WXV Global Series: Wales confirm two Cardiff clashes

Cardiff Arms Park will be the venue of Wales‘ first two WXV Global Series encounters this September.

Sean Lynn’s team will begin their WXV Global Series campaign against South Africa on Friday 18 September.

It will be just the ninth time that the two nations have met. To date, Wales have won six of their previous encounters and the Springbok Women have won twice. The pair last met in 2021 at Cardiff Arms Park, where Wales were 29-19 winners.

Wales’ second confirmed fixture will be against the USA Women’s Eagles. Meetings between these two have been even rarer.

Since their first Test in 1993, the USA have won four of the teams’ six meetings. The last of those encounters came in 2023 when Wales beat the Eagles 38-18 in Colwyn Bay.

This weekend Wales aim to avoid their third Guinness Women’s Six Nations wooden spoon in a row. They host Italy in Cardiff in the lunchtime kick-off. Should Scotland lose in Dublin against Ireland without gaining a point, a Wales win of any kind will see them place fifth.

The WXV Global Series was announced at the end of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025. The competition will feature the top 18 teams in women’s rugby and provide teams with more regular fixtures against one another.

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.

Wales 2026 WXV Global Series fixtures

• Friday 18 September, 19:15 | Wales v South Africa
• Saturday 26 September, 15:00 | Wales v USA