women
international women
Outbound The Netherlands head coach Gareth Gilbert believes in his team’s efforts in the match WXV Global Series Challenger has set the team up for long-term success.
this weekend, Orange face Fiji in a winner-take-all clash at the Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground. The Netherlands won Samoa and Brazil in their first two matches of the tournament, while the Pacific Islanders recorded victories Spain and Hong Kong China.
The results lifted the Netherlands up two places in the world rugby rankings to 15th, with Kiku Mulling making an impact.
“These three weeks have shown that there is a lot of potential in the Dutch game,” Gilbert told reporters this week. “I think we will get more opportunities, which is justified.
“Hopefully they get more support from World Rugby in terms of games and opportunities, and from our own rugby family in terms of support and sponsorship and getting behind the team, because they certainly deserve it and definitely deserve it.”
Gilbert will step down from his role after Saturday’s match. His departure will bring to an end a 16-year association with and return to Rugby Nederland South Africa to coach school rugby.
With Fiji after defeating Spain in the first round of the WXV Global Series Challenger, the Netherlands have reason to be more optimistic about their prospects of qualifying for the women’s Rugby World Cup 2029
Five teams have already qualified for the tournament in Australia — Australia, Canada, England, France and New Zealand — while a further eight will secure their places through regional competitions in 2027.
The top two ranked teams at the end of the 2027 global competition period will also qualify. 2028 Edition WXV Global Series Challenger it will then serve as the final qualifying tournament for the 2029 World Cup.
Having spent the past three weeks living and training in close proximity to their peers, Holland has also seen their confidence grow.
Qualification for the 2029 Women’s Rugby World Cup would be historic for the Netherlands. The team has not appeared in the tournament since Barcelona in 2002, and since then several generations of players have passed through the program.
“We are all individually so strong, and I think we question ourselves sometimes,” Linde van der Velden, Orange captain, he said. “We always want to be better, but actually, we’re here because we belong here.
“We have so much potential and we should just show it and show it. I think the belief and potential we have could be something to remind ourselves on that day: trust everyone around you and then just go for it.”
