The Nigeria women’s senior rugby team, the Green Falcons, resumed camp on Tuesday in preparation for their Middle East Africa Rugby League Women’s Cup qualifying double-header against Kenya later this month.
The two nations will face off in a historic two-game series, the first-ever Middle East Series, with both matches scheduled to take place in Nairobi, Kenya. The winner of the series will advance to the Women’s Rugby League World Cup Series, moving one step closer to securing a spot in the Women’s Rugby League World Cup.
The first leg is set for September 19, with the return match taking place three days later.
These crucial fixtures offer the Green Falcons a prime opportunity to demonstrate their skill and determination on the global stage.
So far, ten teams have qualified for the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025. Host nation England alongside Canada, France, and New Zealand, secured direct qualification by finishing in the top four at the 2021 Women’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
Ireland earned their spot by finishing third in the 2024 Guinness Women’s Six Nations, while South Africa qualified by topping the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup. In May, the USA beat Australia in the Pacific Four Series to secure qualification. In June 2024, two more teams qualified, with Fiji winning the Oceania Rugby Women’s Championship and Japan topping the Asia Rugby Women’s Championship. Brazil was the latest team to qualify, defeating Colombia in the Sudamerican play-off.
The final six teams will qualify through the WXV 2024 competition, the last qualifying stage.
Six more teams will secure spots in 2024 through regional competitions, with the winners or highest non-qualified teams from Asia, Africa, Europe, Oceania, South America, and World Rugby’s cross-regional Pacific Four Series earning direct qualification.
The 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup will be the 10th edition of the tournament, the quadrennial world championship for national women’s rugby union teams, organised by World Rugby. It will take place in England from August 22 to September 27, 2025. The opening match will be held at the Stadium of Light, with the final scheduled for Twickenham Stadium.
This will be the second time England hosts the Women’s Rugby Union World Cup, following the 2010 edition, and the fifth time it is held in the British Isles.
The tournament will expand to 16 teams, up from the 12 that competed in 2021.
New Zealand enters the competition as the defending champions, having defeated England in the 2021 Rugby World Cup Final.
