World Cup 2010: European qualification process announced

First news about the qualification process for the 2010 Women's Rugby World Cup (WRWC) has been announced... by the Swedish RFU. The IRB were supposed to be publishing full details back in October, but seem to have forgotten all about it. Luckily the Swedes have not decided to wait for a formal IRB statement, and have just published full details on their own website. In Swedish. 

So this is quite possibly the first time this information has appeared anywhere in English...

And the shock headline news is that Europe are to be given six of the 12 places, instead of five in 2006 and the top 12 teams in Europe (based on current FIRA rankings) will compete for these places.

The first four places will be awarded to the top four teams in the 2009 Six Nations. The two teams finishing fifth and sixth (probably Italy and Scotland) will then play off for the final two places against Spain, Netherlands, Russia, Sweden, Germany, and Belgium in a tournament to be held in Sweden in May. Details here.

The effect of all this is that another part of the world loses out. As four of those six teams must inevitably be USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand this means that all the nations of the Caribbean, South America, the Pacific Islands, Asia and Africa now have only two places to play for. Somehow.

It would be nice if the IRB could maybe explain how it intends to get this quart into a pint pot. I don't think we should hold our breath, though.

Result from Dublin: Irish President' XV 8, England 19. 

Sounds like an impressive performance by an understrength Irish team... No match reports available yet.