Ireland's WXV3 fixtures announced by World Rugby

The new women's international XV's competition aims to increase the competitiveness, reach and impact of elite women's rugby.

NEW ERA: Scott Bemand will take on his first tournament as Ireland Women's head coach when they face Kazakhstan in Dubai on October 13 in World Rugby's new women's international competition WXV3. Pic: ©INPHO/Craig Watson

Scott Bemand will take on his first tournament as Ireland Women's head coach when they face Kazakhstan in Dubai on October 13 in World Rugby's new women's international competition WXV3. 

Ireland will play their games in Dubai's iconic The Sevens Stadium with their first game taking place on Friday October 13 when they face Kazakhstan in a double-header with Fiji and Colombia. Spain will take on Kenya on Saturday October 14.

Ireland will face Colombia in their second game on Saturday October 21 and their final game will be against Spain on October 28. 

The team which finishes top of the group, along with Fiji and Kenya will be promoted to the WXV2 for the next season. 

World Rugby new international women's XV's competition aims to increase the competitiveness and impact of elite women's rugby.

The three-level tournament which starts in October will see 27 fixtures played across three host countries brining together the best in women's rugby from around the world.

The competition will take place across four weekends in Dubai,, South Africa and New Zealand. The games across all levels will take place on Fridays and Saturdays with a combination of standalone and double-headed fixtures to maximise fan attendance. 

The tournament takes place during the men's Rugby World Cup with the match times complementing each other to ensure fans can immerse themselves in rugby. 

World Rugby Chief of Women’s Rugby, Sally Horrox said: “WXV represents the start of a new era for women’s rugby with the three-level tournament model providing opportunities for the best athletes around the world to show their skills on the international stage. We’ve seen the rapid development of the women’s game in recent years and WXV will push it to another level again.

“We’re really proud of the exciting array of fixtures on offer and I’ve no doubt we are in for a thrilling competition with some exhilarating matchups on the pitch set to follow.

“A big thank you to all our hosts. We can’t wait to visit your countries and see the world’s best players compete in these fantastic venues and a huge congratulations to all the teams that have qualified. The stage is now set and we look forward to many memorable moments ahead across October and November.”