Pool C of the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup began in August 2025. The pool includes Ireland, Japan, Spain, and defending champions New Zealand.

Teams The draw for the pool stage took place on 17 October 2024 in London. A seeding system was used for the draw, with teams allocated a seed based on their World Rugby Women's World Rankings as of 14 October 2024. The top four teams in the rankings were placed into band 1 and prepopulated into the first position in each pool. The remaining 12 teams were drawn into bands 2, 3, and 4 based on their rankings and drawn one by one.

Team Band Confederation Method ofqualification Date ofqualification Previous bestperformance World Rugby Rankings 14 October 2024 18 August 2025 C1 1 Oceania Top 4 at 2021 RWC 29 October 2022 9th 2021 Winners (1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2017, 2021) 3 3 C2 2 Europe Europe 1 27 April 2024 8th 2017 Fourth place (2014) 7 5 C3 3 Asia Asia 1 27 May 2024 6th 2021 Quarter-finals (1994) 11 11 C4 4 Europe 2024 WXV 3 12 October 2024 7th 2017 Quarter-finals (1998, 2002) 13 13

Standings

Matches The match schedule was confirmed by World Rugby on 22 October 2024. Ireland vs Japan will be the first game of pool C.

Ireland vs Japan

FB 15Stacey FloodRW 14Béibhinn ParsonsOC 13Aoife DaltonIC 12Eve Higgins LW 11Amee-Leigh Costigan FH 10Dannah O'BrienSH 9 Aoibheann Reilly N8 8 Brittany Hogan OF 7 Edel McMahon (cc) BF 6 Fiona TuiteRL 5 Sam Monaghan (cc)LL 4 Ruth Campbell TP 3 Linda Djougang HK 2 Neve Jones LP 1 Niamh O'Dowd Replacements:HK 16Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald PR 17Ellena Perry PR 18Sadhbh McGrathSR 19Eimear Corri Fallon BR 20Grace Moore SH 21Emily Lane CE 22Enya Breen WG 23Anna McGann Coach: Scott Bemand FB 15Sora Nishimura RW 14Misaki MatsumuraOC 13Mana FurutaIC 12Haruka HirotsuLW 11Komachi Imakugi FH 10Ayasa ŌtsukaSH 9 Moe Tsukui N8 8 Seina Saito OF 7 Iroha Nagata (c)BF 6 Masami KawamuraRL 5 Otoka Yoshimura LL 4 Yuna SatoTP 3 Wako Kitano HK 2 Asuka Kuge LP 1 Sachiko Kato Replacements:HK 16Kotomi Taniguchi PR 17Manami Mine PR 18Nijiho Nagata SR 19Ayano Sakurai BR 20Kyoko Hosokawa SH 21Megumi Abe FH 22Minori Yamamoto CE 23Sakurako Hatada Coach: Lesley McKenzie

Player of the Match: Brittany Hogan (Ireland)

Assistant referees: Precious Pazani (Zimbabwe) Amelia Luciano (United States) Television match official: Matteo Liperini (Italy) Foul play review officer: Andrew McMenemy (Scotland)

New Zealand vs Spain

FB 15Renee HolmesRW 14Braxton Sorensen-McGee OC 13Amy du Plessis IC 12Theresa SetefanoLW 11Ayesha Leti-I'iga FH 10Kelly BrazierSH 9 Iritana Hohaia N8 8 Liana Mikaele-Tu'uOF 7 Jorja Miller BF 6 Layla SaeRL 5 Chelsea BremnerLL 4 Alana Bremner (cc) TP 3 Amy Rule HK 2 Vici-Rose Green LP 1 Awhina Tangen-Wainohu Replacements:HK 16Georgia Ponsonby PR 17Chryss Viliko PR 18Tanya Kalounivale SR 19Laura Bayfield BR 20Kaipo Olsen-Baker SH 21Risi Pouri-Lane FH 22Ruahei Demant (cc) WG 23Portia Woodman-Wickliffe Coach: Allan Bunting FB 15Lea Ducher RW 14Tecla Masoko OC 13Clàudia PeñaIC 12Zahía PérezLW 11Clara PiqueroFH 10Amàlia ArgudoSH 9 Anne Fernández de CorresN8 8 Alba CapellOF 7 Nerea García BF 6 Victoria Rosell RL 5 Lourdes AlamedaLL 4 Mónica CasteloTP 3 Sidorella Bracic HK 2 Cristina Blanco LP 1 Laura Delgado (c) Replacements:HK 16Nuria Jou PR 17Inés Antolínez PR 18Mireia De Andres SR 19Anna Puig BR 20Lia Piñeiro SH 21Maider Aresti CE 22Alba Vinuesa CE 23Claudia Pérez Coach: Juan González Marruecos Player of the Match: Liana Mikaele-Tu'u (New Zealand)

Assistant referees: Kat Roche (United States) Amber Stamp-Dunstan (Wales) Television match official: Quinton Immelman (South Africa) Foul play review officer: Andrew McMenemy (Scotland) Notes: Maia Joseph was originally named to start for New Zealand but she was withdrawn due to an injury; she was replaced in the starting line-up by Iritana Hohaia. No replacements were made for Ayesha Leti-I'iga or Kaipo Olsen-Baker; as a consequence, New Zealand finished the match with 13 players.

Ireland vs Spain

FB 15Stacey FloodRW 14Anna McGannOC 13Aoife Dalton IC 12Eve HigginsLW 11Amee-Leigh CostiganFH 10Dannah O'Brien SH 9 Molly Scuffil-McCabe N8 8 Grace MooreOF 7 Claire BolesBF 6 Fiona Tuite RL 5 Sam Monaghan (c) LL 4 Eimear Corri FallonTP 3 Linda Djougang HK 2 Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald LP 1 Ellena Perry Replacements:HK 16Neve Jones SR 17Siobhán McCarthy PR 18Sadhbh McGrath SR 19Ruth Campbell BR 20Brittany Hogan SH 21Emily Lane CE 22Enya Breen CE 23Nancy McGillivray Coach: Scott Bemand FB 15Amàlia Argudo RW 14Claudia PérezOC 13Clàudia PeñaIC 12Claudia CanoLW 11Clara PiqueroFH 10Zahía PérezSH 9 Anne Fernández de Corres N8 8 Valentina Pérez OF 7 Ana PeraltaBF 6 Lia Piñeiro RL 5 Elena Martínez LL 4 Lourdes Alameda (cc) TP 3 Eider García HK 2 Marieta Román LP 1 Gemma Silva Replacements:HK 16Cristina Blanco PR 17Laura Delgado (cc) PR 18Mireia De Andres SR 19Anna Puig SR 20Mónica Castelo BR 21Nerea García SH 22Bingbing Vergara CE 23Lea Ducher Coach: Juan González Marruecos

Player of the Match: Ellena Perry (Ireland)

Assistant referees: Clara Munarini (Italy) Amber Stamp-Dunstan (Wales) Television match official: Matteo Liperini (Italy) Foul play review officer: Ian Tempest (England) Notes: Linda Djougang (Ireland) earned her 50th test cap.

New Zealand vs Japan

FB 15Braxton Sorensen-McGeeRW 14Portia Woodman-WickliffeOC 13Stacey Waaka IC 12Sylvia Brunt LW 11Katelyn Vaha'akoloFH 10Ruahei Demant (cc) SH 9 Risi Pouri-Lane N8 8 Layla Sae OF 7 Jorja MillerBF 6 Kennedy Tukuafu RL 5 Alana Bremner (cc)LL 4 Maia RoosTP 3 Tanya Kalounivale HK 2 Georgia Ponsonby LP 1 Chryss Viliko Replacements:HK 16Atlanta Lolohea PR 17Kate Henwood PR 18Veisinia Mahutariki-Fakalelu SR 19Laura Bayfield BR 20Liana Mikaele-Tu'u SH 21Maia Joseph FB 22Renee Holmes CE 23Theresa Setefano Coach: Allan Bunting FB 15Sora Nishimura RW 14Sakurako HatadaOC 13Mana FurutaIC 12Haruka Hirotsu LW 11Komachi ImakugiFH 10Ayasa ŌtsukaSH 9 Moe Tsukui N8 8 Seina Saito OF 7 Iroha Nagata (c)BF 6 Masami KawamuraRL 5 Otoka Yoshimura LL 4 Yuna SatoTP 3 Wako Kitano HK 2 Asuka Kuge LP 1 Sachiko Kato Replacements:HK 16Kotomi Taniguchi PR 17Manami Mine PR 18Nijiho Nagata SR 19Ayano Sakurai BR 20Jennifer Nduka SH 21Megumi Abe FH 22Minori Yamamoto CE 23Kanako Kobayashi Coach: Lesley McKenzie Player of the Match: Braxton Sorensen-McGee (New Zealand)

Assistant referees: Aimee Barrett-Theron (South Africa) Jess Ling (Australia) Television match official: Leo Colgan (Ireland) Foul play review officer: Quinton Immelman (South Africa) Notes: With her 50th international try, Portia Woodman-Wickliffe became New Zealand's top try scorer – male or female – in test history, surpassing the previous record of 49 set by Doug Howlett.

Japan vs Spain

FB 15Sora Nishimura RW 14Misaki Matsumura OC 13Mana FurutaIC 12Haruka Hirotsu LW 11Komachi ImakugiFH 10Ayasa ŌtsukaSH 9 Megumi Abe N8 8 Jennifer Nduka OF 7 Iroha Nagata (c)BF 6 Masami KawamuraRL 5 Otoka Yoshimura LL 4 Yuna SatoTP 3 Wako Kitano HK 2 Asuka Kuge LP 1 Sachiko Kato Replacements:HK 16Kotomi Taniguchi PR 17Manami Mine PR 18Nijiho Nagata SR 19Ayano Sakurai BR 20Seina Saito SH 21Moe Tsukui FH 22Minori Yamamoto WG 23Mele Yua Havili Kagawa Coach: Lesley McKenzie FB 15Amàlia Argudo RW 14Claudia Pérez OC 13Clàudia Peña IC 12Lea DucherLW 11Clara Piquero FH 10Zahia PérezSH 9 Anne Fernández de Corres N8 8 Alba CapellOF 7 Nerea GarcíaBF 6 Ana Peralta RL 5 Lourdes Alameda (c) LL 4 Mónica CasteloTP 3 Sidorella Bracic HK 2 Cristina Blanco LP 1 Inés Antolínez Replacements:HK 16Marieta Román PR 17Gemma Silva PR 18Mireia De Andres SR 19Victoria Rosell BR 20Valentina Pérez SH 21Bingbing Vergara WG 22Tecla Masoko WG 23Ana Cortés Coach: Juan González Marruecos Player of the Match: Sora Nishimura (Japan)

Assistant referees: Holly Wood (England) Amber Stamp-Dunstan (Wales) Television match official: Ian Tempest (England) Foul play review officer: Matteo Liperini (Italy) Notes: Sara Cox became the first female official to referee 50 test matches.

New Zealand vs Ireland

FB 15Renee HolmesRW 14Braxton Sorensen-McGeeOC 13Stacey WaakaIC 12Sylvia Brunt LW 11Portia Woodman-Wickliffe FH 10Ruahei Demant (cc)SH 9 Risi Pouri-Lane N8 8 Liana Mikaele-Tu'uOF 7 Jorja MillerBF 6 Layla Sae RL 5 Alana Bremner LL 4 Maia RoosTP 3 Tanya Kalounivale HK 2 Georgia Ponsonby LP 1 Chryss Viliko Replacements:HK 16Vici-Rose Green PR 17Kate Henwood PR 18Amy Rule SR 19Laura Bayfield BR 20Kennedy Tukuafu (cc) SH 21Maia Joseph CE 22Theresa Setefano WG 23Ayesha Leti-I'iga Coach: Allan Bunting FB 15Stacey Flood RW 14Béibhinn Parsons OC 13Aoife DaltonIC 12Eve Higgins LW 11Amee-Leigh CostiganFH 10Dannah O'BrienSH 9 Aoibheann Reilly N8 8 Brittany HoganOF 7 Edel McMahon (cc) BF 6 Grace MooreRL 5 Sam Monaghan (cc) LL 4 Ruth CampbellTP 3 Linda Djougang HK 2 Neve Jones LP 1 Niamh O'Dowd Replacements:HK 16Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald PR 17Siobhán McCarthy PR 18Sadhbh McGrath SR 19Eimear Corri Fallon SR 20Claire Boles SH 21Emily Lane CE 22Nancy McGillivray WG 23Anna McGann Coach: Scott Bemand Player of the Match: Sylvia Brunt (New Zealand)

Assistant referees: Precious Pazani (Zimbabwe) Amelia Luciano (United States) Television match official: Quinton Immelman (South Africa) Foul play review officer: Matteo Liperini (Italy)

Notes

References