1991 Women's Rugby World Cup
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The 1991 Women's Rugby World Cup was the first Women's Rugby World Cup. The tournament was not approved by the International Rugby Board (IRB), yet it still went ahead despite the disapproval of the sports governing body. France confirmed their participation only minutes before the draw was made on 26 February.[1] Representatives of the IRB, WRFU and RFU attended the final, but it was not until 2009 that the IRB officially endorsed the event as a "world cup" when it published, for the first time, a list of previous winners in a press release.
Cwpan Rygbi'r Byd 1991 i Ferched | |
---|---|
Tournament details | |
Host nation | Wales |
Dates | 6 April – 14 April 1991 |
No. of nations | 12 |
Final positions | |
Champions | United States (1st title) |
Runner-up | England |
Tournament statistics | |
Matches played | 15 |
1994 → |
The tournament was held in and around Cardiff, Wales.[1] Twelve teams competed for the trophy, divided into four pools of three teams each. Each team played three pool matches on 6 April, 8 April, and 10 April, and the semifinals were on 12 April and 14 April, respectively. This meant that the championship teams played five matches over nine days, with only one day rest between matches.
The tournament champions were the United States who defeated England 19–6 in the final at Cardiff Arms Park before almost 3,000 fans.[2] The teams that failed to qualify for the semi-finals took part in a "plate" tournament between the 11 and 13 April.