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Well. That was brilliant. WXV Global Series 2026 largely lives up to expectations. Last weekend proved that without a doubt.
In the second weekend of test matches across Europe, we saw England held steady by Canada. Ireland he couldn’t stop it USA from registering an upset. Wales they started their autumn with a bang against the Springbok Women. France overcame a frustrating first half. The Black Ferns kept their winning streak going. I Italy achieved an impressive victory against Sakura Fifteen.
But enough recaps, here are all the talking points from week two WXV Global Series 2026…
England’s winning streak is over
Yes, you read that right. England’s 39-game winning streak has ended. It ended in a thrilling 26-26 with Canada in the replay of the women’s duel Rugby World Cup 2025 finally a year earlier.
There was a feeling that these three games with Canada could be the end of England’s four-year winning streak. That it ended in the first game of the Test series, with games still to be played in Toronto and Ottawa, sets up the next month perfectly.
As Canadian scrum-half Olivia Apps said RugbyPass ahead of the game, “all we’re doing this year is to beat England”. Her try in the 58th minute – and Sophie de Goede’s conversion – ended up leveling the game.
Of course, it is a deliberately provocative statement that England’s 39-game winning streak is over. The world champions are still 40 games unbeaten and have now welcomed Shaun Edwards into the coaching staff on a short-term consultancy basis ahead of the Black Ferns’ trip to the Allianz Stadium.
Ending the domestic WXV Global Series on a high note will be paramount for England as Canada takes on France in La Rochelle. Kévin Rouet’s team will be buoyed by their efforts in Devon.
Again, the North Americans proved they can run with the Red Roses. This October, they have two more chances to topple the world champions. The same team that smashed them Women’s Rugby World Cup dreams. And you have to think that Canada has that kind of performance in it.
There is never a normal weekend
Last weekend saw one of the most brilliant displays of women’s Test rugby. Everywhere you looked, there was reason to be excited.
It all started with the dismantling of Wales on Friday night South Africa and concluded with the USA Women’s Eagles’ comeback win over Ireland at Tallaght Stadium. In between was a draw with the Red Roses, an impressive win for Italy in Plinio Sciamanna’s first game as head coach and Whitney Hansen’s Black Ferns continuing their unbeaten run with a 66-14 win Scotland in Edinburgh.
That’s all before we talk about the events in Aix-en-Provence. Despite being reduced to 11 men at one stage in the first half – during which Ambre Mwayembe was sent off on 20 minutes and Cloe Correa was shown a straight red card – François Ratier’s side trailed 19-12 at the break. Which is impressive in itself.
If that first half wasn’t enough, the second half continued with the drama. A bus fire outside the pitch meant another 40 minutes were delayed, with France Rugby announcing on X:
“We are dealing with the situation. Tires exploded on the vehicle, but firefighters are managing the fire.”
Somehow, despite players being shown a yellow or red card, France managed to record a 29-16 victory. On the court, Ratier didn’t mince his words: “I think the girls gave everything to win that game. But it’s not enough. Discipline hurts. A lot of things hurt. I can be happy with the result. Not how we played.”
Australia, meanwhile, will rue the missed opportunity to go over France. A team they have had good results against recently. Still, we have another weekend ahead of us, and Scotland in Edinburgh awaits.
Wales v USA is now inevitable
Ahead of the WXV Global Series, Wales hosting the USA at Cardiff Arms Park this Saturday looked like a good test for both teams. Now, with both teams coming off wins over the weekend, this is one of the most intriguing matchups of the weekend.
Both teams have moved up in the world rugby rankings. This means the Eagles move up to sixth, while Wales are now 11th. Big jumps after two surprising performances to start each team’s WXV Global Series campaign.
The way both teams won their games was so impressive. It was clear from the start against South Africa that this Welsh team, after a long pre-season, looked on the same page, all reading from the same game plan and executing it brilliantly.
As for the Eagles, who Jack Hanratty has tinkered with all season, they absorbed heavy traffic before overcoming a 19-point deficit to claim a 40-36 win in front of a home crowd in Dublin. It was a frankly brilliant display. We can now see these two surprise packages battle it out in the Welsh capital on Saturday.
Amidst a run of exciting matches every week, Wales’ clash with the Eagles has easily become one of the most fascinating.
2026 WXV Global Series Results | September
1st week
- England 48-15 Australia
- Canada 64-26 Scotland
- New Zealand 28-14 France
2nd week
- Wales 50-19 South Africa
- Italy 55-21 Japan
- England 26-26 Canada
- France 29-26 Australia
- Scotland 14-66 New Zealand
- Ireland 36-40 USA
2026 WXV Global Series Schedules | September
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)
