Springbok Women poised for historic ranking high
The Springbok Women stand to reach their highest-ever world ranking position this weekend — without taking the field — if results elsewhere fall their way.
South Africa currently sit tenth in the World Rugby Women's Rankings, but a Scotland victory over Italy in the Women's Six Nations would see the Azzurre drop below them, lifting the Springbok Women to ninth — a record high for the programme.
The wider weekend of action spans the Women's Six Nations, the Pacific Four Series and the Oceania Rugby Women's Championship, with several sides chasing historic milestones of their own.
Scotland can match their all-time high of fifth — a mark they last reached in October 2024 — if they beat Italy and Ireland lose to France. The USA, meanwhile, can climb to sixth with a win over Canada, provided Scotland also beat Italy. A US victory over Canada would be their first in that fixture since 2019.
At the top of the Pacific Four Series table, Canada can reclaim second place in the global rankings if they beat the USA and New Zealand suffer what would be a first-ever loss to Australia.
France face a different kind of pressure: a home defeat to Ireland by more than 15 points would see them surrender fourth place to the Irish.
In the Oceania Rugby Women's Championship, Fiji risk dropping to 14th if they fail to beat Samoa in the title decider in Ba, with Spain ready to move above them should that result go against Fiji.