tournaments. Scotland, for example, reached their first World Cup since 2010 thanks initially to a couple of narrow wins over Spain and Ireland, two teams who remain very close to them in the world rankings.
