Rugby World Cup qualification would ‘open the door to many other dreams’ – RugbyPass

Ashley Marsters will create more history this weekend when the backrower becomes the most-capped women’s player in Australian Rugby history.
A phenomenal mark of 48 tries, achieved against the odds, is still a distant prospect for today’s top English wingers.
The Sevens Stadium, way out in the Dubai desert, will be a scene of agony and ecstasy this weekend as sporting dreams are made and crushed.
Four teams have made it to the final round of WXV 3 2024 with a shot at becoming champions of the third level.
Yet, perhaps more crucially, the same number – Spain, Samoa, Hong Kong China and the Netherlands – are still in contention, mathematically at least, for Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 qualification.
With exactly one year to go until Women’s Rugby World Cup England 2025 kicks off
in Sunderland, excitement is sweeping across the host nation in anticipation of what
will be the biggest and most accessible celebration of women’s rugby ever.
Register now for the ticket presale
With exactly one year to go until Women’s Rugby World Cup England 2025 kicks off
in Sunderland, excitement is sweeping across the host nation in anticipation of what
will be the biggest and most accessible celebration of women’s rugby ever.
Register now for the ticket presale

Securing passage to the showpiece tournament in England would not only represent the realisation of a personal and squad objective but could provide a transformative impact to those involved.
Qualifying for a World Cup brings with it exposure, sponsorship, funding and crucially, matches. For the players, it promises the potential of the metaphorical shop window and a pathway to a better career.
“Getting the pass to the World Cup would mean fulfilling a dream, giving meaning to a lot of work and sacrifice on the part of all of us,” Spain fly-half Amalia Argudo, whose side top the standings with nine points after two rounds, told RugbyPass this week.
“Furthermore, I believe that fulfilling this dream would open the door to many other dreams.
“I hope that getting the qualification also means a big step forward for Spanish rugby and especially for women’s rugby.”
By virtue of winning this year’s Oceania Rugby Women’s Championship, Fiji had already booked their place at next year’s showpiece tournament before they set foot in the United Arab Emirates.
For the other five teams in WXV 3, however, the goal – at least one of them – was always to secure one of the two remaining tickets to England available from the third level.
Madagascar, without a point from their two matches so far, know a World Cup debut is out of reach. The Netherlands, meanwhile, have made peace with the fact they probably will not be playing in England next August and September.
As the teams prepare to chase glory and Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 qualification, we take a look at the permutations facing all 18 nations this weekend.
There is a specific set of results that could yet propel the Dutch to Women’s RWC 2025, but given it would need Madagascar to beat Samoa, and by a large score, before they even think about their own match with Hong Kong China, realism has set in.
In the days after they lost 20-0 to Spain – a result that followed a dramatic 8-8 draw with Samoa – the Netherlands squad gathered to process the fact their wait for a fourth World Cup appearance would go on for at least another four years.
Last Sunday, a group of players headed to a waterpark, others stayed in their rooms to rest or went to a bakery close to their hotel. On Monday, they had a session with the team psychologist.
“It could happen, but I don’t think anyone is expecting it to happen,” Dutch flanker Mariet Luijken said.
“We didn’t make the World Cup and it sucks but I think we’ve all also got over it and we are just trying to show what we can do, and hopefully keep playing at this level and get better and finish on a high against Hong Kong.”
Samoa fly-half Cassie Siataga has been on the opposite psychological journey to Luijken and the Netherlands.
Siataga had the opportunity to win Manusina’s opening match against the Dutch but her conversion, with time in the red, was charged down by Lieve Stallmann and the match ended as a draw.
It was only natural that the playmaker, usually a metronomic kicker who had never previously been charged down, would question whether she had cost her country a chance of World Cup qualification.
However, with the backing of her team-mates, Siataga kicked 15 points to help Samoa to a 45-17 victory against Fiji.
Manusina now head into their final match against Madagascar with their destiny back in their own hands. Victory will secure their passage to a first World Cup since 2014.
“I myself didn’t have a lot of confidence going into that Fiji game, but the team did. They still had confidence in me,” Siataga said.
“The Netherlands game, it probably rocked me a lot more than anyone else because in my head I was like, ‘Is that our World Cup chances over with that charge down?’
“But I never once faltered in the belief of our team getting the job done against Fiji. So, it’s pretty awesome to think that we’re one game away, one win away from being back in the World Cup.”
The victory against Fiji has given Samoa a huge boost, but Siataga is taking nothing for granted. “We haven’t wavered in our preparation or taken Madagascar lightly in any kind of sense,” she added.
“We just want to keep the ball rolling and step up our game because we know we have so much more to give. And our girls… they’re all in, they all want to go to World Cup.
“We’re all buying into it and at the end of the day, we’re trying to get our people back on the map and do it for our people.”
Heading into the final round of WXV 3, Spain lead the way in the race for both the title and one of the two tickets to Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 tickets on offer. Get all the team news here as and when it drops.
It is a similar story for Spain, who know a third successive win would tie up the title and World Cup qualification but need only two points against Fiji to be absolutely sure of the latter.
But having suffered heartbreak in their finale against Ireland last year, conceding 12 unanswered points in the final quarter to lose 15-13 and miss out on the inaugural WXV 3 title, they know there is work to be done.
“We have a very clear objective of winning the tournament and getting a ticket to the World Cup,” Argudo added.
“For me it would be a pride to be able to take Spanish rugby to the highest competition of our sport.”
Hong Kong China are the final team in contention for a ticket to England, and they have an outside shot at the title too.
But given they need at least one of Spain and Samoa to fail to win this weekend, it is no surprise that they are concentrating on performance above anything else.
“We haven’t talked too much about the ramifications,” Hong Kong China head coach Andrew Douglas said on Thursday. “This is an intelligent group; they know the sums and the maths and what it takes.
“So, we’ve tried to focus on what we need to do. We can’t change and control what happens outside of our group.
“So, we’ve just focused on ourselves and tried to really enjoy our last week, enjoy our time together.”
For two teams this weekend, that focus will drift to a glorious month-long odyssey in England next year and the potential opportunities it will open up.
Women’s Rugby World Cup England 2025 ticket application opens 5 November (22 October for Mastercard holders). Register your interest now.

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A phenomenal mark of 48 tries, achieved against the odds, is still a distant prospect for today’s top English wingers.
Two years ago, Ben Bamber gave up rugby to stack shelves and labour. Now, he’s a Sale Sharks mainstay.
Domestic derbies and national rivalries are a rich part of rugby offering compelling drama.

Seems like RA promised them a big payday from selling the Wallabies brand then of course that didnt happen.

Red collar or red stripe down the shorts as a finishing touch? The old Crusader weakness – the failure to read the room.

10 is not the problem, it gets too much attention, year in, year out.

Donaldson was preferred to him most of the season wasn't he with Beale at 15. I thought Burey also was used a bit at 15 for the Force too. Noah was pretty settled at SR level but has found it more difficult at the test level, but that might be the same for many of these other names being suggested.

Sweet, massive depth at coach if we pick up a niggle.
Can he play 10? Bit light there.

He does have some RL background, so that is probably it. No claim to fame unfortunately as the Tigers have been struggling for many years.

Well wikipedia says he was born in Canberra, mostly coached in Canberra.
How did he go at Gloucester? Was he successful at all?

I am wondering if he is the 13 and they look at Ikitau at 12?

and interfere at a time when they are negotiating TV rights

What are your concerns for the URC and Premiership rugby?
Or did you just go off topic trying to win an internet discussion lol
Remember now, the discussion is not about JD deriding France's so called 'bussiness success', its what impacts are its practices having on it becoming the biggest success that it can?

What are you really arguing about tho NB?
What does it matter if we agree the French have the only successful league competition? It still doesn't allow them to withhold players during International windows.
And that's it, isn't it? That's all there is to this discussion. They won't get away with it, and have already stopped doing it. If they don't show good faith in fixing their competition they'll start having sanctions imposed against them. That's the bottom line in this discussion.
Then you can move onto the extrapolate what France should do to become a better, bigger, rugby nation. Shouldn't that be the aim of even it's business's/clubs? Theres this idea that because they've made money, increased revenues, doing what they have always done, doesn't mean its the best model available to them. It's absolute folly to think they need to continue playing 10.5 months a year to be a successful business.

NZL (women) & ARG (men) won the actual circuit series. Across 7 tournaments.
AUS & FRA are "series" "champs" in name only. By virtue of winning the Madrid tournament. Ridiculous.

Like a flame to a moth.
You have the inside scoop Jamie, is Ben DG’s hero?

Cameron Hanekom deserves a chance and he started is international season injured. Unlucky but I think (hope) we’ll see him in the next squad.
None of the others form were better than the incumbents or justified dropping of incumbents.
Good try though, Finn. Googling a random list of names.

He's a kiwi so he's not a genius.

We don't need another smart alec know it all kiwi. We want passionate Australians.

Well the clubs should also be doing the same thing in their area and essentially function as a union, but yes, by any normal measure that is better. I believe they have salary caps but unsure of how good they are. There are many examples of the negatives to owner funding, like Man C and Storm. Seems like they are making it work but it's Toulouse I think that is being investigated for exceeding their cap.
They are sueing for money promised before COVID hit I believe. I don't think the Rebels offers much of an example, but yes, they probably could have continued if RA wanted them to.

Nar, that's not how it works. You're misconstruing money for power, the interest in clubs is what gave them power in football. There's a few dynamics are they aren't really factors that I grew up with but you're right, there will become a point when fans are more interested in watching the Saints than they are England. It is, I believe (at this point), natural.
What you're suggesting or basing ideas off is unnatural. In one example, you have an entity causing the game harm, and in the other, you have an entity promoting the game.
I'm sure you can work out which is which.

Opta have a stat for effective missed tackles, were a player (who is normally marked down for missing the tackle) turns the carrier inside to be taken down short of the advantage line. That is what should have happened in one of Canes examples above, but the inside was not ready (so Nick is punishing Cane for it in his stats).

Are you saying his stats have dropped off, from his previous coachs or through this year? Or do you mean "no other coaching 'environment'"?
Look I agree either way, there are better options out there, and it's time to move on anyway (and they will/have basically), but I'm hopeful that DP's performances were just below his standards because Cane has simply been better for me, and we need DP to be even better than that again.
Should they have done what you suggest sooner? Probably. I don't think he's handled his bench at all well and he's picked favourites that shouldn't be in there. He also put immense pressure on the teams development for not getting them up for Arg 1, Cane could so easily have missed Bled1 and just come in for the Bled2 farewell.
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