WXV Global Series Challenger 2026 | Round 2 talking points

It was another action-packed weekend over at the WXV Global Challenger Series, as Spain, Fiji and the Netherlands claimed wins in the second round of action at Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground.

From a set-piece tussles, to an offloading performance worth highlighting, here are the main talking points from Round 2…

Las Leonas get back to great prowling form

Las Leonas are back to winning song after a 54-21 win over Samoa. Régis Sonnes’ side employed a superb range of attacking skills and tricks that ultimately and brilliantly dismantled the Samoa defence.

While the Manusina’s defensive effort improved greatly from last week’s defeat against the Netherlands, Spain struck when they needed it most, with scrum-half and fly-half combo Anne de Cortés and Naroa Azpitarte guided their team wisely.

But it wasn’t only the Spanish backline that looked threatening with the ball in hand; the forward pack operators were also heavily involved in the offloading game, keeping the ball alive and ready to turn it into tries.

Alba Capell, Valentina Pérez and Carmen Castellucci seemed unstoppable at the gain-line, with the forward pack trio always looking to throw an offload that would let a teammate break through the Samoan line.

At the same time, with players like Claudia Peña Hidalgo pulling some unreal tricks, including a stunning cross-kick from a quick-tap penalty that ended in a try, everything seemed to come naturally for Spain, who were in control of the contest from the very start.

At times it seemed Las Leonas were playing with 16 or 17 players on the pitch, with pairs of hands popping all over the attacking line, ready to have their go and help Spain get a mouthwatering win. In the end, nine line breaks, 21 defenders beaten, and nine tries scored capped off their biggest-ever win against Samoa.

Despite their brilliance for much of the contest, the reigning Women’s Rugby Europe Championship holders still had moments of scrappy play that nearly let Samoa cross for a couple of tries in the first half.

With one round to go, Las Leonas need another impressive win to finish their campaign on a high against Brazil in Round 3.

A Fijiana like a hot knife through butter

Hong Kong China tried their best to starve Fiji of access to the all, but it was ultimately an impossible task as the Fijiana registered a 54-26 win. Fiji’s running lines were too much for the hosts to handle and enough to land them a second win in a row.

Fiji’s first two tries were a joy to behold, with a combo of that side-step magic and pure, powerful aggression that won’t stop or waver, with Adi Salote Nailolo and Varanisese Qoro putting in top-class performances.

Qoro was undoubtedly a standout throughout the contest, not only for her four devastating line breaks, but also for the constant threat she added to her team’s attacking patterns, pumping life and ambition into her side.

At the same time, watching replacement prop Selai Naliva or skipper Manuqalo Komaitai squeeze through seemingly impossible spaces to break the line and set up a try was mind-blowing, reminding everyone that every Fijian player has the same showstopper power.

While the hosts did their best to stay in the contest, the truth is that when Fiji locked in, there was no way to stop their flurry of offloads, unreal pace and fierce physicality.

A clash of the forward engines

For fans of a good old-fashioned forward pack battle, the Netherlands v Brazil contest was one for the ages. Both sides were in deadlock from the start, and the outcome wasn’t decided until the final 10 minutes.

The two packs fought for control of the set-piece, with As Yaras dominating the scrum while the Dutch held a tight grip on the lineout, leaving very little to separate the two sides.

With every player getting involved in any way they could, the match felt largely like a stalemate, although Brazil held the lead for several minutes and the Netherlands mounted a comeback, holding a 17-10 lead with 20 minutes remaining.

The Brazilians did all they could, trying to barge in from a maul or a scrum, but the Netherlands kept their wits about them and tackled as hard as they could, waiting for the right moment to turn the ball over.

In the end, even with the Yaras scoring their second try, it wasn’t enough, as the Netherlands’ resolute defence earned them a second win.