RWC2021 New Zealand Pools Confirmed

The Japan Rugby Football Union has announced the results of the Rugby World Cup 2021 New Zealand pool draw and Lesley McKenzie’s comments on the results of the draw.

The Rugby World Cup 2021 New Zealand Pool Draw was organized in the host nation of RWC2021, on 20 November 2020, and the allocation of teams to each pool is determined as follows.

Pool A

・ New Zealand

・Australia

・Wales

・Final Qualifier Winner

Pool B

・Canada

・USA

・Europe 1

・Asia 1

Pool C

・England

・France

・South Africa

・Fiji

In response to the results of the Pool Draw, the Japan Women’s National Team Head Coach, Lesley McKenzie commented, “I should first acknowledge that I am grateful to be in a position to be talking about playing rugby on a global level.  The RWC 2021 draw this morning showed some very old and very heated rivalries, similar to the ones we will renew and refresh when we head to Hong Kong to qualify through Asia.  Hong Kong and Kazakhstan will be every bit as interested as we are in the draw today, and I am very excited to take on that challenge. 

Secondly, we will go into camp next week with the image of 10th-ranked Argentina beating the All Blacks last weekend, and with images of Pumas players overcoming more difficult conditions than we can really imagine to win convincingly.  That is a great challenge, a great example, and I hope it fires our players to compete for and with each other next week.  There is a domestic season beginning that the clubs and unions have worked very hard to make happen, and I look forward to rugby that should be better than ever, and certainly a strong and entertaining build up towards our qualification tournament.”

The Japan Women’s National Team, Sakura 15 will participate in the Asia Final Qualifiers for the Rugby World Cup 2021 which is expected to take place next year. The winner of the round-robin tournament will qualify for the RWC2021 as representative of Asia 1, joining Pool B with other nations, Canada, USA, and Europe 1.

The information about the schedule for the Asia Final Qualifiers and for the Japan Women’s Rugby Football Union will be announced as they become available.