RUGBY WORLD CUP 2021
the ultimate prize
Rugby World Cup is back. From the 8th of October to 12h November 2022 the top 12 rugby teams in the world will battle it out for the ultimate prize. Hosted once every four years, the Rugby World Cup was first launched in 1991 in Wales, where the USA beat England in the final. This year, the tournament will be hosted in New Zealand, the first time the womens edition of RWC has been hosted in the Southern Hemisphere.
The tournament will kick off on Saturday 8th October at Eden Park in the heart of Auckland, with the hosts New Zealand(Black Ferns) opening the tournament. Eden Park and Whangarei’s Northland Events Centre, will host a combined six matches across the opening match weekend, the remaining pool stage match days – Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 October and Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 – will be hosted at Waitakere Stadium and Northland Events Centre.
With the World waiting for something positive to celebrate, the unstoppable energy and unlimited potential of RWC 2021 promises to be an unforgettable tournament – set to be the biggest womens RWC in history.
AVAILABLE NOW
Official RWC 2021 Balls
RWC 2021 Replica Ball
The official Rugby World Cup 2021 replica ball - taking inspiration from the vitality and connectivity of the RWC 2021 brand, the ball design works seamlessly together to showcase an unstoppable energy, with key single colour focal points on either end to encourage player performance.
Official England Balls
England, nicknamed the Red Roses, have won the Rugby World Cup twice in its history in 1994 and 2014 and also been runners up five times! They have competed in the past 5 Rugby World Cup Finals, losing out RWC 2021 hosts, New Zealand, 4 times. If you are looking for the perfect symbol to support your nation in the lead up to the RWC next year, pick up the England ball now.
Official International Team Balls
Defending champions, having defeated England 41-32 in Belfast in 2017, 2021 tournament hosts New Zealand will be aiming for a 6th RWC title on home soil. As we look forward to the tournament and the Gilbert release of official team RWC 2021 balls, you can pick up an official International team rugby ball now.
RUGBY WORLD CUP 2021 AIMS TO SET MATCH ATTENDANCE RECORD AS MATCH SCHEDULE
· New Zealand 2021 aiming to set a new match attendance record
· Reigning champions New Zealand to play Australia at Eden Park on opening day
· USA set to face Europe 1 qualifier in tournament opener at Northland Events Centre in Whangārei
· Fiji to make Rugby World Cup debut against England
· Match schedule prioritises fan viewership while reflecting new tournament format changes including quarter-finals and longer rest periods between matches
· Pool matches to be played between Saturday 8 October and Sunday 23 October
Hosted in the southern hemisphere for the first time in a golden year for women’s rugby, the ninth edition of the showcase tournament will take place from 8 October 2022 across three match venues. It will be contested by 12 teams, of which nine are already confirmed.
Seven teams qualified directly for RWC 2021 courtesy of a top-seven finish at the last tournament in Ireland in 2017, defending champions New Zealand, runners-up England, bronze medallists France, USA, Canada, Australia and Wales.
Fiji and South Africa confirmed their places through the regional qualification process back in 2019, via the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup and Oceania Rugby Women’s Championship.
The remaining three places will be filled by a qualifier from Asia and Europe together with the winner of the Final Qualification Tournament, a first for a women’s Rugby World Cup, offering a second opportunity for teams to qualify.
The 2021 Logo
The RWC 2021, playing in 2022, event mark is inspired by the ngaru, a symbol of the ocean’s waves, energy and connectivity. Simple, purposeful and anchored in the movement that brings us together for this great game, it is an acknowledgment of the unspeakable bond of the women’s rugby community. Regardless of colour, creed or hemisphere, it is the game that unites us.
