USA Women’s Eagles secure Rugby World Cup 2025 qualification
The USA Women’s Eagles have secured a ticket to England, qualifying for Rugby World Cup 2025 following the conclusion of the 2024 Pacific Four Series.
The Eagles placed third of the four teams and ahead of Australia, who were defeated by New Zealand in the final Pacific Four Series match that determined final placements. The USA’s 32-25 bonus-point win over Australia boosted their ranking, helping them secure qualification to rugby’s biggest spectacle. They also earned a spot in WXV 1 this fall, taking place in Canada. This is the first time in program history the USA has played for qualification to the Rugby World Cup, earning a spot through invitation or automatic qualification in the previous nine editions.
Comments from Head Coach Sione Fukofuka:
“We are very pleased at our Pacific Four result, with the win against Australia allowing us to achieve two goals for 2024; qualify for WXV 1 and the 2025 World Cup. This sets our year up with a level of certainty knowing we are heading to Canada to play England, France, and Ireland. The players and staff are excited at the opportunity to test ourselves in WXV 1 and continue to build to 2025."
Comments from Captain Kate Zackary:
“It's a big sigh of relief to qualify for the World Cup at this stage in the cycle. There is still plenty of work to be done in the next 15 months, but just like we spoke about at halftime of the Australia match - there's time to make a comeback, we just have to take it one moment at a time.
Between now and next fall, we hope to get another 10 games under our belts, get some key minutes into our wider player pool, and create a strong foundation heading into the World Cup. We've got a lot of talent in our squad, and we just need time to keep building, so this fall expect to see a lot of growth across the team and the individuals. I'm proud of the work we've put in this past month, but I am even more excited to see how we can keep pushing one another through the fall tests and WXV1.”
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Taking place in England next fall, Rugby World Cup 2025 will be hosted across eight iconic venues with the final staged at Twickenham Stadium. The expanded 16-team tournament will be the biggest ever Women’s Rugby World Cup yet and is the result of years of positive progress in the women’s game. Underpinned by new competitions like the Pacific Four Series and WXV, high-performance pathways and a streamlined qualification process; it is set to supercharge the women’s game, creating a generational moment that will change the shape of the game forever.
Early qualification for the USA is a significant moment for the squad, looking to continue progression through a new era, all on the road to Rugby World Cup 2033, held here at home in the United States.
The Eagles will now head back to their clubs for remaining seasons and championships, before reconvening this summer for an international tour yet to be confirmed and WXV, kicking off at the end of September in Canada.
