Women and girls across the Pacific are the focus of an initiative aimed at supercharging women’s rugby in the lead up to, and beyond, Rugby World Cup 2021 (playing in 2022).

The biggest global women’s 15s rugby tournament will take place in Aotearoa, New Zealand from 8 October to 12 November – the first time ever it has been staged in the Southern Hemisphere.

Launched at Taste of Pasifika at The Cloud in downtown Auckland on Sunday 5 June, Championing Oceania is a programme developed by NZ Rugby, with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade (MFAT) and Oceania Rugby. Its purpose is to ensure that Rugby World Cup 2021 has a tangible and lasting impact on the growth of women’s rugby throughout the Pacific.

Six Pacific Ambassadors (based in New Zealand) and 20 emerging female leaders (based across the Oceania region) have been honoured with selection as Game Changers to lead the programme in five Pacific Island nations – Papua New Guinea, Cook Islands, Tonga, Samoa and Fiji.

The Game Changers will work closely with the National Rugby Unions in each country to support the Trophy Tour, facilitate workshops and tournaments, and support an U18 girls’ team from each country to travel to Aotearoa as part of the programme.

The Rugby World Cup 2021 Trophy Tour will travel to each participating country for events hosted in association with the New Zealand High Commission, where guests will have the opportunity to have their photo taken with the trophy, learn about the tournament and take part in fun rugby activities.

The Game Changers will select 15 U18 girls from each country for a trip to New Zealand where they will take part in a development camp before attending a Rugby World Cup 2021 match.

Championing Oceania is designed to inspire young women, normalise and encourage female participation in rugby, grow 15-aside rugby among secondary school girls and support aspiring leaders in the women’s game, including players, coaches, officials and administrators throughout the Oceania region. Funding and equipment have been provided to support the programme’s delivery and resourcing in each country.

Rugby World Cup 2021, Tournament Director, Michelle Hooper said, “As the first to host the women’s Rugby World Cup in the Southern Hemisphere, we want the long-term benefit to the women’s game to be experienced and enjoyed throughout Oceania and to bring Pasifika rugby communities on this shared journey. We are striving to deliver a Rugby World Cup that reaches all of Oceania, in some way, either in the Pacific, or here in New Zealand.

“Championing Oceania is a way for us to connect and engage with our Pasifika neighbours, to have a powerful impact on women and girls in the region and to inspire them to have a future in rugby.”

Ambassador for Gender Equality (Pacific)/Tuia Tangata, Louisa Wall said, “Aotearoa New Zealand is proud to be investing in women and girls to play, coach and administer sports in the Pacific, and specifically through our involvement with Championing Oceania. We hope this programme has a long-lasting impact on the growth and development of women’s rugby in the region and sets the course for a strong legacy of participation, leadership, and success not only across the code, but across society in general.”

Oceania Rugby Sport for Development & Partnerships Manager, Erin Hatton said, “Oceania Rugby commends NZ Rugby and MFAT on an initiative that will leave an invaluable legacy for women’s rugby in the region. Through targeting the next generation of female players and leaders in rugby, Championing Oceania, is investing in the future of women in all aspects of rugby, on and off the field.

“We expect to see some young women selected for these U18 teams in the future line ups for Fijiana, Manusina, Palais, Cook Islands and Tonga facing up against the best in the world like the Black ferns.”

Rugby World Cup 2021 will be played in Auckland and Whangārei from 8 October – 12 November 2022. Organisers are targeting a world record attendance at the triple-header opening match day on 8 October at Eden Park. Eden Park will then create history by becoming the first stadium to host both the men’s and women’s Rugby World Cup finals on Saturday 12 November.

Rugby World Cup 2021 Trophy Tour – Oceania

• Papua New Guinea          19 – 25 June
• Cook Islands      13 – 17 August
• Tonga   1 – 3 September
• Samoa  5 – 8 September
• Fiji          16 – 19 September

For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.rugbyworldcup.com/2021.

With thanks to RWC 2021

The Oceania Rugby Women’s Championship gets underway on 18 November with four teams – hosts Fiji, Samoa, Papua New Guinea and Tonga – vying for a place at Rugby World Cup 2021 in New Zealand.

Australia A and a New Zealand Black Ferns Development XV are also competing in the tournament that will be played over four rounds from 18-30 November at Churchill Park in Lautoka, Fiji.

The highest placed of the non-qualified teams will join the eight teams who have already confirmed their presence at Rugby World Cup 2021.

A top-seven finish at the last Rugby World Cup in Ireland two years ago guaranteed New Zealand, England, USA, France, Canada, Australia and Wales their place, while South Africa became the first regional qualifier back in August.

In April this year World Rugby announced details of a new qualification pathway for Rugby World Cup 2021 whereby non-qualified teams will compete in new and existing regional tournaments.

Regional tournaments will be hosted in Oceania, Europe, Asia, Africa and South America with the final opportunity for teams to qualify being through the new repechage tournament, which will be held in 2020.

The New Zealand Black Ferns Development XV are accompanied in Pool A at the Oceania Rugby Women’s Championship by Samoa and Tonga, while Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Australia A come together in Pool B.

Fiji are chasing a hat-trick of titles having won in 2016 and in 2018 when they defeated Samoa 43-12 on the final day.

For Tonga, last year’s tournament marked the first appearance of a women’s 15s side in international rugby since the Women’s Pacific Tri-Nations in 2006.

As well as doubling as a Rugby World Cup qualification tournament, the inclusion of the two invitational teams adds an extra layer of competition and the chance for New Zealand and Australia to test the depth of their talent pool.

Rugby World Cup 2021 will be held in the southern hemisphere for the first time when New Zealand host the premier tournament. The world’s best women’s teams will travel to Auckland and Whangarei on New Zealand’s North Island for the ninth edition of the competition.

In August this year World Rugby announced that its flagship 15s and sevens Rugby World Cup properties will no longer include gender in their titles, furthering its commitment to equality and brand consistency across its portfolio.

Where to watch: Matches will be streamed live on the Oceania Rugby Twitter page and broadcast live on Sky Sports New Zealand

Match schedule (all times local):