The Nigeria women’s senior rugby team, Green Falcons, resumed camping on Tuesday ahead of their Middle East Africa Rugby League Women’s Cup qualifying double header against Kenya later this month, NIGERIAN Sports Extra reports.
Both nations will clash in a two-game series in the first-ever Middle East Series, with both legs taking place in Nairobi, Kenya. The winner will advance to the Women’s Rugby League World Cup Series, with a chance to secure their place in the Women’s Rugby League World Cup.
The first leg is scheduled to take place on September 19, while the corresponding tie holds three days later.
The high-stakes fixtures present a significant opportunity for the Green Falcons to showcase their talent and determination on the international stage.
Ten teams have qualified already for Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, with host nation England, Canada, France, and New Zealand securing direct qualification to the pinnacle event after finishing in the top four at Women’s Rugby World Cup 2021 in New Zealand.
Ireland qualified after placing third in the Guinness Women’s Six Nations 2024, with South Africa also claiming their spot after finishing top of the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup. USA beat Australia in the Pacific Four Series to claim qualification in May and June 2024 saw two further teams qualify, with Fiji topping the Oceania Rugby Women’s Championship and Japan placing top of the Asia Rugby Women’s Championship. Brazil were the most recent to claim their place for RWC 2025 after beating Colombia in the Sudamerican play-off.
The remaining six teams will need to qualify through the final qualifying competition, WXV 2024.
Six teams will qualify via regional competitions in 2024, with winners or highest non-qualified teams in Asia, Africa, Europe, Oceania, South America, and World Rugby’s cross-regional competition, the Pacific Four Series, securing direct qualification.
The 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup will be the tenth edition of the women’s Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for national rugby union teams, organised by World Rugby. It is scheduled to take place in England between 22 August and 27 September 2025. The opening game will take place at the Stadium of Light, with the final scheduled to be held at Twickenham Stadium.
It will be the second women’s Rugby Union World Cup to be hosted by England, after the 2010 edition. It will be the fifth hosted in the British Isles.
The tournament will be expanded to 16 teams, from the 12 that participated in 2021.
New Zealand enter the tournament as defending champions following their victory against England in the 2021 Rugby World Cup Final.
