Women's Rugby World Cup (Kylaris)
Current season or competition: 2023 Women's Rugby World Cup | |
.png){kind=logo} Logo of the IRFB, branded as Kylaris Rugby | |
| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Instituted | 1995; 29 years ago |
| Number of teams | 20 (finals) |
| Holders |  Rizealand (2023) |
| Most titles |  Caldia (3 titles) |
| Website | wrwc |
The Women's Rugby World Cup is a women's rugby union tournament hosted every four years and contested by the top 20 internationally qualifying teams. The tournament began in 1995, hosted in the four-year gap between the men's Rugby World Cup - two years following the previous world cup, and two years before the following world cup. Since the first tournament, hosted by Caldia, seven tournaments have been held, of which three have been won by Caldia (1995, 2007 and 2015), two by Estmere (1999 and 2019) and by Rizealand (2003 and 2023) and once by Satavia (2011). The latest edition was hosted by Estmere in 2023.
Format
The tournament consists of twenty teams. Of these, twelve qualify automatically (by finishing in the top three of their pool at the previous Women's Rugby World Cup) whilst the remaining eight teams qualify through regional tournaments. The tournament sees teams compete over six weeks, first in a round-robin pool-stage, which sees three teams eliminated from each pool, before the remaining two teams in each pool play in the quarter-finals in an elimination tournament. This means eight teams enter the knockout stages. The quarter-finals are followed by the semi-finals, where the winners of each semi-final face each other in the final. Meanwhile, the two semi-final losers face off in the bronze final to determine third and fourth place.
In the knockout stages, matches cannot end in a tie. In the event of a draw after a full, eighty-minute match, a period of extra time begins. Two ten-minute halves are played. If the game remains a tie, one ten-minute half is played under the rules of sudden-death. If no winner has emerged, the rules state a kicking competition will decide the match. Kicking competitions are played out where five players, usually backs, take turns to score a goal using a kicking tea, from in front of the posts. If all five players successfully kick their goals, the kicking competition will continue until one team fails to score a goal. In practice, no Women's Rugby World Cup game has extended past the 100-minute mark.
History
1990s
The Men's Rugby World Cup, first held in 1981, prompted calls for a women's equivalent tournament as early as 1982. Such a tournament never materialised, until, in 1989, eight national rugby federations agreed to hold a tournament in 1990 as a Women's World Cup. However, the tournament would not go ahead after the IRFB refused to recognise the tournament, and as such threatened to sanction teams who participated. However, this caused the IRFB to seriously consider launching an equivalent women's tournament.
At the behest of the Caldian Rugby Federation, the IRFB voted and passed a proposal to hold a tournament in 1995; Caldia was chosen as the host, and twelve teams participated. Caldia would go on to win the 1995 Women's Rugby World Cup final against Estmere 27-13.
The second event was hosted four years later, in 1999 by Nuvania, which saw Estmere defeat Satavia 48-9 in the final. The tournament was the last to feature only 12 teams, as well as marking the last time a male referee officiated the final match.
2000-present
2003 saw the third winner in as many tournaments as hosts Rizealand won for the first, and to date final time, defeating Estmere 11-10 in a hotly contested final. The tournament featured 16 teams, the only tournament to do so.
2007 featured the familiar 20-team format, and also saw the competition's first repeat winner, when Caldia defeated Estmere in the final. Chistovodia secured their best finish to date at the tournament, taking 3rd place ahead of Satavia. Hosts Gaullica failed to make it past the group stage, becoming the first and only team to do so.
The IRFB dismissed bids from Chistovodia and Nuvania and instead awarded the 2011 tournament to Satavia. Satavia would clinch victory for the first and only time, besting Estmere 33-29, whilst Gaullica bounced back from a poor showing in 2007 to finish 3rd, their highest finishing position.
2015 brought a return to Caldia in terms of hosting and victory, as Caldia secured a record third tournament victory, when they defeated Estmere 28-10 in the final, earning Estmere a streak of four consecutive losses in the final.
In 2019, Rizealand was selected as host country and Estmere was finally able to achieve a second tournament victory, having defeated Satavia in the final. Garambura would beat the hosts to secure their best finish to date in 3rd. Despite suggestions the tournament would be increased to 24 teams, the proposition never materialised.
The 2023 Women's Rugby World Cup was hosted by Estmere, whilst 2027 will be hosted by Etruria and 2031 by Rwizikuru.
Trophy
The winners are awarded the Rosewater Cup, a silver trophy made and first awarded in 1995. The trophy takes its name from Elizabeth Rosewater, an early pioneer of women's rugby union in Estmere, whose campaign to encourage girls to play rugby broke the social norms of 1890s Estmere. The trophy was originally named the "Women's Rugby World Cup Trophy" but was renamed in her honour in 1998.
Results
Tournaments
Team records
| Team | Champions | Runners-up | Third | Fourth | Quarter-finals | Apps in top 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caldia
|
3 (1995, 2007, 2015) | – | 2 (2003, 2019) | 1 (2011) | 2 (1999, 2023) | 8 |
| Template:Country data Estmere | 2 (1999, 2019) | 5 (1995, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015) | 1 (2023) | – | – | 8 |
| Rizealand
|
2 (2003, 2023) | – | 1 (1995) | 2 (1999, 2019) | 2 (2007, 2015) | 7 |
 Satavia
|
1 (2011) | 3 (1999, 2019, 2023) | – | 1 (2007) | 3 (1995, 2003, 2015) | 8 |
 Garambura
|
– | – | 1 (2015) | 1 (2003) | 4 (2007, 2011, 2019, 2023) | 6 |
 Gaullica
|
– | – | 1 (2011) | – | 5 (1995, 2003, 2007, 2015, 2023) | 6 |
 Chistovodia
|
– | – | 1 (2007) | – | 3 (2003, 2011, 2015) | 4 |
 Etruria
|
– | – | 1 (1999) | – | 3 (1995, 2003, 2007) | 4 |
| File:RwizikuruFlag.PNG Rwizikuru | – | – | – | 1 (2015) | 3 (2003, 2011, 2023) | 4 |
 Hacyinia
|
– | – | – | 1 (2023) | – | 1 |