1998 Women's Rugby World Cup

The 1998 Women's Rugby World Cup was the first world cup fully sanctioned by the International Rugby Board (IRB) and the third Women's Rugby World Cup in history. The tournament took place in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands and was the first women's world cup held outside of the United Kingdom.

1998 Women's Rugby World Cup

Tournament details
Host nation	Netherlands
Dates	1 – 16 May 1998
No. of nations	16
Final positions
Champions	New Zealand (1st title)
Runner-up	United States
Tournament statistics
Matches played	40
Tries scored	283 (average 7.08 per match)
Top scorer(s)	Annaleah Rush (68)[note 1]
Most tries	Minke Docter (9)
Points scored	1,894 (average 47.35 per match)
← 1994 2002 →

The tournament saw a record 16 teams compete and heightened media attention. There was no qualification process, teams taking part by invitation from the IRB. New Zealand defeated the United States 44–12 in the final.

Several matches in the tournament were filmed for television and a one-hour TV highlights programme was produced by IMG. These recordings are held as part of the IRB's World Cup Archive.^[1]

Squads

Main article: 1998 Women's Rugby World Cup squads

Pool stages

Pool A

Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Ladder
England	2	2	0	0	147	6	+141	2nd
Canada	2	1	0	1	22	79	−57	8th
Netherlands	2	1	0	1	51	16	+35	10th
Sweden	2	0	0	2	0	119	−119	15th

Source: ^{[citation needed]}

1 May 1998

Netherlands	7–16	Canada

Amsterdam

2 May 1998

England	75–0	Sweden

Amsterdam

5 May 1998

Canada	6–72	England

Amsterdam

5 May 1998

Netherlands	44–0	Sweden

Amsterdam

Pool B

Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Ladder
United States	2	2	0	0	122	16	+106	3rd
Spain	2	1	0	1	44	56	−12	6th
Wales	2	1	0	1	101	35	+66	9th
Russia	2	0	0	2	7	167	−160	16th

Source: ^{[citation needed]}

2 May 1998

Spain	28–18	Wales

Amsterdam

2 May 1998

Russia	0–84	United States

Amsterdam

5 May 1998

Spain	16–38	United States

Amsterdam

5 May 1998

Russia	7–83	Wales

Amsterdam

Pool C

Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Ladder
New Zealand	2	2	0	0	210	6	+204	1st
Scotland	2	1	0	1	37	84	−47	7th
Italy	2	1	0	1	42	42	0	11th
Germany	2	0	0	2	11	168	−157	14th

Source: ^{[citation needed]}

2 May 1998

Germany	6–134	New Zealand

Amsterdam

2 May 1998

Italy	8–37	Scotland

Amsterdam

5 May 1998

New Zealand	76–0	Scotland

Amsterdam

5 May 1998

Germany	5–34	Italy

Amsterdam

Pool D

Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Ladder
France	2	2	0	0	33	14	+19	4th
Australia	2	1	0	1	29	10	+19	5th
Kazakhstan	2	1	0	1	18	29	−11	12th
Ireland	2	0	0	2	6	33	−27	13th

Source: ^{[citation needed]}

2 May 1998

France	23–6	Kazakhstan

Amsterdam

2 May 1998

Australia	21–0	Ireland

Amsterdam

5 May 1998

Australia	8–10	France

Amsterdam

5 May 1998

Ireland	6–12	Kazakhstan

Amsterdam

Bowl

	Quarter-finals				Semi-finals				Final
	9 May – Amsterdam
	Netherlands	18
					12 May – Amsterdam
	Ireland	21
					Ireland	20
	9 May – Amsterdam
					Italy	5
	Italy	51
									15 May – Amsterdam
	Russia	7
									Ireland	10
	9 May – Amsterdam
									Kazakhstan	26
	Kazakhstan	47
					12 May – Amsterdam
	Sweden	5
					Kazakhstan	18
	9 May – Amsterdam
					Wales	13			Third place
	Wales	55
									15 May – Amsterdam
	Germany	12
									Italy	10
									Wales	12

Quarter-finals

9 May 1998

Netherlands	18–21	Ireland

Amsterdam

9 May 1998

Germany	12–55	Wales

Amsterdam

9 May 1998

Kazakhstan	47–5	Sweden

Amsterdam

9 May 1998

Italy	51–7	Russia

Amsterdam

Semi-finals

12 May 1998

Ireland	20–5	Italy

Amsterdam

12 May 1998

Kazakhstan	18–13	Wales

Amsterdam

11th/12th place

15 May 1998

Italy	10–12	Wales

Amsterdam

Final (9th place)

15 May 1998

Ireland	10–26	Kazakhstan

Amsterdam

Shield

	Semi-finals				Final
	12 May – Amsterdam
	Netherlands	61
					15 May – Amsterdam
	Russia	0
					Netherlands	67
	12 May – Amsterdam
					Germany	3
	Sweden	18
	Germany	20
					Third place
					15 May – Amsterdam
					Russia	3
					Sweden	23

Semi-finals

12 May 1998

Netherlands	61–0	Russia

Amsterdam

12 May 1998

Germany	20–18	Sweden

Amsterdam

15th/16th place

15 May 1998

Russia	3–23	Sweden

Amsterdam

Final (13th place)

15 May 1998

Netherlands	67–3	Germany

Amsterdam

Cup

	Quarter-finals				Semi-finals				Final
	9 May – Amsterdam
	England	30
					12 May – Amsterdam
	Australia	13
					England	11
	9 May – Amsterdam
					New Zealand	44
	New Zealand	46
									15 May – Amsterdam
	Spain	3
									New Zealand	44
	9 May – Amsterdam
									United States	12
	France	7
					12 May – Amsterdam
	Canada	9
					Canada	6
	9 May – Amsterdam
					United States	46			Third place
	United States	25
									15 May – Amsterdam
	Scotland	10
									England	31
									Canada	15

Quarter-finals

9 May 1998

Australia	13–30	England

Amsterdam

9 May 1998

Scotland	10–25	United States

Amsterdam

9 May 1998

Canada	9–7	France

Amsterdam

9 May 1998

New Zealand	46–3	Spain

Amsterdam

Semi-finals

12 May 1998

England	11–44	New Zealand

Amsterdam

12 May 1998

Canada	6–46	United States

Amsterdam

3rd/4th place

16 May 1998

Canada	15–31	England

Amsterdam

Final

Main article: 1998 Women's Rugby World Cup Final

16 May 1998

New Zealand	44–12	United States

Amsterdam

Plate

	Semi-finals				Final
	12 May – Amsterdam
	Australia	17
					15 May – Amsterdam
	Spain	15
					Australia	25
	12 May – Amsterdam
					Scotland	15
	France	7
	Scotland	27
					Third place
					15 May – Amsterdam
					Spain	22
					France	9

Semi-finals

12 May 1998

Australia	17–15	Spain

Amsterdam

12 May 1998

France	7–27	Scotland

Amsterdam

7th/8th place

16 May 1998

France	9–22	Spain

Amsterdam

Final (5th place)

16 May 1998

Australia	25–15	Scotland

Amsterdam

1998 Women's Rugby World Cup winners
New Zealand First title

1998 Top scorers

Pos.	Name	Team	Tries	Conv	Pen	Points
1	Annaleah Rush	New Zealand	5	21	2	73
2	Anne-Mieke v Waveren	the Netherlands	6	13	3	65
3	Jos Bergman	USA	3	8	8	55
4	Tracey Comley	Wales	4	15	1	53
5	Tammi Wilson	New Zealand	7	8	0	51
6	Minke Docter	the Netherlands	9	0	0	45
7	Nicky Brown	England	8	0	0	40
8	Realtine Shrieves	Ireland	0	2	11	38
9	Louisa Wall	New Zealand	7	0	0	35
9	Vanessa Cootes	New Zealand	7	0	0	35
11	Alfiya Tamayeva	Kazakhstan	1	11	2	33

Notes

1. There is conflicting data from World Rugby and the tournament website which posted the results over the points scored by Annaleah Rush, likely over whether a try was granted to her, or given as a penalty try. This infobox defaults to the record given by the World Rugby scores.

Sources

• Rugby World Cup Women’s Stats Archive^[2]

• Women's Rugby Data ^[3]

See also

• Women's Rugby World Cup
• Rugby World Cup Sevens
• Rugby World Cup