There are three pathways to qualification for the World Cup. The first and most straightforward was to finish in the top four of the previous World Cup.
This is how New Zealand, England, France and Canada all secured their place.
The next step was through the regional qualifiers. These are a series of tournaments played around the globe, like the Six Nations and Pacific Four Series as well as Rugby Africa Women’s Cup and Asia Rugby Women’s Championship.
This is how Ireland, USA, Japan and South Africa have all joined the roster for 2025.
Two more of these regional qualifiers need to be completed. A South American match between Colombia and Brazil and the Oceania Women’s Cup.
The latter is currently playing out in Brisbane, between Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Papua New Guinea. This tournament will offer one qualification place to the winner and a lifeline to the runner up, as they will have a shot at qualification through the third and final pathway, WXV.
The final six places at the Rugby World Cup 2025 will be awarded to the top six finishers within WXV, who have not already qualified.
With how things are shaking out, that leaves four slots in WXV2 and two in WXV3 up for grabs. We have never had two teams from Oceania Rugby qualify before.
Fiji appeared for the first time in 2021, whereas Samoa have attended three times; in 2002, 2006 and most recently 2014.
With Samoa taking the wooden spoon in WXV2 last year, they relegated both Oceania Rugby spots to WXV3, making the chances of both teams progressing to the Rugby World Cup even tougher.
Tougher but not impossible.
Although you would understand if Samoa would feel that way after the shambles of the tournament kick off on Friday. Their campaign for qualification was ankle tapped when their first round opposition was a no show.
Papua New Guinea were already cutting things fine by reportedly travelling to Australia on the same day as their first match.
They then didn’t make their flight as apparently the majority of visa applications had not been processed for their team.
The Samoan side was awarded full points for this default but it tells a story of just how steep the climb up the ladder is in this part of the world.
Whatever struggles we have witnessed for men’s teams of this region, the women face all the same challenges with a healthy dollop of prejudice on top.
A circuit breaker is needed in order to unleash their potential and see two teams finally qualify to compete for a World Cup.
Such a reset should have been forthcoming as part of the legacy of the 2021 Rugby World Cup, with reports at the time of New Zealand Rugby pledging to host a Pacific Island Women’s Cup as part of our successful bid.
But no tournament was held.
Just like in the men’s game, our governing body is quick to embrace players but not their teams. Happy to develop their talent, so long as they end up wearing a black jersey.
It is more or less assured that all members of the Six Nations will qualify for the 2025 World Cup.
A competition that has seen England Rugby offer their neighbours every opportunity to develop, holding the door open for the likes of Italy, to pick themselves up and run into their nation’s highest World Cup finish in 2021.
Imagine if New Zealand treated our neighbours the same.
Two Oceania Rugby teams at a Rugby World Cup would then be a shared story of success.
