As rugby’s fiercest rivals geared up for a showdown in France to compete for the sport’s ultimate prize, World Rugby’s groundbreaking initiative for women’s rugby was approaching its pinnacle in the vibrant city of Dubai. 
The international governing body of rugby has undertaken a major revamp of the global women’s competition framework in preparation for the expanded 2025 Women’s World Cup. They’ve introduced a fresh annual three-tier competition structure aimed at elevating the overall standards of women’s rugby.
Known as WXV, this innovative system is composed of three divisions, each featuring six teams that are further divided into two pools. Recently, the spotlight was on the third-tier tournament hosted in Dubai.
In a thrilling final showdown on Pitch 2 at The Sevens, Ireland etched their name in the history books as they emerged victorious in WXV3. Overcoming a daunting 10-0 deficit, Ireland managed a spectacular comeback to defeat Spain 15-13, with Grace Moore and Neve Jones delivering the crucial tries that secured their triumph.
Meanwhile, in another corner of the Sevens precinct, the Dubai Tigers continued their remarkable run in the fresh domestic season by maintaining a flawless record. They outplayed the Dubai Hurricanes with a dominant 35-20 performance, earning a valuable bonus point. This victory marked their third consecutive win of the campaign, keeping them neck and neck with Bahrain, who secured a convincing 31-12 win against the Jebel Ali Dragons, at the summit of the West Asia Premiership standings.