Match schedule confirmed for WXV 2023

World Rugby has today unveiled the bumper match schedule for WXV, the new women’s international 15s competition designed to increase the competitiveness, reach and impact of elite women’s rugby.

The three-level tournament, which begins this October, will see 27 fixtures played across three host countries bringing the best women’s talent around the world.

The world champion Black Ferns will play France during a blockbuster opening weekend of the inaugural WXV 1 tournament at Sky Stadium in Wellington as the world’s top six teams kick off a new era for international women’s rugby in New Zealand this October.

Women’s Six Nations champions England will play Australia in the opening match as WXV 1 kicks off in the Capital at 7:00pm on Friday 20 October, with a double header the following day as Canada play Wales at 4.00pm and the Black Ferns take on France at 7.00pm.

The Friday-Saturday format will repeat over three successive ‘weekends’ with nine Tests in total as WXV 1 moves south to Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium on 27-28 October, before culminating at Go Media Stadium Mt Smart in Auckland on 3-4 November.

A year after lifting the Rugby World Cup, the Black Ferns will face three of the teams they beat on the way to the title in New Zealand with France first up in Wellington, Wales in Dunedin on Saturday 28 October, then England in a Rugby World Cup final rematch in Auckland on Saturday 4 November.

Alongside the WXV 1 match schedule, World Rugby has also unveiled the full schedule and venues for WXV 2 and WXV 3, which will be played in South Africa and Dubai respectively.

• The tournament features three weekends of international rugby as the best of the Women’s Six Nations – England, France, and Wales - meets the best of the World Rugby Pacific Four Series, New Zealand, Canada and Australia.
• Each tournament ‘weekend’ will feature one standalone Friday night Test, followed by a Saturday double-header at the same venue.
• The three match venues will be Sky Stadium in Wellington, Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin, and Go Media Stadium Mt Smart in Auckland.
• The Rugby World Cup Champion Black Ferns will play France in Wellington, Wales in Dunedin, and England in Auckland.