women
international women
The WXV Global Series 2026 kicked off over the weekend with three games.
Over the weekend we watched Women Rugby World Cup champions 2025 England beat Australia 48-15, Canada they were 64-26 winners over Scotland and the Black Ferns recorded a 28-14 victory over France.
There were many stories everywhere you looked. And that’s just the beginning.
Here are three things we learned during the first weekend WXV Global Series action…
The Red Roses will benefit from a rough first half
Everyone was a little stunned when the Red Roses went into half-time trailing the Wallaroos in Salford. In the first half, Australia was by far the better team. Australia played with a physicality and intensity that we have rarely seen from the sidelines. It was a really pleasant thing.
As England head coach John Mitchell said at full-time, it was a “joke” to suggest his players went to half-time a little worried about their predicament. Their reaction – seven tries in the second half and a score of 48-15 – tells you that.
It wasn’t until the Wallaroos began to tire and the England bench emptied that the Red Roses took complete control of the match. The introduction of Hannah Botterman and Maud Muir in the front row greatly cemented the home side’s momentum.
Besides, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen this from England. In the Guinness Women’s Six Nations, the Red Roses have often won, although they have struggled for consistency. By the time England reached the Grand Slam decider in Bordeaux, they had managed to find coherence across the park.
You have to think England will benefit from a tough 40 minutes. It was England’s first Test match since May, while the Wallaroos last played at the end of August. Getting back up to speed is also part of the game.
Against a Canadian team that showed little sign of dullness Scotland in Edinburgh, England must now start early and slow down the approach of the North Americans this Saturday. No matter what the Black Ferns bring a week later at Allianz Stadium.
Black ferns develop depth
It would be understandable if there was some concern about the Black Fern. Ahead of their 28-14 win against France in Lyon it has been confirmed that Ruahei Demant will miss the first match of their WXV Global Series campaign. So did Ayesha Leti-I’iga and her 24 Tests. Add that to the loss of Kaip Olsen-Baker, and you’ve got a key trio out of action for their season-defining tour of their calendar year.
But even in the face of the absence of these high-profile stars, the Black Ferns were unfazed. Just as they have been all year since Whitney Hansen took over as head coach at the start of this calendar year.
In the absence of Demant, Leti-I’iga and Olsen-Baker, Hannah King, Justine McGregor and Liana Mikaela-Tu’u each stepped up to the plate admirably.
Installation of Mikaela-Tu’u as hard, heavy test no. 8 was outstanding. We’ve always had an idea of how talented the 24-year-old is, but against France we got to see how the forward thrives in the tight confines of a close contest against The Blues. Especially in the back row next to Elinor-Plum King and Mia Anderson’s high work rate.
Of course, challenges will come thick and fast. First Scotland on Saturday, then England at the Allianz Stadium. The fight against the Red Roses will undoubtedly be the most serious challenge New Zealand face in September. The three-Test series against France on home soil will be intriguing, but only against the world’s best will Hansen get a real idea of where her team stands in the grand scheme of things.
The Olivia Apps form reaches new heights
There were plenty of positives to talk about when it came to Olivia Apps’ rugby last year.
In the past 12 months alone, the 27-year-old has helped Saracens to the JAECOO Women’s Rugby Premiership title, she was named England’s Player of the Season and even took time out to help Canada finish third at the HSBC SVNS World Cup.
On Saturday, as Canada rallied in Edinburgh to record a 64-26 win, Apps scored a pair of tries and had her fingerprints on several more. The scrum half really seems to be at the stage in his career where everything he touches turns to gold.
The half-back’s quick thinking is what gets her a lot of work done. Something, no doubt, curated in the shorter format of the game. In most cases, Apps made a split-second decision before she even touched the ball. For Canada, that’s the reason they were able to take a 31-12 lead at halftime.
For Kévin Rouet to then be able to put Justine Pelletier on the court with 20 minutes left, Canada has the perfect double strike at their disposal.
2026 WXV Global Series Results | September
1st week
- England 48-15 Australia
- Canada 64-26 Scotland
- New Zealand 28-14 France
2026 WXV Global Series Schedules | September
2nd week
- Friday September 18, Wales vs. South Africa, 19:15 (GMT+1)
- Saturday September 19, Italy vs Japan, 13:30 (GMT+2)
- Saturday 19 September, England v Canada, 15:00 (GMT+1)
- Saturday, September 19, France v Australia, 16:45 (GMT+2)
- Saturday 19 September Scotland v New Zealand 17:10 (GMT+1)
- Sunday September 20, Ireland vs USA, 13:45 (GMT+1)
3rd week
- Saturday 26 September Italy v South Africa, 1.30pm (GMT+2)
- Saturday 26 September England v New Zealand 15:00 (GMT+1)
- Saturday 26 September Wales v USA, 15:00 (GMT+1)
- Saturday 26 September Scotland v Australia 16:10 (GMT+1)
- Saturday, September 26, France v Canada, 16:45 (GMT+2)
- Sunday, September 27, Ireland v Japan, 12:45 (GMT+1)
