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WXV Global Series

WXV Global Series: Italy out for World Cup revenge on home soil

Joe Harvey

Published: 25 June 2026 07:44 PDT

GALWAY, IRELAND - APRIL 18: Valeria Fedrighi of Italy in action during the Women's Guinness Six Nations 2026 match between Ireland and Italy at Dexcom Stadium on April 18, 2026 in Galway, Ireland. (Photo by Federugby/Federugby via Getty Images)

Italy will be out for Women’s Rugby World Cup revenge against South Africa when they host the southern hemisphere side in the WXV Global Series in September.

The Italian Rugby Federation have confirmed that their women’s national team will host Japan and South Africa in their home WXV Global Series fixtures this September.

They will host the fixtures across back-to-back weekends in September at Stadio Omero Tognon in Fontanafredda. Italy have played Japan eight times in the two teams’ history. The Europeans have won six of those fixtures, drawn one and lost once.

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It was only in 2018 that Italy and South Africa first went toe-to-toe in a November international. Since then the teams have played one another twice in WXV 2 and once at Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025. Last August in York, the Springbok Women were 29-24 winners. It was a result that knocked Italy out of the tournament at the group stage.

The Azzurre finished fourth at the 2026 Guinness Women’s Six Nations with wins against Scotland and Wales. Fabio Roselli’s team impressed against the Red Roses as their doggedness earned the side a try-scoring bonus point in Parma.

It was confirmed earlier in the week that Italy will travel across the North Atlantic in October to play the USA Women’s Eagles twice to conclude their WXV Global Series campaign.

Fixtures will take place in Mansfield, Texas, and Mansfield, Tennessee, before Jack Hanratty’s Eagles finish their autumn against England at Sports Illustrated Stadium in New Jersey.

As Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 reached its conclusion, World Rugby confirmed their reimagining of WXV, which was launched in 2023.

The new format will see the world’s top 18 teams play over 100 matches between 2026 and 2028. The top 12 [Australia, Canada, England, France, Italy, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, USA and Wales] nations will compete in a home and away cross-regional touring model, which takes place across a September and October winder. Unions have retained domestic commercial rights to their home fixtures.

Teams ranked 13-18 [Fiji, Hong Kong China, the Netherlands, Samoa, Spain and Brazil] will compete in the WXV Global Series Challenger, which will be hosted at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Sports Park.

Sally Horrox, World Rugby Chief of Women’s Rugby, said: “The WXV Global Series is a statement of intent for the women’s game. Building on an era-defining Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, the Series provides quality competition, and further impetus for women’s rugby to reach, inspire and convert new fans.

“It creates new commercial and hosting opportunities for our national federations, and an exciting platform for the stars of the game to shine on the road to the next Rugby World Cup in Australia.”