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WXV 1 teams are named as anticipation builds for first round in Wellington
The six teams have been named ahead of the first round of WXV 1 in Wellington. All matches will be played at Sky Stadium, kicking off with England vs Australia on Friday 20th October. On Saturday 21st October Canada will face Wales before home side New Zealand take on France in a RWC2021 semi-final rematch.
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WXV 2 and 3 will also be taking place across the same days in South Africa and Dubai and all WXV matches can be viewed for free on RugbyPass TV.
England vs Australia
Scrum-half Ella Wyrwas is given her first start for England after making three appearances as a replacement in the 2023 Six Nations. If used from the bench, Daisy Hibbert-Jones will make her England debut. Centres Tatyana Heard and Megan Jones partner in the midfield for the first time in their combined 29 Red Roses caps. Marlie Packer is named as captain and will be supported by vice-captains Helena Rowland and Zoe Aldcroft.
For the Wallaroos, Siokapesi Palu moves to blindside flanker from midfield and will be a strong ball-carrying option. Former Hurricanes Poua player Carys Dallinger starts at fly-half as she makes a return to the city she called home for two seasons when playing in Super Rugby Aupiki.
Current Harlequins players Arabella McKenzie and Kaitlan Leaney start at inside centre and number eight respectively and Emily Chancellor, who played for the West London club last season, is named at openside flanker. The three will face many familiar faces from Premiership Women’s Rugby in the England team.
It’s almost a year to the day that the two teams last faced each other, with England winning 41-5 in the RWC2021 quarter-final. Across the two squads for the first WXV 1 match, a total of 21 players from the RWC2021 quarter-final return. The match will be only the fourth time they have met outside of a RWC and Australia have never been the winning side in any of their six matches.
England XV: Helena Rowland (vc), Abby Dow, Megan Jones, Tatyana Heard, Jess Breach, Holly Aitchison, Ella Wyrwas; Hannah Botterman, Connie Powell, Maud Muir, Rosie Galligan, Zoe Aldcroft (vc), Maisy Allen, Marlie Packer (capt.), Alex Matthews.
Replacements: Lark Atkin-Davies, Mackenzie Carson, Kelsey Clifford, Sarah Beckett, Daisy Hibbert-Jones, Natasha Hunt, Sophie Bridger, Emma Sing
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Australia XV: Faitala Moleka, Maya Stewart, Georgina Friedrichs, Arabella McKenzie, Ivania Wong, Carys Dallinger, Layne Morgan; Brianna Hoy, Tania Naden, Eva Karpani, Michaela Leonard (capt.), Annabelle Codey, Siokapesi Palu, Emily Chancellor, Kaitlan Leaney.
Replacements: Adiana Talakai, Bree-Anna Cheatham, Emily Robinson, Atasi Lafai, Ashley Marsters, Sarah Dougherty, Cecilia Smith, Desiree Miller
England vs Australia kicks off at 19:00 local time, 07:00 BST on Friday 20th October.
Canada vs Wales
World Cup semi-finalists Canada return to New Zealand for WXV 1 and will first face Wales.
In the Welsh team, centre and captain Hannah Jones will make her 50th appearance for her country. Likewise, on the Canadian team, DaLeaka Menin will also earn her 50th cap if she’s used from the bench and is in line to become the seventh Canadian woman to reach the milestone.
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Sophie de Goede captains the Canada side at number eight while Dino Ashlynn Smith is in line to make her debut from the bench. Olivia Apps, who has captained Canada for sevens, makes her first 15s start at scrum-half. Shoshannah Seumanutafa is also awarded her first start after four caps from the bench and is named at outside centre.
Ioan Cunningham has named the same starting Wales side as the one that beat USA 38-18. Carys Williams-Morris is the only change on the bench and she swaps in for Nel Metcalfe. Young star Sisilia Tuipulotu starts at tighthead prop alongside Gwenllian Pyrs and Carys Phillips in the front row. The 20-year-old scored four tries in five appearances in the 2023 Six Nations.
Canada are currently on a six-match winning streak against Wales, who last won against the side in 2006. Their most recent meeting was in a warm-up fixture prior to RWC2021 last August where Canada won 31-3.
Canada XV: Madison Grant, Florence Symonds, Shoshannah Seumanutafa, Alex Tessier, Sarah-Maude Lachance, Claire Gallagher, Olivia Apps; McKinley Hunt, Emily Tuttosi, Alexandria Ellis, Laetitia Royer, Gabrielle Senft, Sara Svoboda, Sophie de Goede (captain).
Replacements: Gillian Boag, Brittany Kassil, DaLeaka Menin, Ashlynn Smith, Courtney Holtkamp, Justine Pelletier, Julia Schell, Krissy Scurfield.
Wales XV: Jasmine Joyce, Lisa Neumann, Hannah Jones (captain), Kerin Lake, Carys Cox, Robyn Wilkins, Keira Bevan; Gwenllian Pyrs, Carys Phillips, Sisilia Tuipulotu, Abbie Fleming, Georgia Evans, Alisha Butchers, Alex Callender, Bethan Lewis.
Replacements: Kelsey Jones, Abbey Constable, Donna Rose, Kate Williams, Sioned Harries, Megan Davies, Lleucu George, Carys Williams-Morris.
Canada vs Wales kicks off at 16:00 local time, 04:00 BST on Saturday 21st October.
New Zealand vs France
The final match of the opening round of WXV 1 will be a rematch of one of the semi-finals from RWC2021, and the first meeting between New Zealand and France since. New Zealand narrowly won 25-24 to progress to the final where they went on to beat England on home soil to be crowned World Champions.
Ruby Tui returns to the Black Ferns after her sevens-playing sabbatical and starts on the wing in her first match since last year’s World Cup final. Tui is one of two changes made to the team that beat Australia in the O’Reilly Cup in September with Renee Holmes returning from injury to start at fullback. Chryss Viliko and Martha Mataele who both made their test debuts against Australia are named on the bench, as are Chelsea Bremner and Ariana Bayler for the first time this year. Ruahei Demant and Kennedy Simon co-captain the team in Wellington.
Scrum-half Pauline Bourdon Sansus is due to make her 50th appearance for France if used from the bench. Front row players Ambre Mwayembe (loosehead prop) and Elisa Riffonneau (hooker) make their first starts while flanker Léa Champon may also earn her first cap from the bench. On what will be her 10th cap, second row Manaé Feleu is named as captain with Marine Ménager named as vice-captain.
New Zealand and France have previously faced each other ten times. The Black Ferns have been victorious in six of those meetings, however aside from their RWC semi-final win last year, they have lost four of the last five matches against France.
New Zealand XV: Renee Holmes, Ruby Tui, Amy du Plessis, Sylvia Brunt, Katelyn Vahaakolo, Ruahei Demant (co-capt.), Arihiana Marino-Tauhinu; Krystal Murray, Georgia Ponsonby, Amy Rule, Maiakawanakaulani Roos, Charmaine Smith, Alana Bremner, Kennedy Simon (co-capt.), Liana Mikaele-Tu’u.
Replacements: Luka Connor, Chryss Viliko, Tanya Kalounivale, Chelsea Bremner, Lucy Jenkins, Ariana Bayler, Patricia Maliepo, Martha Mataele.
France XV: Morgane Bourgeois, Cyrielle Banet, Marine Ménager, Gabrielle Vernier, Caroline Boujard, Lina Queyroi, Alexandra Chambon; Ambre Mwayembe, Elisa Riffonneau, Clara Joyeux, Manaé Feleu (capt.), Madoussou Fall, Axelle Berthoumieu, Gaëlle Hermet, Charlotte Escudero.
Replacements: Laure Touyé, Coco Lindelauf, Assia Khalfaoui, Audrey Forlani, Léa Champon, Émeline Gros, Pauline Bourdon Sansus, Nassira Konde.
New Zealand vs France kicks off at 19:00 local time, 07:00 BST on Saturday 21st October.
Comments on RugbyPass
Bit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
35 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
1 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
1 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
33 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
33 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
33 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to comments