Oceania Rugby Women’s Championship

2016

Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Samoa. With their long history of World Cup participation, the latter seemed to be favourites to become the region’s entry. However, in a surprise move, Oceania Rugby then refused Samoa’s entry on the same grounds as World Rugby had barred Kenya and Uganda – the lack of a robust domestic women’s fifteens rugby tournament (almost all of Samoa’s squads in past years have come from players living and playing in New Zealand and Australia).