Venues for WXV 2024 announced

World Rugby have announced the venues and confirmed the qualification process for this year’s WXV

Published by John Birch, February 28th, 2024

3 minute read

Canada, South Africa and Dubai have been awarded this year’s WXV1, WXV2 and WXV3 tournaments, respectively. The awards were made after bids were also put in by at least two European unions – France and Spain – and come much earlier than last year and before any teams have actually yet qualified.

The qualification process was also confirmed, including the status of the Netherlands v Colombia playoff, and the dates of the competition.

As in 2023, WXV1 will be made up of the top three from the Six Nations and Pacific Fours.

WXV2 will now be made up of the Asian and African champions, the fourth team from the Pacific Fours, fourth and fifth from the Six Nations, and the winner of a playoff between the sixth team in the six nations and the Rugby Europe champions.

The loser of that playoff will play in WXV3 alongside the Oceania champions and runners-up, the runners up in Asia and Africa, and the winner of the Netherlands-Colombia playoff.

This confirms that, other than via that playoff, there is therefore no route into WXV for a South American team – and that if Colombia beat the Netherlands they will take a place in WXV3 regardless of the result of any games that Sud America Rugby might organise.

All three tournaments will also be played at the same time:

Round 1 – Friday, 27 - Sunday, 29 September

Round 2 – Friday, 4 - Sunday, 6 October

Round 3 – Friday, 11 - Sunday, 13 October

World Cup qualification

The tournament will also decide the final qualifiers for next year’s World Cup.

Four places are already confirmed - world champions New Zealand, hosts England, and 2021 semi-finalists Canada and France.

In theory a further six places will come from three of this year’s regional championships (Asia, Oceania, Africa), the winners of a South American play-off, and the winners of two closed tournaments - the Six Nations and Pacific Fours. Any remaining places will come from WXV.

However, in practice what this means that all of the teams in WXV1 and WXV2 will qualify for the World Cup.

As a result the Pacific Fours have already qualified for the World Cup (it is impossible one of them to miss out). The top five from this year’s Six Nations will join them, and the WXV playoff between the sixth team and the European Champions will essentially be a World Cup playoff.

With the Oceania champions and South American playoff winners also guaranteed a place, the final two places at the World Cup will go to the top two teams in WXV3 who have not already qualified.