World Rugby has published the permutations for the women’s rankings this week in its preview.

World Rugby has published the ranking permutations for the latest matches in the Guinness Women’s Six Nations 2025, Rugby Europe Women’s Championship 2025 and the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup Division 1 2025 this weekend.

Permutation highlights:

• England are again unable to improve their rating with victory over Ireland given the 18.58 points difference between the teams before home weighting is factored in.
• The Red Roses currently sit 8.25 rating points clear of Canada in second and even a loss by more than 15 points would only cost them three rating points.
• France will remain fourth whatever happens in their match with Wales in Brive La Gaillarde on Saturday as victory does not come with any reward due to the 13.40 rating points between the sides and in defeat they cannot be caught by a victorious Ireland.
• Ireland are bidding to end England’s 31-match winning run in the Guinness Women’s Six Nations and victory will reduce their deficit to France above by a minimum of two points.
• In fact, if Les Bleues also suffer a shock loss at home to Wales, the deficit between fourth and fifth could shrink by six points to only 0.73 points if the winning margin is more than 15 points in both games.
• Scotland can only gain a maximum of 0.47 points for beating Italy at home, which isn’t enough for them to catch Australia above them in sixth.
• This means that Wales and Italy are the only Women’s Six Nations teams with the ability to climb the rankings this weekend.
• Both teams will go above the eighth-ranked USA if they win on the road, while Italy will also go above Scotland if they beat them by more than 15 points.
• The best Wales can hope for is eighth place, although they may need to beat France by more than 15 points to accomplish this if Italy also upset Scotland in Edinburgh.
• There are also four other matches which can impact the rankings this weekend, two of them in the Rugby Europe Women’s Championship and two in the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup Division 1.
• Sweden, like their male counterparts, are currently at an all-time high in the rankings, but they cannot improve on 20th this weekend even with a convincing win over Portugal.
• However, a win for Portugal will lift them one or two places, depending on the margin.
• Spain’s reward for victory over the Netherlands – beyond securing an eighth consecutive Rugby Europe Women’s Championship title – is minimal in rankings terms with a maximum gain of 0.26 rating points.
• A draw will be enough to lift the Dutch above Samoa, while a win by more than 15 points would see them replace Spain in 13th place to equal their highest ever position.
• Tunisia can also match their own high of 29th if they beat Uganda by more than 15 points on the opening day of the round-robin format Rugby Africa Women’s Cup Division 1 competition on Friday.
• Uganda will fall two places with such a defeat, but victory could be worth as many as five places to the Lady Cranes – one by more than 15 points seeing them become the higher-ranked of the two nations.
• The Ivory Coast can gain at least one place if they beat Zimbabwe, but defeat will see their opponents climb above them in the rankings and return to the top 50.

VIEW WORLD RUGBY WOMEN’S RANKINGS >>

Match officials:

• Holly Wood (England) will make her Women’s Six Nations debut in the middle with France v Wales in Brive La Gaillarde. It will be the first time she referees either team. 
• Aurélie Groizeleau (France) takes charge of Ireland v England for the second time, having been in the middle for the Red Roses’ 88-10 victory at Twickenham last year.
• Aimee Barrett-Theron (South Africa) edges ahead of Sara Cox as the most-capped female referee in test rugby with Scotland v Italy her 43rd match in the middle. 
• Cara Senneka (Germany) will make her test debut with Sweden v Portugal in the Rugby Europe Women’s Championship.
• Doriane Domenjo (France) referees Spain versus the Netherlands for the second time, having overseen Las Leonas’ 69-0 victory in the 2022 edition of the Rugby Europe Women’s Championship.
• Bineta Sene (Senegal) takes charge of Uganda v Tunisia for the third time, having overseen the latter’s two-test series win in November 2023.
• Mercy Dudi (Kenya) will make her test debut with Zimbabwe v Ivory Coast in the other Rugby Africa Women’s Cup Division 1 2025 encounter on Friday. 

Source: World Rugby