James GordonThe England women’s rugby team have won the Rugby World Cup twice, in 1994 and in 2014.
England play their first match at the 2021 Rugby World Cup against debutant Fiji at Eden Park in New Zealand.
Wales will take on the final qualifier during the trial tournament, which takes place at the Northlands Events Centre.
England and Wales are in action on the opening day of the tournament, which begins on Saturday 18. September at 04:45 BST with the game.
The organizers of the tournament are hoping for a record number of participants in the games.
England coach Simon Middleton believes the opening match against Fiji will be a fantastic opportunity.
Wales will play the second match in Pool A on Thursday the 23rd. September at the Waitakere Stadium against host and defending champion New Zealand.
International rugby can’t get much better than this, said Wales’ new head coach Warren Abrahams.
Playing against New Zealand, reigning world champions and one of the most successful teams in the history of women’s football, on their home turf will be a very special moment for all our players.
Many of these have never been played in New Zealand, and playing them to large audiences in New Zealand may never happen again.
Wales will also take on Australia in Pool A.
Eden Park will be used all three days of the tournament, for a total of seven matches, including the final on Saturday 16. October.
The 44,000-seat stadium also hosted the 1987 and 2011 men’s rugby world cup finals.
New Zealand opens its title defence against southern hemisphere rivals Australia also at Eden Park.
England was assigned to pool C with Fiji, South Africa and France.
The Red Roses will face a pair of opponents in their second match on the 23rd. September in South Africa, then Les Bleus in the final match of the group stage.
We all know there is a wider vision outside of rugby and sport at the moment, but the World Cup is a huge opportunity, not just for the global rugby community, but for everyone to come together and celebrate a big event at a time when the world is in trouble, Mr Middleton added.
As New Zealand continues to have one of the lowest coronavirus rates in the world, details of travel and quarantine measures for squads and all travellers have not yet been announced.
This means that New Zealand’s quest to break tournament records will likely come largely at the expense of local fans.
The largest crowd for a Women’s Rugby Union match in Britain was the 2017 World Cup final at Kingspan Stadium in Belfast, followed by 17,115 fans.
The world’s biggest crowd is expected at the 2014 FIFA Women’s World Cup final at the Stade Jean Bouin in Paris, where 20,000 seats are sold out.
However, since France did not qualify for the final, there was never an official count of spectators, as many fans watched the host country’s third/fourth playoff game against Ireland, but did not stop to watch England beat Canada in the final.
Regardless of how New Zealand fills the seats, Abrahams said: We all want to play for the fans.
A large audience creates a different energy in the players and increases the level of performance.
World Rugby has not yet confirmed the date on which qualification for the tournament will be completed.
There are three places left in the tournament and 12 countries to fill them.
James Gordon
