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A look at how the Rugby World Cup semifinals could affect the women’s world rankings

A look at how the Rugby World Cup semifinals could affect the women's world rankings | iNFOnews.ca
Canada's Alex Tessier kicks a penalty against Australia's Caitlyn Halse during the Women's Rugby World Cup quarterfinal match, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, at Ashton Gate, Bristol, England. (Andrew Matthews/PA via AP)

The semifinals at the Women’s Rugby World Cup in Bristol, England — No. 2 Canada versus No. 3 New Zealand on Friday and No. 1 England versus No. 4 France on Saturday — will have ramifications on the world rankings.

A look at what could happen:

— A New Zealand win and the Black Ferns will replace Canada in second place. The Canadian women could drop another place to No. 4 if France then ends England’s record 31-test winning run.

— England, which has been No. 1 in the rankings since November 2020, can only fall out of top spot if it loses by more than 15 points. In that case, either France or Canada will replace the Red Roses atop the rankings, with Canada needing to win by more than 15 points to deny France top spot. That scenario would see new ranking lows for England (No. 3) and New Zealand (No. 4).

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2025.

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The Canadian Press

The Canadian Press is Canada's trusted news source and leader in providing real-time, bilingual multimedia stories across print, broadcast and digital platforms.

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