The 2026 WXV Global Series and 2026 WXV Global Series Challenger are the inaugural editions of the two successors to WXV, consisting of fixtures for women's national teams organised by participating national unions and World Rugby. Replacing the original three-tier WXV tournament, this new structure moves the top 12 nations into a home-and-away cross-regional touring model (the WXV Global Series), while six emerging nations compete at a single host venue funded by World Rugby (the WXV Global Series Challenger).
The 2026 editions are the first year of a fixed three-year cycle running from 2026 to 2028, fully aligned with the qualification pathway for the 2029 Women's Rugby World Cup.
Background The WXV Global Series was announced in September 2025 during the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup in England. The rankings used to determine positions in the series were set at the end of 2024 WXV, and teams remain fixed in these throughout the 2026–2028 cycle, as agreed with participating unions.
Format The top 12 teams compete in home-and-away touring fixtures arranged directly between member unions, with each team playing between four and six matches within an eight-week global window from the second week of September to the last week of October. Unions retain domestic commercial rights to their home fixtures.
The six emerging nations compete at Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong from 13 to 26 September, with triple-header matchdays on 13, 19 and 26 September.
World Rugby has also 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 these competitions.
There is no promotion or relegation between the Global Series and the Challenger during the 2026–2028 cycle.
WXV Global Series
The 2026 WXV Global Series features home-and-away touring fixtures arranged between member unions across the September–October international window. The 12 participating nations remain fixed in the series for the 2026–2028 cycle with no promotion or relegation.
Participating nations
Fixtures Fixtures are arranged directly between member unions.
+ Confirmed test series Home Away Dates Details 1 12 September Series details 1 19 September 1 26 September 1 12 September Series details 1 19 September 1 26 September 1 12 September Series details 1 19 September 1 26 September 1 18 September Series details 1 26 September 1 19 September Series details 1 26 September 1 20 September Series details 1 27 September 2 16–23 October Series details 1 4 October Series details 2 17–23 October Series details 3 17–31 October Series details 2 17–24 October Series details 1 30 October 2 24–31 October Series details 2 24 October Series details
Match week 1 (12 September) 12 September 202648–15CorpAcq Stadium, Salford12 September 202626–64Edinburgh Rugby Stadium, Edinburgh12 September 202614–28Stade de Gerland, Lyon
Match week 2 (18–20 September) 18 September 202650–19Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff19 September 202655–21Stadio Omero Tognon, Fontanafredda19 September 202626–26Sandy Park, Exeter19 September 202629–26Stade Maurice David, Aix-en-Provence19 September 202614–66Edinburgh Rugby Stadium, Edinburgh20 September 202636–40Tallaght Stadium, Dublin
Match week 3 (26–27 September) 26 September 202629–41Stadio Omero Tognon, Fontanafredda26 September 202626–19Twickenham Stadium, London26 September 202624–26Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff26 September 202610–30Edinburgh Rugby Stadium, Edinburgh26 September 202621–5Stade Marcel-Deflandre, La Rochelle27 September 202631–24Dexcom Stadium, Galway
Match week 4 (4 October) 4 October 20260–20Instalaciones deportivas La Cartuja, Seville
Match week 5 (16–17 October) 16 October 2026vBMO Field, Toronto17 October 2026vStadium Australia, Sydney17 October 2026vWaikato Stadium, Hamilton17 October 2026vTexas Health Mansfield Stadium, Mansfield
Match week 6 (23–24 October) 23 October 2026vCanberra Stadium, Canberra23 October 2026vTD Place Stadium, Ottawa24 October 2026vOkara Park, Whangārei24 October 2026vPrince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Tokyo24 October 2026vAthlone Stadium, Cape Town24 October 2026vGeodis Park, Nashville
Match week 7 (30–31 October) 30 October 2026vSports Illustrated Stadium, Harrison31 October 2026vTe Kaha, Christchurch31 October 2026vKumagaya Rugby Ground, Kumagaya31 October 2026vAthlone Stadium, Cape Town
WXV Global Series Challenger
The 2026 WXV Global Series Challenger will take place at Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong from 13 to 26 September 2026, with triple-header matchdays on 13, 19 and 26 September. The competition is fully funded by World Rugby and uses the cross-pool format of the previous WXV system, with two pools of three teams each playing the three teams from the other pool.
Participating nations NationCompetitionRegional associationWorld Rugby ranking South America 25 Oceania Rugby Women's Championship Oceania 12 Asia Rugby Women's Championship Asia 16 Rugby Europe Women's Championship Europe 17 Oceania Rugby Women's Championship Oceania 15 Rugby Europe Women's Championship Europe 14
Pools The pools have been arranged as follows:
+ WXV Global Series ChallengerTeamCompetitionRegionEurope and Asia PoolAsia Rugby Women's Championship AsiaRugby Europe Women's Championship EuropeRugby Europe Championship EuropeAmericas and Pacific PoolNo regional Competition South AmericaOceania Rugby Women's Championship OceaniaOceania Rugby Women's Championship Oceania
Fixtures Fixtures are scheduled for 13, 19 and 26 September 2026 at Kai Tak Sports Park, Hong Kong. Match week 1 (13 September) 12:0013 September 202632–38Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground, Hong Kong15:3013 September 202629–24Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground, Hong Kong19:0013 September 202670–0Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground, Hong Kong
Match week 2 (19 September)
12:0019 September 202621–59Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground, Hong Kong15:3019 September 202654–26Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground, Hong Kong19:0019 September 202615–17Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground, Hong Kong
Match week 3 (26 September) 17:0026 September 202620–17Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground, Hong Kong20:1526 September 202617–34Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground, Hong Kong26 September 2026CancelledKai Tak Youth Sports Ground, Hong Kong
See also 2026 women's rugby union internationals WXV Global Series WXV Global Series Challenger 2026 Nations Championship
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