Upcoming tournament 2025 Rugby World Cup | |
 Rugby World Cup logo | |
| Sport | Women's rugby union |
|---|---|
| Instituted | 6 April 1991 |
| Number of teams | 12; 1991 — 1994 & 2006 — 2021 16; 1998 — 2002 & 2025 |
| Regions | Worldwide (World Rugby) |
| Holders |  New Zealand (6th title) |
| Most titles | New Zealand (6 titles) |
| Website | rugbyworldcup.com |
| Tournaments |
|---|
The Women's Rugby World Cup is the women's rugby union world championship which is organised by World Rugby. The first Rugby World Cup for women was held in 1991, but it was not until the 1998 tournament that the tournament received official backing from the International Rugby Board (IRB, now World Rugby); by 2009, the IRB had retroactively recognized the 1991 and 1994 tournaments and their champions.[1]
Normally, the tournament is held every four years; it was moved forward in 2017 so that the competition could be held in the year before the Commonwealth Games. The 2021 tournament was postponed to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but still marketed as the 2021 tournament.
Three countries have won the Women's Rugby World Cup since its establishment, with New Zealand having won the tournament a record six times.
- ^ "IRB press release". Archived from the original on 2 December 2013.