Ireland's Historic Win Over Australia Boosts World Rugby Ranking

Scotland also climbs following victory over Fiji

Because of their impressive performance, Ireland gained 1.72 points, propelling them up two places to seventh in the rankings /

By Priscilla Jepchumba

The remarkable 36-10 victory of Ireland’s women's team over the powerhouse Australian team in Belfast last Saturday has sparked significant changes in the World Rugby Women’s Rankings. Multiple teams, including Scott Bemand's steadily improving Ireland team, have made strides in their positions to challenge the emerging dominant forces in the sport.

Because of their impressive performance, Ireland gained 1.72 points, propelling them up two places to seventh in the rankings. Conversely, Australia lost an identical amount of points, causing them to drop to sixth place.

With their updated rating of 76.28 points, Australia now sits half a point behind Scotland, which maintained its rating of 76.78 points after a 59-15 win in its first-ever encounter with Fiji. This achievement secured them fifth position, their highest since the rankings were introduced in February 2016.

The upward trajectory reflects the ongoing development of the Scotland team, which was ranked no higher than tenth in April 2023. Scotland has reached its highest position ever, coming in at 5th place. Back’s coach, Matt Banahan, highlighted the team's dedication to continuous improvement and their readiness to compete with the best.

Ireland’s victory over New Zealand marks their largest win against the team, surpassing their previous best of 24 points against Australia. This win is also their first victory in the fixture since a 19-17 win back in August 2017. Although Ireland remains 21 points behind their all-time high of fourth place, their current seventh position is their best since August 2022.

With Italy’s two-step rise in the rankings, they have overtaken the USA, placing the Women’s Eagles in eighth position. Italy is now positioned just behind them in ninth place despite scoring 0.09 points for a 24-8 win over Japan during the recent world-class event held in Piacenza.

Additionally, England’s women's team continues to hold the top spot in the World Rankings with a 7.58-point advantage following their 24-12 triumph over the New Zealand Black Ferns at the Allianz Stadium-Twickenham on Tuesday.

The next destination for the Asia 7s series is China.