World Rugby Unveils New Global WXV Calendar Featuring Over One Hundred International Fixtures

World Rugby announces a new 100-match WXV Global Series calendar for 2026-2028, featuring a home-and-away model and a Hong Kong Challenger event.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 21, 2026, 3:58 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Rugby365

World Rugby Launches Comprehensive Women’s International Schedule

In a major move to capitalize on the momentum of the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup, World Rugby has finalized the WXV Global Series calendar. This ambitious schedule guarantees more than 100 international matches between 2026 and 2028, specifically designed to provide consistent, high-level competition for the world’s top 18 unions. According to Sally Horrox, World Rugby’s Chief of Women’s Rugby, this initiative represents a significant leap forward in professionalizing the women’s game and ensuring that national programs have a clear and predictable roadmap for development.

Hong Kong Selected to Host Centralized Challenger Division

The second division of the series, known as the WXV Global Series Challenger, will be hosted centrally in Hong Kong from September 3 to 26, 2026. This competition features teams ranked 13th through 17th, including Fiji, Hong Kong China, the Netherlands, Samoa, Spain, and Brazil. Matches are scheduled to take place at the newly developed Kai Tak Sports Park, utilizing a triple-header format on three specific matchdays throughout the month. This centralized approach is funded by World Rugby to assist unions in competing more frequently without the financial burden of individual tours.

Elite Tier Transitions to Global Home and Away Model

The top 12 ranked nations, including South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Canada, will shift to a cross-regional touring model. This structure allows these high-performance teams to play fixtures in their home markets, enabling unions to retain commercial rights and strengthen local fan engagement. The matches will be held within a dedicated eight-week window spanning from early September to late October. This shift away from a single host territory for the top tier is intended to create more compelling matchups while supporting reinvestment into national player pathways.