Women's rugby union has a history going back to the late 19th century but it was not until 1982 that the first international fixture (or "Test Match") took place. The match was organised in connection with the Dutch Rugby Union's 50th anniversary. As part of the celebrations on June 13, 1982 the French national women's team was invited to Utrecht to play the Dutch, France winning 4-0[1] in a game that has since been recognised as the first ever women's international[2] rugby union match.
Official recognition of women's internationals was not immediate. Almost all women's rugby was originally organised outside of the control of either national unions or the IRB. Partly as a result no internationally agreed list of rugby internationals exists. However, even in the male game, the IRB does not decide which matches are "full internationals" (or "test matches"), leaving such decisions up to participating unions.
As a result one country may classify a match as a full international (and award full test caps) while the opposition may not - countries may even award caps for games against an opposition that is not a national team (World XVs, for example).[3]
International rugby initially grew slowly.[4] Sweden joined France and the Netherlands in 1984, followed by Italy in 1985, but it was not until 1987 that the first international took place outside Europe. However, since 2003 the game has expanded rapidly and now over 50 nations have played at least one "test match".
Over 800 internationals have now been played. Traditional centres of rugby New Zealand, England and France have been the most successful nations, but they have been joined by a number of "non-traditional" nations who have been almost as successful - such as the USA and Kazakhstan. Unlike men's rugby, there is no official ranking of women's teams - generally the IRB refer to the placings in the preceding World Cup. However FIRA compile an annual ranking of European teams and rugby statistician Serge Piquet has produced a currently unofficial, but generally accepted, world ranking list. Another ranking list appears on The Roon Ba website [6]
International women's matches [edit]
Definition of an "international":
Individual unions compile their own international records. As a result the list below will conflict with some of these "official" records (much in the same way as they will conflict with each other) as unions:
- may not include some games in their official records because they fielded a below strength team in a tournament for full international XVs, or
- my include games which are not listed below because they fielded a full strength team in a friendly against an unofficial or "A" team.
For consistency this list has used the following criteria when defining what is or is not an international:
- Tournament games between national representative XVs from tournaments for full international teams, regardless of an individual union's selection policy;
- "Friendly" fixtures which it appears were generally promoted prior to the game as being between full strength national XVs. In case of doubt the opinion of the home union - i.e. the promoter of the game - has carried the most weight.
- Fixtures between official national selections and supra-national teams (such as "World XVs").
Full internationals and tournaments [edit]
Each match below is prefixed by a unique running number, has a three number suffix indicating how many games each team had played up to this point, and how many games had been played between the two sides. For example:
indicates that this was not only the 74th women's international, it was the second played by Scotland, the 13th played by Wales, and the first between the two sides.
A list of games involving advertised "A" teams and other games of doubtful international status is also appended after the main list.
Tournaments
Other matches
Tournaments
Other matches
Tournaments [edit]
None
Other matches [edit]
Tournaments [edit]
None
Other matches [edit]
Tournaments [edit]
None
Other matches [edit]
Tournaments [edit]
None
Other matches [edit]
Tournaments [edit]
[20-25] (1988-05-21 to 1988-05-23) European Cup at Bourg en Bresse, France
Other matches [edit]
Tournaments [edit]
None
Other matches [edit]
Tournaments [edit]
[38-44] (1990-08-28 to 1990-09-01) RugbyFest 1990 at Christchurch, New Zealand
Other matches [edit]
Tournaments [edit]
[47-68] (1991-04-04 to 1991-09-15) World Cup at Cardiff
Other matches [edit]
Tournaments [edit]
None
Other matches [edit]
Tournaments [edit]
[78-80] (1993-06-08 to 1993-06-12) Canada Cup at Fletcher's Fields, Toronto
Other matches [edit]
Tournaments [edit]
[91-116] (1994-04-11 to 1994-04-24) World Cup at Edinburgh, Scotland
Other matches [edit]
Tournaments [edit]
[126-129] (1995-04-12 to 1995-04-16) FIRA European Championship at Treviso, Italy
Other matches [edit]
Tournaments [edit]
[134-140] (1996-01-21 to 1996-03-03) Women's Home Nations Championship at Various
[141-147] (1996-04-08 to 1996-04-14) FIRA European Championship at Madrid, Spain
[150-155] (1996-09-08 to 1996-09-14) Canada Cup at Edmonton, Canada
Other matches [edit]
Tournaments [edit]
[158-164] (1997-01-12 to 1997-03-09) Women's Home Nations Championship at Various
[165-176] (1997-04-02 to 1997-04-06) FIRA European Championship at Nice, France
Other matches [edit]
Tournaments [edit]
[190-196] (1998-02-15 to 1998-04-05) Women's Home Nations Championship at Various
[199-238] (1998-05-01 to 1998-05-16) World Cup at Amsterdam, Netherlands
Other matches [edit]
Tournaments [edit]
[241-251] (1999-03-05 to 1999-04-09) Women's Five Nations Championship at Various
[253-264] (1999-04-19 to 1999-04-24) FIRA European Championship at Belluno, Italy
[266-268] (1999-10-13 to 1999-10-19) Triangular '99 at Palmerston North, New Zealand
Other matches [edit]
Tournaments [edit]
[270-280] (2000-02-04 to 2000-04-01) Women's Five Nations Championship at Various
[281-295] (2000-05-06 to 2000-05-14) FIRA European Championship at Almeria, Spain
[299-304] (2000-09-23 to 2000-09-30) Canada Cup at Winnipeg
[305] (2000-12-15 to 2000-12-15) Asian World Cup qualifier at Aberdeen Park, Hong Kong
Other matches [edit]
Tournaments [edit]
[307-316] (2001-02-03 to 2001-03-17) Women's Five Nations Championship at Various
[320-337] (2001-05-06 to 2001-05-12) FIRA European Championship at Lille
Other matches [edit]
Tournaments [edit]
[351-369] (2002-02-02 to 2002-04-07) Women's Six Nations Championship at Various
[360-364] (2002-03-20 to 2002-03-23) FIRA ENC XV-a-side Tournament at Treviso, Italy
[370-401] (2002-05-11 to 2002-05-26) World Cup at Barcelona, Spain
Other matches [edit]
Tournaments [edit]
[403-417] (2003-02-15 to 2003-03-29) Women's Six Nations Championship at Various
[418-425] (2003-05-01 to 2003-05-11) FIRA European Championship at Malmö, Sweden & Amsterdam, Netherlands
[426-429] (2003-06-14 to 2003-06-28) Churchill Cup at Thunderbird Stadium, Vancouver
[433-434] (2003-12-03 to 2003-12-04) NAWIRA Caribbean Women’s 15-a-side Championship at Port of Spain
Other matches [edit]
Tournaments [edit]
[435-449] (2004-02-14 to 2004-03-27) Women's Six Nations Championship at Various
[450-467] (2004-05-01 to 2004-05-08) FIRA European Championship at Toulouse, France
[471-475] (2004-06-08 to 2004-06-19) Churchill Cup at Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton
Other matches [edit]
Tournaments [edit]
[482-497] (2005-02-03 to 2005-03-19) Women's Six Nations Championship at Various
[498-510] (2005-04-07 to 2005-05-23) FIRA European Championship at Hamburg, Germany and Zenica, Bosnia
[511-514] (2005-06-03 to 2005-06-03) Asian World Cup Qualifiers at Bangkok, Thailand
[515-518] (2005-06-29 to 2005-07-05) Canada Cup at Ottawa
Other matches [edit]
Tournaments [edit]
[528-542] (2006-02-04 to 2006-03-18) Women's Six Nations Championship at Various
[543-545] (2006-04-14 to 2006-04-18) Pacific tri-nations at Teufaiva Park, Nukuʻalofa, Tonga
[546-558] (2006-04-23 to 2006-04-30) FIRA ENC XV Championship at Treviso, Italy
[559, 565] (2006-06-09 to 2006-08-12) Elgon Cup at Kampala and Nairobi
[566-595] (2006-08-27 to 2006-09-18) World Cup at Edmonton, Canada
[596-598] (2006-09-28 to 2006-09-30) NAWIRA Caribbean Women’s Championship at Kingston, Jamaica
[599-603] (2006-11-17 to 2006-11-19) ARFU Women's Rugby Championship at Kunming, China
Other matches [edit]
Tournaments [edit]
[605-619] (2007-02-03 to 2007-03-16) Women's Six Nations Championship at Various
[621-648] (2007-04-11 to 2007-05-05) FIRA European Championship at Belgium and Barcelona, Spain
[655-658] (2007-11-02 to 2007-11-04) ARFU Women's Rugby Championship at Kunming, China
Other matches [edit]
Tournaments [edit]
[663-677] (2008-02-13 to 2008-03-16) Women's Six Nations Championship at Various
[680-685] (2008-05-03 to 2008-05-10) NAWIRA Caribbean Women's Championship at Georgetown, Guyana
[687-709] (2008-05-17 to 2008-05-25) FIRA European Championship at Amsterdam
[706, 718] (2008-05-24 to 2008-08-16) Elgon Cup at Kampala and Nairobi
[710-716] (2008-06-03 to 2008-06-08) ARFU Women's Rugby Championship at Taldykorgan, Kazakhstan
[720-722] (2008-08-22 to 2008-08-26) Nations Cup at Esher, England
Other matches [edit]
Tournaments [edit]
[730-744] (2009-02-07 to 2009-03-21) Women's Six Nations Championship at Various
[747-758] (2009-05-17 to 2009-05-23) FIRA European Trophy (World Cup Qualifier) at Stockholm and Enköping
[759-764] (2009-06-21 to 2009-06-27) NAWIRA Caribbean Women's Championship at Bridgetown, Barbados
[771, 778] (2009-08-02 to 2009-08-29) Elgon Cup at Kampala and Nairobi
[766] (2009-08-08 to 2009-08-08) Oceania World Cup Qualifier at Samoa
[772-777] (2009-08-10 to 2009-08-24) Nations Cup at Oakville, Canada
[781-785] (2009-11-03 to 2009-11-05) Asia World Cup Qualifier at Singapore
Other matches [edit]
Tournaments [edit]
[793-807] (2010-02-06 to 2010-03-20) Women's Six Nations Championship at Various
[810-821] (2019-05-08 to 2010-05-15) FIRA European Trophy at Alsace Lorraine
[828-829] (2010-07-03 to 2010-07-10) Elgon Cup at Kampala and Nairobi
[-] (2010-08-14 to 2010-08-20) NACRA Women's Championship at Nassau, Bahamas
[833] (2010-08-21 to 2010-08-21) Caribbean Women's Championship at Nassau, Bahamas
[835-865] (2010-08-20 to 2010-09-05) 2010 Women's Rugby World Cup at London
Other matches [edit]
Tournaments [edit]
[868-882] (2011-02-04 to 2011-03-20) Women's Six Nations Championship at Various
[884-889] (2011-04-30 to 2011-05-07) FIRA European Trophy at A Coruña, Spain
[892,899] (2011-07-09 to 2011-07-16) Elgon Cup at Nairobi and Kampala
[893-898] (2011-07-09 to 2011-07-16) NACRA Women's Championship at Cayman Islands
[900-908] (2011-08-02 to 2011-08-13) Nations Cup at Oakville, Canada
[912-917] (2011-11-24 to 2011-11-26) Asian Championship (II Division) at Chao Anou Vong stadium, Vientiane, Laos
Other matches [edit]
Tournaments [edit]
[921-935] (2012-02-03 to 2012-03-??) Women's Six Nations Championship at Various
[936-937] (2012-04-21 to 2012-04-28) Elgon Cup at Kampala and Nairobi
[938-948] (2012-05-03 to 2012-05-20) FIRA European Championship at Enkoping, Sweden and Rovereto, Italy
[948-952] (2012-06-14 to 2012-06-16) Asian Championship (II Division) at Manila, Philippines
[953-956] (2012-07-05 to 2012-07-07) Asian Four Nations at Kunshan, China
Other matches [edit]
Tournaments [edit]
[968-982] (2013-02-02 to 2013-03-17) Women's Six Nations Championship at Various
[984-993] (2013-05-20 to 2013-05-27) FIRA World Cup Qualification Tournament at Madrid
[997-998] (2013-06-15 to 2013-06-22) Elgon Cup at Kampala and Nairobi
Other matches [edit]
Tournaments [edit]
[-] (2014-??-?? to 2014-??-??) 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup at Paris
Other matches [edit]
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Other internationals [edit]
The following is a list of...
- Matches involving designated national "A" teams,
- Matches of doubtful status,
- Matches between full international sides and non-national XVs, and
- Other games of note.
It is included as some nations have awarded full caps for these games and may include them as full internationals in their own records. In addition these games act as an indicator of the relative strength of some of the smaller nations, and the strength in depth of the larger.
Highest team scores [edit]
Sources of women's international results [edit]
The above results have been traced mainly via the following listings of national and tournament results - most being national RFUs. Other results have been traced via numerous news reports.
See also [edit]
- ^ A try was only worth four points in 1982, the five point try not coming in until 1992.
- ^ Definition of an "international" used in this article. This article, with its accompanying match list and associated data - as well as the statistical summary of each team's relative success - only includes matches that most independent observers appear to treat as "full internationals" (or "test matches"). These may be defined as:
- Tournament games between national representative XVs from tournaments for full international teams;
- "Friendly" fixtures which it appears were generally promoted prior to the game as being between full strength national XVs
- Other fixtures which most independent authorities (as opposed to individual unions) appear to treat as full internationals (such as games involving "World XVs").
As a result the list may conflict with some "official" records published by some national unions who:
- may not include all of these games in their official records (most often because the Union concerned fielded a below strength team in a tournament for full international XVs), or
- my include games which fail to meet the above definitions (most often because they fielded a full strength team in a friendly against an unofficial or "A" team).
- ^ "Statistics: Scoring & Player Numbers Explanation". Scrum.com. Retrieved 2010-05-17.
- ^ Internationals in each calendar year:
- 1982 1
- 1983 1
- 1984 2
- 1985 3
- 1986 5
- 1987 6
- 1988 11
- 1989 5
- 1990 11
- 1991 17 (World Cup year)
- 1992 5
- 1993 12
- 1994 34 (World Cup year)
- 1995 12
- 1996 23
- 1997 32
- 1998 52 (World Cup year)
- 1999 28
- 2000 37
- 2001 46
- 2002 53 (World Cup year)
- 2003 32
- 2004 47
- 2005 44
- 2006 79 (World Cup year)
- 2007 58
- 2008 66
- 2009 54
- ^ First women's international
- ^ First international in the British Isles
- ^ The first home nations international. Video highlights of the game can be seen here [1]
- ^ First international in North America
- ^ This match, and preparations for it, was filmed by Channel 4 for a documentary called "Rugby Women", a copy of which is held in the National Film Archive at the British Film Institute
- ^ This was the final Great Britain international and also featured in the Channel 4 documentary called "Rugby Women", a copy of which is held in the National Film Archive at the British Film Institute
- ^ First International for both Ireland and Scotland at site of the first ever men's international.
- ^ Team photo
- ^ First women’s match at Murrayfield
- ^ Some sources give the score as 7-7
- ^ There are reports that there may have been an earlier game, played between 2004 and 2006, won by Zambia by 88-0
- ^ Match report
- ^ [2]
- ^ Status of Catalonia The status of games played by Catalonia - especially the games in 1990 and 1995 against Wales and Germany respectively - appear to have been treated as if there were internationals by both opponents at the time. However the status of these games have changed following two retrospective rulings. First, in 2009 Wales (via email correspondence confirmed by their website) changed the designation of their team to only a "Wales XV" and therefore not an international. This may have been influenced by a 2008 French court ruling (see [3])that the Catalan Rugby Union was not a national union and therefore could not be a member of FIRA. As this ruling was retrospective the game between Catalonia and Germany in 1995 also cannot now be considered a game between teams from two nations unions.
- ^ The records of the FFR list this game as a "third place" play-off for the 1991 World Cup. However, no such game was planned or played as part of the tournament. In addition, the NZRU records include no mention of the match. As a result it cannot be seen as an "official" test match.
- ^ See above note on the status of Catalonia
- ^ The status of this game is confused. While it definitely took place, it is not listed on the USA Rugby website, and Fiji's RFU clearly state that their first international wasn't until 2006. This may be an oversight by Fiji, or it may be because this may not have been a full US side (there is a suggestion that it was mainly a Stanford University selection). However, for whatever reason, as neither RFU currently seems to consider this to be a full "international", it is listed here rather than in the main list.
- ^ A training game, 30 minutes each way. Norwegian team very understrength and included at least two non-Norwegians
- ^ A training game, 3 periods of 20 minutes each way. Norwegian squad only had 13 players - XV made up by Swedish players guesting for Norway
- ^ Both teams included underage players
- ^ All NZ Army 2005 tour results
- ^ Not recognised as an international by Kenya, though they fielded effectively the full national XV. Uganda's view of the match uncertain - though they included at least one non-Ugandan player
- ^ [4]
- ^ IRFU confirm that the game was not an international "the [Irish] team was an Irish President’s Selection and no caps were awarded" (Email from Barry Cunningham, IRFU, 2.3.2009). Despite this England consider the game as a full international
- ^ Although only a charity fixture, the game is significant as the first time a women's "Lions"-style team had taken the field. All the team were current or former internationals - Susie Appleby (England), Fiona Britten (England), Lisa Burgess (Wales), Helen Clayton (England), Clare Donovan (England), Non Evans (Wales), Amy Garnett (England), Louise Hogan (Ireland), Donna Kennedy (Scotland), Erin Kerr (Scotland), Emma Layland (England), Lisa O'Keefe (Scotland), Jo O'Sullivan (Ireland), Alex Pilkington (England), Jo Poore (England), Louise Rickard, Selena Rudge (England), Michaela Staniford (England), Nollie Waterman (England), Sharon Whitehead (England)
- ^ 10-a-side game for the Mekong Shield
- ^ A training fixture, though the teams were full strength XVs. The game was divided into two thirty minute periods, followed by a twenty minute session with multiple substitutions, especially in the final period.
- ^ Match abandoned after 60 minutes due to rain.
- ^ Training match
- ^ a b c Training match
- ^ [5] Training fixture between full strength teams, but with unlimited substitutions and three periods of 30 minutes
- ^ Officially the "Women's All-American Collegiate XV"
- ^ Officially the "Canadian Inter-University Sport [CIS] XV"
- ^ Singapore team was not the full official national squad as most of the players were unavailable - mainly the Singaporean development squad
- ^ All 30 squad members had the chance of game time, with rolling subs used throughout the match
- ^ Not an official German XV
- ^ [Both this game and a "second leg" in February 2013 were reported to be only 10-a-side]
- ^ http://www.wru.co.uk/eng/news/24555.php#.UOnUrG9JqSp
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