Women's international rugby union
Encyclopedia
Women's rugby union
Women's rugby union is a sport identical to the men's game with the same rules, same sized pitch, and same equipment. However, it has a history which is significantly different, due to various social pressures, and the self-image of rugby union in general...
has a history going back to the late 19th century but it was not until 1982 that the first international fixture (or "Test Match"
Test match (rugby union)
Test match in rugby union is a match recognised as being a full international match by at least one of the participating teams' governing bodies. It is an unofficial but widely used term in the sport....
) took place. The match was organised in connection with the Dutch Rugby Union's 50th anniversary. As part of the celebrations on June 13, 1982 the French national women's team was invited to Utrecht to play the Dutch, France winning 4-0 in a game that has since been recognised as the first ever women's international rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
match.
Official recognition of women's internationals was not immediate. Almost all women's rugby was originally organised outside of the control of either national unions or the IRB. Partly as a result no internationally agreed list of rugby internationals exists. However, even in the male game, the IRB does not decide which matches are "full internationals" (or "test matches"), leaving such decisions up to participating unions.
As a result one country may classify a match as a full international (and award full test caps) while the opposition may not - countries may even award caps for games against an opposition that is not a national team (World XVs, for example).
International rugby initially grew slowly. Sweden joined France and the Netherlands in 1984, followed by Italy in 1985, but it was not until 1987 that the first international took place outside Europe. However, since 2003 the game has expanded rapidly and now over 50 nations have played at least one "test match".
Over 800 internationals have now been played. Traditional centres of rugby New Zealand, England and France have been the most successful nations
Women's international rugby union results summary
-10 matches or more: Complete record Pld Won Dwn Lst % 60 55 0 5 91.67 13 11 1 1...
, but they have been joined by a number of "non-traditional" nations who have been almost as successful - such as the USA and Kazakhstan. Unlike men's rugby, there is no official ranking of women's teams - generally the IRB refer to the placings in the preceding World Cup. However FIRA compile an annual ranking of European teams and rugby statistician Serge Piquet has produced a currently unofficial, but generally accepted, world ranking list.
International women's matches
Definition of an "international":Individual unions compile their own international records. As a result the list below will conflict with some of these "official" records (much in the same way as they will conflict with each other) as unions:
- may not include some games in their official records because they fielded a below strength team in an tournament for full international XVs, or
- my include games which are not listed below because they fielded a full strength team in a friendly against an unofficial or "A" team.
For consistency this list has used the following criteria when defining what is or is not an international:
- Tournament games between national representative XVs from tournaments for full international teams, regardless of an individual union's selection policy;
- "Friendly" fixtures which it appears were generally promoted prior to the game as being between full strength national XVs. In case of doubt the opinion of the home union - i.e. the promoter of the game - has carried the most weight.
- Fixtures between official national selections and supra-national teams (such as "World XVs").
Full internationals and tournaments
Each match below is prefixed by a unique running number, has a three number suffix indicating how many games each team had played up to this point, and how many games had been played between the two sides. For example:indicates that this was not only the 74th women's international, it was the second played by Scotland, the 13th played by Wales, and the first between the two sides.
A list of games involving advertised "A" teams and other games of doubtful international status is also appended after the main list.
1982
Tournaments- None
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1983
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Other internationals
The following is a list of...- Matches involving designated national "A" teams,
- Matches of doubtful status,
- Matches between full international sides and non-national XVs, and
- Other games of note.
It is included as some nations have awarded full caps for these games and may include them as full internationals in their own records. In addition these games act as an indicator of the relative strength of some of the smaller nations, and the strength in depth of the larger.
1990
1991
1995
1997
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Highest team scores
| 141 | v Denmark (141-3) at Toulouse 02/05/2004 FIRA [445] |
| 134 | v Germany (134-6) at Amsterdam 02/05/1998 World Cup [192] |
| 121 | v Germany (121-0) at Melrose 15/04/1994 World Cup [086] |
| 119 | v Finland (119-0) at University of Coruña 30/04/2011 FIRA [885] |
| 117 | v Germany (117-0) at Barcelona 13/05/2002 World Cup [360] |
| 113 | v Denmark (113-0) at Amsterdam 08/05/2003 FIRA [413] |
| 111 | v Sweden (111-0) at Melrose 11/04/1994 World Cup [080] |
| 110 | v USA U20 (110-0) at Brunel University 18/07/2009 U20 Nations Cup [---] |
| 109 | v France (109-0) at Edmonton 14/09/1996 Canada Cup [143] v Finland (109-3) at INEF Bastiaqueiro 04/05/2011 FIRA [---] |
| 105 | v Belgium (105-0) at Amsterdam 08/04/2001 Friendly [308] |
| 101 | v South Africa (101-0) at Imber Court 14/05/2005 Friendly [495] |
| 100 | v Belgium (100-0) at Enkoping, Sweden 17/05/2009 FIRA [737] |
| 99 | v Japan (99-0) at Raeburn Place, Edinburgh 17/04/1994 World Cup [093] |
| 92 | v Rwanda (92-0) at Kigali 25/02/2005 Friendly [482] v Caribbean Select (92-0) at Grand Cayman 10/7/11 NACRA [892] |
| 91 | v Netherlands (91-3) at Belluno 19/04/1999 FIRA [243] |
| 90 | v Belgium (90-0) at Lille 09/05/2001 FIRA [317] |
| v St Vincent (90-0) at Bridgetown, Barbados 21/06/2009 NAWIRA [751] | |
| 89 | v Scotland (89-0) at Twickenham 18/03/2011 Six Nations [878] |
| 88 | v Canada (88-3) at Edmonton 08/09/1996 Canada Cup [139] v USA (88-8) at Edmonton 11/09/1996 Canada Cup [141] |
| 87 | v Netherlands (87-0) at Barcelona 13/05/2002 World Cup [362] |
| v Samoa (87-0) at Apia 08/08/2009 World Cup [760] | |
| 86 | v Spain (86-3) at Madrid 11/02/2006 Six Nations [523] |
| 84 | v Germany (84-0) at H�rth 31/08/1997 Friendly [171]: v Russia (84-0) at Amsterdam 02/05/1998 World Cup [191]: v Norway (84-0) at San Dona Di Piave 23/04/2006 FIRA [540] v Russia (84-0) at Enk�ping, Sweden 17/05/2009 FIRA [739] |
| 83 | v Germany (83-0) at Maastrict 18/04/2010 Friendly [811] v Russia (83-7) at Amsterdam 05/05/1998 World Cup [199]: v Wales (83-11) at Swansea 10/04/1999 Five Nations [239] |
| 82 | v Kazakhstan (82-0) at Surrey Sports Park 24/08/2010 World Cup [846] |
| 81 | v Wales (81-0) at Cardiff Arms Park 04/02/2005 Six Nations [474]: v Rwanda (81-0) at Kampala 10/12/2005 Friendly [516]: v Malaysia (81-0) at Royal Selangor Club, Kuala Lumpur 19/12/2010 Friendly [865]: |
| 80 | v Sweden (80-3) at Amsterdam 18/05/2008 FIRA [678]: |
| 79 | v Ireland (79-0) at Worcester 17/02/2002 Six Nations [346]: v Spain (79-0) at St Albert 04/09/2006 World Cup [565] v Cayman Islands (79-0) at Georgetown, Guyana 10/05/2008 NAWIRA [675] |
| 78 | v Norway (78-0) at Toulouse 05/05/2004 FIRA [447]: v Hong Kong (78-0) at Bangkok 03/06/2005 World Cup Qualifier [502] v Barbados (78-0) at Bridgetown 24/06/2009 NAWIRA [752] |
| 77 | v Germany (77-0) at Barcelona 17/05/2002 World Cup [368] |
| 76 | v Ireland (76-0) at Boroughmuir 17/04/1994 World Cup [091] v Scotland (76-0) at Amsterdam 05/05/1998 World Cup [200] v St Vincent (76-0) at Bridgetown 24/06/2009 NAWIRA [753] v Spain (76-0) at Imber Court 12/03/2005 Six Nations [483] v Italy (76-6) at Rome 09/02/2008 Six Nations [657] |
| 75 | v Sweden (75-0) at Amsterdam 02/05/1998 World Cup [189]: v Norway (75-0) at Amsterdam 08/05/2003 FIRA [414] |
| 74 | v Bosnia/Herz (74-0) at Zenica 21/05/2005 FIRA [498]: v South Africa (74-8) at Edmonton 04/09/2006 World Cup [564] v Germany (74-0) at Stockholm, Sweden 17/05/2009 FIRA [740] |
| 73 | v Canada (73-0) at Palmeston North 16/10/1999 Triangular �99 [256]: v Luxembourg (73-0) at Leuven 11/04/2007 FIRA [612]: v Italy (73-7) at Toulouse 02/05/2004 FIRA [443] |
| 72 | v Netherlands (72-5) Venue unknown (Wales) 15/01/2001 Friendly [295]: v Canada (72-6) at Amsterdam 05/05/1998 World Cup [196] v Scotland (72-3) at London Welsh 21/3/2009 Six Nations [733] |
71 |
v Spain (71-3) at Zaragoza 15/2/2004 Six Nations [427] |
Sources of women's international results
The above results have been traced mainly via the following listings of national and tournament results - most being national RFUs. Other results have been traced via numerous news reports.- Australia (complete, some errors in dates)
- England (1998-)
- FIRA European Championships (2003-)
- France (1982-2004)
- France (1990-)
- Germany (rather incomplete)
- International Rugby Board (2006-, Six Nations and World Cup only)
- Japan (1994-2002)
- Netherlands (2003-)
- Norway (2002-)
- New Zealand (1991- )
- RBS Six Nations (2004-)
- Sweden (1984-2005)
- USA (complete, some errors)
- Wales (1987-, some gaps, some errors)
See also
- Canada CupCanada Cup (rugby)The Canada Cup for women's rugby union is the title of an international rugby tournament staged in Canada. The tournament generally features Canada, and two or three other invited nations. So far there have been four tournaments - 1993, 1996, 2000, and 2005...
- Caribbean Women’s Rugby ChampionshipCaribbean Women’s Rugby ChampionshipThe NAWIRA Caribbean Women’s 15-a-side Rugby Championship, to give the competition its full title, was a small tournament run by the IRB through NAWIRA - the North America and West Indies Rugby Association...
- FIRA Women's European ChampionshipFIRA Women's European ChampionshipFIRA's Women's European Championship is an international rugby union competition contested between women's national teams who are members of FIRA - Association of European Rugby...
- Pacific Tri-NationsWomen's Pacific Tri-NationsThe Women's Pacific Tri-Nations tournament was played for the first time, and this far only, time at Teufaiva Park, Nuku’alofa, Tonga, in April 2006....
- Women's rugby
- Women's Six Nations ChampionshipWomen's Six Nations ChampionshipThe Women's Six Nations Championship is an international rugby union competition contested between six European women's national teams. The competition began as a "Home International Championship" for the four home nations in 1996....
- Women's Rugby World CupWomen's Rugby World CupThe Women's Rugby World Cup is the premier international competition in rugby union for women. The tournament is organised by the sport's governing body the International Rugby Board...
- Scottish Women's Rugby UnionScottish Women's Rugby UnionThe Scottish Women's Rugby Union is the national governing body for women's rugby union in Scotland. It is responsible for the governance of women's rugby union within Scotland. Its role is all encompassing...
External links
- Rugbydata now includes all of results above for which a score is known making it the only rugby results website to record women's results on an equal basis to men's. Allows the user to investigate any aspect of any individual team's results.
- Entire list of internationals in a Google Documents spreadsheet.
- The rise and popularity of women's rugby in Canada, by John A O'Hanley (1998)