2021 Rugby World Cup qualifying
The qualification process for the 2021 Rugby World Cup began on 9 August 2019 with 12 teams qualifying to the tournament which will be held in New Zealand.
Qualification process
Following the previous World Cup, six teams received an automatic qualification berth - these berths being given to the top 7 teams. The remaining five berths for the tournament will be awarded through regional tournaments.The non-automatic qualification process began on 9 August 2019.
Regional qualification
Twelve nations participating in the 2021 Rugby World Cup. Seven teams have automatically qualified by virtue of their performance at the previous tournament, leaving five teams to qualify through regional matches.| Region | Automatic qualifiers | Teams in qualifying process | Qualifying places | Qualified teams | World Cup pools |
| Africa | 0 | 4 | 1 | ||
| Americas | 2 | 2 | 0 | | |
| Asia | 0 | 8 | 1 | ||
| Europe | 3 | 6 | 1 | | |
| Oceania | 2 | 4 | 1 | | |
| Repechage | 0 | 4 | 1 | ||
| TOTAL | 7 | 24 | 5 | - | - |
Qualification process
Africa
was granted one spot which was awarded to the winner of the Rugby Africa Women's Cup. The runner-up would have to compete in a cross-regional repechage play-off against the South American winner. After six matches were played, it was South Africa that qualified by winning all three of their matches while Kenya competed in the South America/Africa play-off.Americas
was not granted a spot to the World Cup, but Sudamérica Rugby allowed the winner of a match between Colombia and Brazil to compete against the runner-up of the 2019 Rugby Africa Women's Cup for a place in the repechage tournament.Colombia moved on to the South America/Africa play-off against Kenya, who were runners-up of the 2019 Rugby Africa Women's Cup. The match was originally planned for 18 April, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Asia
was granted one spot to the highest ranked team in the 2020 Asia Rugby Women's Championship. Japan and Hong Kong, the two teams from the 2017 World Cup, are joined by the winner of the 2019 playoff for promotion to the tournament. The runner-up of the tournament will progress to the repechage.The winner of the 2019 Asia Division I Championship would progress to the playoff for promotion to the ARWC against Kazakhstan.
As winners, China would face Kazakhstan in two matches. The team with the highest aggregate score would qualify for the ARWC.
With an aggregate score of 13–23, Kazakhstan qualified for the ARWC.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament was rescheduled from 14–22 March to 8–16 May.
Europe
was granted one spot to the highest ranked team in a qualifying tournament consisting of Six Nations sides that hadn't already qualified automatically from the previous World Cup, and the winner of the 2020 Rugby Europe Women's Championship. As England, France and Wales had automatically qualified, the tournament will consist of Ireland, Italy and Scotland, along with winner of the European Championship consisting of the Netherlands, Russia and Spain. The runner-up of the tournament will progress to the repechage.Oceania
was granted one spot to the highest ranked team in the 2019 Oceania Rugby Women's Championship which was held in Fiji from November 18-30. Six teams competed in the competition with Australia and New Zealand each sending a development team to the tournament. The six teams were separated into two groups with New Zealand A joining Samoa and Tonga in Pool A while Australia A, Fiji and Papua New Guinea went into Pool B. A split pool format was used whereby each team was scheduled to play three matches, but only against teams in the opposite pool.Pool A
Pool B
Tonga withdrew from the competition shortly before their first game with Australia A due to the measles outbreak in Tonga. The match was declared a 0–0 draw.As New Zealand and Australia had already qualified for the World Cup, Samoa and Fiji met in the playoff match with the winner gaining qualification to the World Cup and the loser to play against the winner of a match between Tonga and Papua New Guinea to earn a place in the repechage tournament.
As a result, Fiji qualified for the World Cup, while Samoa awaited the winner of Tonga and Papua New Guinea.
Tonga Samoa to determine who to the repechage tournament.