WXV Global Series
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Upcoming season or competition: 2026 WXV Global Series | |
.jpg) | |
| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2025 |
| First season | 2026 |
| No. of teams | 12 |
| Countries | |
| Official website | wxvrugby.com |
WXV Global Series is an international women's rugby union programme contested by the top 12 ranked national teams in the world. It was launched in September 2025 as one of two successors to WXV, alongside the WXV Global Series Challenger. The WXV Global Series uses a home-and-away, cross-regional touring model, with fixtures negotiated between member unions across an eight-week international window from September to October.[1][2]
Teams
In September 2025, World Rugby, in partnership with 18 national unions, announced a major restructure of WXV, launching the WXV Global Series and the WXV Global Series Challenger.[1][3] The announcement was made during the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup. The new format runs from 2026 to 2028 and is designed to provide women's national teams with a larger, more consistent schedule of international rugby, while also forming part of the qualification pathway for the 2029 Women's Rugby World Cup.[1][4]
The rankings used to determine each team's position were set at the end of 2024 WXV, and teams remain fixed throughout the 2026–2028 cycle, as agreed with participating unions.[1] As of April 2026, the 12 teams competing in the WXV Global Series occupy the top 12 places in the World Rugby Women's World Rankings. The six remaining teams compete in the secondary WXV Global Series Challenger, which uses a cross-pool format at a single centrally hosted venue, funded by World Rugby.[1][3]
Participating unions retain domestic commercial rights to their home fixtures, allowing them to grow local fanbases and reinvest in player pathways and national programmes.[1]
World Rugby has confirmed that the women's-specific size 4.5 ball trial, which began at the 2025–26 SVNS, will be extended to the 15-a-side game through the WXV Global Series.[3]
The 12 teams that take part are: Australia, Canada, England, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, the United States, and Wales.[1]