Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
World Rugby has officially launched their first-ever Women’s Rankings. Using the same format as the men’s list, the new rankings are official as of February 1st. New Zealand takes the top spot in the initial rankings with France, England, Ireland, and Canada rounding out the Top 5.
A total of 10 teams from the Americas were represented in the initial rankings. Canada leads the Americas at #5, but is followed closely by the USA in 6th place, less than one point behind. The next highest ranking team from the Americas is Trinidad & Tobago in 22nd place. The rest of the list includes Jamaica (26th), Guyana (27th), Cayman Islands (36th), Brazil (42nd), Barbados (44th), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (45th), and Bahamas (46th).
World Rugby Chairman Bernard Lapasset said in the World Rugby release: “World Rugby is committed to driving forward the competitiveness of the women’s game and the new rankings are yet another significant milestone.
“After the success of Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2014 and the excitement building up to the next edition in 2017 in Ireland, it’s vital for international teams to have a rankings focus that will drive exposure and interest as well as increasing the competition schedule, as it encourages member unions to play more test matches.
“It’s a positive step for one of the fastest growing team sports in the world, as it brings parity with the men’s game. Today’s announcement also comes as a timely boost ahead of what will be an exciting Women’s Six Nations Championship.”
As the new Americas Rugby Championship is about to kick off, the new ranking system for the women highlights the fact that the new ARC currently only exists as a men’s competition. It is hoped that the ARC will grow to not only include women, but also a second tier of play for developing men and women’s teams in the Americas.
