Rugby Australia has today welcomed the announcement of a new global Test calendar, guaranteeing international fixtures through to the 2025 Rugby World Cup for the Buildcorp Wallaroos.
The new WXV Global competition will see Australia play a minimum of six Tests every year, most notably against Canada, New Zealand and the USA in an annual cross-regional tournament.
WXV will give the women's game a global competition calendar while also increasing the game's profile, allowing the Wallaroos to experience Test match Rugby in more countries, more often.
Supported by a new 'Women in Rugby' commercial programme, the competition will see greater investment within the women's game, highlighting the growth of women's Rugby and its increasing presence on the international stage.
Additionally, the announcement also commits to an extension of the competition following the 2025 Rugby World Cup from a 12 to 16-team format, ensuring the Women's game continues to grow.
Rugby Australia Chief Executive Andy Marinos said: "It is wonderful to get some certainty for our Buildcorp Wallaroos on the back of the unfortunate postponement of the 2021 RWC. Having certainty on future competitions is important.
"I want to applaud World Rugby for making this a priority and look forward to seeing the continued growth and development in the Women's game.
"In Australia, the Women's game continues to see a double-digit growth year on year, and with our Wallaroos now playing in a regular calendar, we hope to see this as a further catalyst to engage new entrants to the game.
"The new format looks exciting and provides our women with the ability to fully engage with the opportunities and rigours of an international competition outside of our borders.
"It will put them in the strongest possible position as we look towards the 2022 and 2025 Rugby World Cup's," Marinos said.
"The commitment to expand the Rugby World Cup in 2025 demonstrates the global growth of women's Rugby, with more nations than ever competing on an international stage.
"While this will aid in our longer-term planning, we are still working towards finalising our international fixtures for 2021 as we continue our preparations for the Rugby World Cup next year."
