World Rugby has officially announced the pools for next year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup, revealing a challenging path for the two Pacific Island teams as they aim for a place in the knockout stages.
Samoa finds itself in Pool A alongside the top-ranked host nation England, and powerhouse teams Australia (ranked 5) and the USA (ranked 9). Meanwhile, Fiji is placed in Pool B with Canada (number 2), Scotland (number 8), and Wales (number 10).
Defending champions, the Black Ferns, are in Pool C, competing against Ireland, Japan, and Spain. The remaining teams in Pool D include France, Italy, South Africa, and Brazil, completing the 16-team tournament lineup.
Teams will compete against every other team in their respective pools over three weekends, with the top two teams based on competition points advancing to the quarterfinals.
Samoa has qualified for its first Women’s Rugby World Cup since 2014 by securing third place overall in the WXV 3 competition.
World Rugby has stated that the fixtures for the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup, scheduled from August 22 to September 27, will be announced on Tuesday, October 22, via the tournament’s official website.
Sarah Massey, Managing Director of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, remarked, “With anticipation building among fans and teams for next year’s showcase event, today marks an important step forward towards what will be an unmissable tournament. Next week we will commemorate another exciting milestone by unveiling the match schedule, enabling fans, host cities, and teams to begin their preparation for the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025.”