WXV 2 returns to South Africa in September

Six of the best women’s teams on the planet will return to South Africa later this year for the second instalment of WXV 2 after World Rugby announced the host venues for their three flagship annual women’s tournaments on Wednesday.

WXV 2 will take place over three weekends in September and October this year, after SA Rugby successfully hosted the inaugural women’s tournament in and around Cape Town in 2023.

Canada will host WXV 1 and Dubai WXV 3 in the same time slot respectively.

Last year, the second tier WXV 2 tournament was successfully hosted at Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch and Athlone Stadium in Cape Town, with Scotland finishing first, ahead of Italy, South Africa, USA, Japan and Samoa after three rounds of competition.

Qualification for WXV gets underway in March with unions from around the world competing to secure one of 18 spots across the relevant levels through their regional competitions. The pathway for the Springbok Women will be the Rugby Africa Women's Cup that will be played in Madagascar in May.

SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer said South Africa is looking forward to hosting the tournament again and to shine the light on women's rugby.

“We have a proud history of successfully staging world-class events and we are extremely proud to be hosting the WXV 2 for a second successive year,” said Oberholzer.

“Our very own Springbok Women delighted the home crowds in last year's tournament, and we are confident that they will qualify for the 2024 showpiece.

“The growth of the women's game in the country has been very rewarding to both players and spectators and the WXV 2 will expand interest and exposure, which is fantastic for all involved.”

World Rugby Chief of Women’s Rugby Sally Horrox said: “We are delighted to be working with Rugby Canada, SA Rugby and Dubai to host WXV later this year. The tournament plays a fundamental role in helping us to grow women’s rugby and provides more opportunities for players, showcases the game to more fans and inspires more girls to play.

“Our hosts all share our ambition to take the tournament to the next level and further strengthen the development of the women’s game.

“It’s crucial that teams get sufficient preparation and game-time ahead of Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, and WXV is designed to help to provide this for players and coaches alike. I saw firsthand just how much the competitiveness grew across the tournament last year and I look forward to the same again.”

WXV 2 schedule 2024:

Date: 27 September to 13 October

Match days:

Round 1: Friday, 27 to Sunday, 29 September

Round 2: Friday, 4 to Sunday, 6 October

Round 3: Friday, 11 to Sunday, 13 October

Venues and ticketing information will be announced closer to the tournament.