2014 Women's Rugby World Cup

Bidding process

On 27 August 2009 the International Rugby Board (IRB; now known as World Rugby) announced that it was inviting bids to host the 2014 event. Unions had until 30 October 2009 to express an interest with the chosen host being announced on 12 May 2010. The announcement was an important development in the history of women's rugby as the IRB had never previously announced a competition to host a Women's World Cup with such publicity, nor so far ahead of the event. The chosen hosts for 2014 would also have had four years to prepare – twice as long as any previous host. The announcement was also significant because, for the first time, the IRB included the "unofficial" 1991 and 1994 World Cups in their official list of previous tournaments.

On 21 December 2009, the IRB announced the four nations that formally applied to host the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup:

• Kazakhstan
• New Zealand (bid subsequently withdrawn, in favour of Samoa)
• Samoa
• United States

However, after delaying the announcement until September 2010, the IRB eventually announced that, due to problems with the existing bids, they were reopening applications. On 30 June 2011, the IRB announced that the tournament would be held in France.

Qualifying

Main article: 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup qualifying

France, as the host nation, qualified automatically. The top three teams from the 2010 tournament, New Zealand, England, and Australia, also qualified automatically. Canada and the United States qualified due to there being no interest from other North or South American unions.

Qualified teams

Match officials

In April 2014 the IRB announced a panel of 14 match officials for the tournament, including eight referees and six assistant. New Zealand provided two of the referees in the form of Jess Beard and Nicky Inwood, while there will be one each from United States, England, South Africa, Ireland, Australia and Canada. England provided two assistant referees with the others coming from Italy, France, Scotland and Spain. Nicky Inwood, Sherry Trumbull and Clare Daniels were selected for 2010 Women's Rugby World Cup, which took place in England. Indeed, Inwood and Daniels also refereed at the 2006 edition in Canada.

In August 2014, it was announced that Australian referee Amy Perrett would adjudicate the final.

;Referees (8)

• NZL Jess Beard
• USA Leah Berard
• ENG Claire Hodnett
• NZL Nicky Inwood
• RSA Marlize Jordaan
• IRE Helen O'Reilly
• AUS Amy Perrett
• CAN Sherry Trumbull

;Assistant referees (6)

• ITA Beatrice Benvenuti
• ENG Sara Cox
• ENG Clare Daniels
• FRA Marie Lematte
• ESP Alhambra Nievas
• SCO Alex Pratt

Squads

Main article: 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup squads

Pool stage

The pool draw took place on 30 October 2013 at Hotel de Ville, Paris. The twelve qualified teams were organised into four bands:

Band 1: New Zealand, England, Australia

Band 2: Canada, USA, France

Band 3: Ireland, Wales, Spain

Band 4: Kazakhstan, Samoa, South Africa

Each pool was a single round-robin of six games, in which each team played one match against each of the other teams in the same pool. Teams were awarded four points for a win, two points for a draw and none for a defeat of more than seven points. A team scoring four or more tries in one match earned a bonus point, as did teams that lost by seven points or fewer.

Pool A

Main article: 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup Pool A

Pool B

Main article: 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup Pool B

Pool C

Main article: 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup Pool C

Finals

Main article: 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup knockout stage

Knockout rankings

At the completion of the pool stage, teams were ranked first according to their position within their pool and then by competition points. The top four teams progressed to the tournament semi-finals, teams ranked 5–8 progressed to the 5th to 8th play-offs, and the teams ranked 9–12 progressed to the 9th to 12th play-offs.

Tie Breakers

Ties on competition points were broken in the following order:

1. Winner of the match between the two teams (does not apply to teams in different pools);

2. Difference between points scored and points conceded;

3. Difference between tries scored and tries conceded;

4. Most points scored;

5. Most tries scored;

6. Coin toss.

Rankings Play-offs 9 to 12

|13 August 2014 ||25||24 |13 August 2014 ||18||5 |17 August 2014 ||0||36 |17 August 2014 ||31||0

Semi-finals Rachelle Geldenhuys 31', Veroeshka Grain 60' Merenaite Faitala-Mariner 16'

Rocio Garcia 79' Natalya Kamendrovskaya

11th Place Playoff Tile Start 44', Helen Collins 52', Bella Milo 56'

9th Place Playoff Barbara Pla 33', Penalty Try 65' Eli Martinez 80' Helen Roca 78'

Rankings Play-offs 5 to 8

|13 August 2014 ||20||23 |13 August 2014 ||63||7 |17 August 2014 ||5||55 |17 August 2014 ||30||3

Semi-finals Cobie-Jane Morgan 22', Liz Patu 50' Carmen Farmer 61', Vanesha McGee 68' Kimber Rozier 79'

Selica Winiata 15', 53', Aroha Savage 37', Linda Itunu 43', Honey Hireme 56', Rawinia Everitt 66', Amiria Rule 80'+1' Kelly Brazier 73'

7th Place Playoff Dalena Dennison 26', Tricia Brown 64', Sharni Williams 76', Cobie-Jane Morgan 80'

5th Place Playoff Rawinia Everitt 24', Shakira Baker 31', Selica Winiata 34', Honey Hireme 37', 43', 59', 77', Aleisha Nelson 70'

Semi-finals and final

|13 August 2014 ||7||40 |13 August 2014 ||16||18 |17 August 2014 ||21||9 |17 August 2014 ||18||25

Semi-finals Katherine Merchant 36' Kay Wilson 57' Marlie Packer 70', 74' Ceri Large 70', 74'

Safi N'Diaye 65'

3rd Place Playoff Grace Davitt 40' Jessy Tremouliere 31', Elodie Guiglion 47', 80'+1'

Final Main article: 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup final

Emily Scarratt 74'

Statistics

Points scorers

Try scorers

Discipline

1 red card

• SAM Soteria Pulumu (5-match suspension)

Suspension following citing

• WAL Rebecca de Filippo (2-week suspension) in match against New Zealand
• RSA Mandisa Williams (16-week suspension) in match against Australia

2 yellow cards

• RSA Celeste Adonis
• KAZ Oxana Shadrina
• WAL Rachel Taylor
• RSA Shona-Leah Weston

1 yellow card

• AUS Chloe Buttler
• SAM Helen Collins
• WAL Jenny Davies
• CAN Olivia DeMerchant
• NZL Linda Itunu
• KAZ Natalya Kamendrovskaya
• CAN Mary Jane Kirby
• FRA Caroline Ladagnous
• SAM Rita Lilii
• AUS Michelle Milward
• SAM Taliilagi Mefi
• IRE Claire Molloy
• ENG Marlie Packer
• AUS Shannon Parry
• AUS Rebecca Smyth
• USA Shaina Turley
• USA Sarah Walsh
• CAN Brittany Waters

Sources

• Rugby World Cup Women’s Stats Archive

• Women's Rugby Data

References

References

1. (18 August 2014). "Emily Scarratt's boot hands England World Cup final win over Canada". Guardian.
2. (18 August 2014). "Women's Rugby World Cup: England beat Canada to win final". BBC Sport.
3. "Race on to host 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup".
4. (December 2009). "Record interest for Women's RWC 2014". IRB.com.
5. "Home | Rugby World Cup 2021".
6. "France to Host 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup". WRWC.
7. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8A0-lN6F1Y&feature=player_embedded IRB official video used for the announcement]
8. (4 April 2014). "Match officials announced for Women's RWC".
9. "Australia's Amy Perrett Appointed to Referee 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup Final".
10. "IRB Women's Rugby World Cup 2014 – Match officials".
11. (23 October 2013). "World Cup pool draw to stream live from Paris".
12. "Rules of the tournament". IRB.
13. "JUDICIAL OFFICER'S HEARING REPORT Hearing: 2 August 2014". IRB.
14. "JUDICIAL OFFICER'S HEARING REPORT Hearing: 15 August 2014". IRB.
15. "JUDICIAL OFFICER'S HEARING REPORT Hearing: 3 August 2014". IRB.
16. "Rugby World Cup Women’s Stats Archive".
17. "Women's Rugby World Cup 2014".