Women’s 2021 Rugby World Cup is One Year Away: Pool Matches on Sept 18, 23, 28 at Eden Park, Northland Events Centre and Waitakere Stadium: Canada Ranked 3rd in World
from World Rugby
Eden Park, a venue steeped in Rugby World Cup history having hosted the mens finals in 1987 and the opening match and final in 2011, will break new ground as the host of the womens edition of a Rugby World Cup for the first time.
Eden Park and Whangareis Northland Events Centre, will host a combined six matches across the opening match day on Saturday, 18 September, 2021. The remaining pool stage match days Thursday, 23 and Tuesday, 28 September will be hosted at Waitakere Stadium and Northland Events Centre.
To mark 365 days until the tournament kicks off, rugby fans in New Zealand can register their interest in joining the team behind the tournament by becoming official volunteers of Rugby World Cup 2021. Volunteers will play a key role in delivering the tournament and across a range of roles including hosting and way-finding, accreditation and team liaison. Fans can register via the Rugby World Cup 2021 website.
World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: The countdown is on with just one year to go until the womens edition of the Rugby World Cup kicks off in the southern hemisphere for the first time in its history. While taking into account the unique and challenging circumstances caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic, planning is progressing very well and hosts New Zealand are on course to supercharge the womens game, welcoming the worlds best teams to what we know will be an exciting and exceptional tournament. 2021 is set to be a special year for womens rugby as it takes centre stage.
Rugby World Cup 2021 Tournament Director Michelle Hooper said it would be extra special for both teams and fans to have the opening match at Eden Park.
Eden Park holds a special place in rugby history, not just in New Zealand but around the world. Players from across the globe aspire to play there and fans want to witness a match there. It will set the scene for what will be an exciting event for rugby.
Hooper said while the one year to go milestone marked the beginning of the official countdown, extensive work had been going on behind the scenes to ensure the tournament would showcase the best rugby in the world.
Despite the challenges being faced by the global pandemic, the organising team are focused, on track and determined to deliver a once-in-a-lifetime Rugby World Cup. Rugby is at the heart of New Zealand communities and the opportunity to supercharge the womens game will inspire a generation of young people to strive to achieve their goals.
The worlds best high-performance rugby players want to play here, and New Zealanders are ready to host them, and showcase our manaakitanga on the world stage. As proud hosts we are encouraging everyone who is keen to be part of the action to sign-up to express their interest to become a volunteer. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity.