Pools for Women’s World Cup finalised

The pools for the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup have now been determined. While the draw took place last month, three spots were still to be determined in regional qualifying matches. Those have now been completed and all 12 teams are now ready to begin their tournament preparations.

Spain took the final spot in Pool B with a 15-10 win over Scotland in Madrid on November 26. Added to the 10-5 at Scotstoun a week earlier, the 25-15 aggregate score saw the 13th-ranked Scots eliminated from the flagship competition.

This past weekend saw Japan defeat Hong Kong 20-8 to claim the top spot in the Asia/Oceania zone, though both teams have done enough to qualify for the World Cup. For Hong Kong this is a particularly laudable achievement given their 23rd overall ranking on World Rugby’s charts and it is also the first time a team from Hong Kong has qualified for a World Cup either in the men’s or women’s tournament.

Speaking to World Rugby, head coach Jo Hull says Hong Kong’s achievement is a major boost to the developing nation.

“It’s huge, it’s hard to put it into words. For Hong Kong women’s rugby, hopefully it is going to be a huge turnaround and encourage youngsters and women to get involved and play in that Hong Kong jersey and take a lot of pride in that. Bringing Hong Kong out of Asia to compete against world-class teams and be in the top 12 on that international stage will be fantastic and I think it will be a huge catalyst for the game in Hong Kong.

“We wanted to create a legacy and create history, but what would be most pleasing is to see our men do the same thing in a couple of years’ time. Hong Kong rugby is about the men and the women, we had this opportunity first and have grabbed it with both hands, but I think it sets a real precedent about the potential we have in our game in Hong Kong.”

The 2017 tournament kicks off in Dublin on August 9. Canada and the USA will represent the Americas.