One year after the scheduled date, the elite of women's world rugby will be able to explain themselves.
Postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Women's Rugby World Cup (October 8-November 12) opens on the night of Friday to Saturday (3:15 a.m.) in New Zealand with the meeting of the XV of France against South Africa.
A month of competition in Oceania, where Les Bleues are among the favorites of the event.
Here's everything you need to know.
An unprecedented formula with quarter-finals
This year, we are adding a round.
World Rugby wanted to innovate with a new formula for its World Cup.
Until now, the teams that came out of the pools went directly to the semi-finals to compete for the planetary title.
The 2022 edition of the World Cup will include quarter-finals, without changing the volume of selections present, twelve in number divided into three groups.
In concrete terms, eight teams will qualify for the final phase, i.e. two thirds of the participants.
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The first and the second of each group spin in quarters, just like the two best third.
The table is then drawn up according to a ranking from one to eight, depending on the performance in the pool.
The first plays the eighth, the second the seventh, etc.
This greatly limits the chances of the favorites being eliminated from the outset, just as it will encourage the different formations to take care of their point-average in order to then obtain a more favorable scoreboard.
The duration of the competition increases from 23 to 35 days to digest this new calendar, but also to grant longer rest periods.
The group stage, where the XV of France rubs shoulders with South Africa, England and then Fiji is played from October 8 to 23.
The quarter-finals will take place on October 29 and 30, the semi-finals on November 5.
The final, as well as the match for third place, are scheduled for November 12 at the mythical Eden Park in Auckland.
England big favorite, Les Bleues and New Zealand in ambush
What to expect from Les Bleues in this World Cup?
The French women are among the best nations in the world, made solid arguments during the 2021 autumn tour and intend to break the glass ceiling of the semi-finals, a step never taken by the XV of France.
“The French women's team has never been world champion, that's what motivates us every day.
We've been working very hard for it for five years,” says the experienced Safi N'Diaye.
But the tricolor of captain Gaëlle Hermet experienced internal changes in the wake of the last Six Nations Tournament, lost during the final meeting against the English, major favorites of this world.
Read alsoAt the World Cup, the Blues face the inaccessible star
The British, crowned in 2014 and finalists of the last edition, have been undefeated since July 2019 and remain on 25 wins in a row, a record in rugby for all sexes combined.
Behind Emily Scarratt and hers, there are the Blue ones, but also New Zealand.
Reigning world champions and crowned in five of the last six editions, the Black Ferns have lost their luster but have the advantage of playing at home and relying on elements like Portia Woodman, voted best player in the world in 2017.
TF 1, sole broadcaster of the competition in France
The TF 1 group has acquired the rights to broadcast the Women's World Cup as well as in its male version, disputed in a year in France.
But the significant time difference (11 hours between France and New Zealand), will limit live monitoring of the competition in France.
The One will still broadcast the 14 most beautiful posters of the competition, including all the matches of the XV of France.
All the meetings of the poule des Bleues, with the exception of England-Fiji, will also be visible on the first channel, as will those between New Zealand and Australia as well as between Wales and Scotland.
The other confrontations will be broadcast online on the MyTF1 site.
The matches of the XV of France and the posters will be commented on by the journalist François Trillo and a consultant, the ex-international Laura Di Muzio.
A magazine, presented on set by Thomas Mekhiche, will also be broadcast on the day of the France meetings to review their performances.
It will be scheduled in the wake of the tricolor meetings with the exception of this Saturday, where the debrief is scheduled after the last match of the day, Australia-New Zealand (8:15 a.m.).