With 16 teams participating at the Women’s Rugby World Cup in England, a comprehensive overview of each team’s past performances in the World Cup, their ambitions for this competition, and their significant personnel is presented here. We proceed to Pool B.
CANADA
• Manager: Kévin Rouet Appointed: 2022 Nationality: France
• Captain: Alex Tessier Position: Centre Club: Exeter Chiefs
• Key Player: Florence Symmonds Position: Outside centre Club: University of British Columbia
How Many World Cups: Nine (first appearance in 1991)
World Cup History: Canada was among the initial group of 12 countries that participated in the 1991 Rugby World Cup, and has since consistently secured a place in every subsequent tournament. They have advanced to the semi-finals on five separate occasions, achieving their most remarkable result in 2014 when they progressed to the final, ultimately losing to England.
Current Form: As the Rugby World Cup commences, Canada holds the second position in the global rankings, a consequence of their 16–5–1 record since the previous World Cup. This stands as a highly commendable accomplishment for a team that, even to adequately prepare for the competition, faced the need to conduct fundraising activities. They achieved their inaugural victory against the Black Ferns during the preceding year, secured a draw with them in this year’s Pacific Four Series, and also achieved victories over both the USA and Australia, demonstrating a commanding forward presence and an accurate backline.
Tournament Hopes: Could this possibly be the moment when Canada ultimately ascends to the pinnacle and claims the most esteemed honor in the world of rugby? They possess the essential skill, attitude, and resolve to attain this goal. The remaining question is whether they can execute it on the field against an England team displaying exceptional form, and a Black Ferns squad invariably delivering their best performances in World Cups.
SCOTLAND
• Manager: Bryan Easson Appointed: 2020 Nationality: Scottish
• Captain: Rachel Malcolm Position: Back Row Club: Trailfinders Women
• Key Player: Evie Gallagher Position: Back Row Club: Bristol Bears
How Many World Cups: Six (first appearance in 1994)
World Cup History: Although Scotland was not a participant in the very first Women’s Rugby World Cup, they would proceed to host the subsequent one, offering a welcome to all 12 competing nations within their borders. Interestingly, it marked their most successful performance in a World Cup, culminating in a fifth-place finish following a victory over Canada in the Shield final. Subsequent to an eight-year absence, they made a return to the tournament in 2022.
Current Form: The recent year has presented a mixed bag of outcomes for Scotland, as they demonstrated strong performance in WXV2, experiencing defeat only against Australia, but failed to maintain any upward momentum from the 2025 Six Nations or the World Cup warm-up matches, with a total of five defeats across their most recent seven games. While they are capable of moments of deadly and pitiless play, the issue lies in their consistency.
Tournament Hopes: Progressing to the knockout rounds is the primary ambition for the Scottish team. To accomplish this, they must avoid any stumbles against Wales and Fiji in the initial two rounds, and sustain successive strong performances. They have an excellent opportunity to secure a place in the final eight, a feat they have not realized since 2010.
WALES
• Manager: Sean Lynn Appointed: 2025 Nationality: Welsh
• Captain: Alex Callender and Kate Williams Position: Back Row Club: Harlequins and Gloucester-Hartpury
• Key Player: Keira Bevan Position: Scrum half Club: Bristol Bears
How Many World Cups: Eight (first appearance in 1991)
World Cup History: Wales concluded the inaugural edition of the tournament in a mid-table position. Subsequently, they have qualified for an additional seven World Cups, only missing the 2006 tournament which was hosted by Canada. Their most notable campaign occurred in 1994, where they achieved a fourth-place finish.
Current Form: The past two seasons have represented a period of inconsistency for Wales, having obtained the Wooden Spoon in the 2025 Six Nations and securing second-to-last place in the previous year’s WXV2.
The team’s shortage of unity, self-assurance, and physical prowess has been a factor in their downward trajectory, with Lynn’s appointment intended to discover a strategy to revitalize the team. Despite the limited time the former Gloucester-Hartpury head coach has had to collaborate with the team, they have accomplished a hard-won victory against Australia in the World Cup warm-up matches, a promising indication for their prospects.
Tournament Hopes: While Canada appears to occupy an elevated position, Wales possesses a feasible path to qualify for the World Cup knockout stages by defeating Scotland in the opening round. Should they succeed, they will probably face England in the quarter-finals, a virtually insurmountable challenge. Nonetheless, securing a quarter-final berth would be a worthwhile accomplishment following the challenges of the last couple of years.
FIJI
• Manager: Ioan Cunningham Appointed: 2025 Nationality: Welsh
• Captain: Alfreda Fisher Position: Back Row Club: Fijian Drua
• Key Player: Karalaini Naisewa Position: Number Eight Club: Fijian Drua
How Many World Cups: 1 (first appearance in 2021)
World Cup History: The Fijiana made their debut in the World Cup in 2021 (held in 2022), and demonstrated their potential by securing a 21-17 victory against the Springbok Women.
Current Form: Their 2024 WXV3 campaign did not quite meet expectations, as they failed to even make the top 3, suffering losses against their traditional rivals, Samoa, and Spain. However, under the guidance of Ioan Cunningham, the proud Pacific Island nation appears to be on firmer ground, having claimed another Oceania Rugby Women’s Championship.
Tournament Hopes: With Canada identified as the dominant team in Pool B, Fiji will aim to unsettle Wales and Scotland with their unpredictable, offloading approach to the game. Although it may seem like an unlikely scenario, it would be careless to disregard the potential danger they represent.
Want to discover which players from this pool were included in RugbyPass’ Top 50 Women’s Players worldwide? Access the Top 50 list here.
