IRB shows it's duplicity when in a move similar to the one where South Africa participated in the 2006 XVs World Cup in Canada, IRB has picked South Africa to represent Africa at the 2010 XVs World Cup in England. No qualifying tournaments in Africa, North America or South America! After going on about how they are keen to expand and strengthen the women's game and will support the lesser rugby nations it goes ahead to organise an exclusive members only competition where only the major rugby unions (with a concession of one slot for Asia) get to play each other and have the cheek to label it a world cup! All countries deserve a chance to compete for a place in the World Cup but only when they (IRB) have their interests to be served (i.e. impressing IOC).
New Zealand, England and France qualify automatically as they finished in the top 3 (in that order) in the 2006 world cup.
Europe (4 slots): Wales and Ireland have qualified as they finished in the top 4 during the 2009 women's 6 nations competition while Italy and Scotland will play off for the remaining 2 places with Spain, Netherlands, Russia, Sweden, Germany and Belgium next month in Sweden. Romania, Finland, Luxembourg, Norway and Serbia are all denied a chance to take part in the qualifiers.
Oceania (1 slot): Samoa and Australia will play home and away with the aggregate score determining who qualifies. Fiji and Tonga are left out of the qualifying process.
Asia (1 slot): The qualifying tournament with Japan, Kazakhstan, Hong Kong, China, Thailand, and Singapore and possibly other teams will be held in October or November 2009 .
Africa: South Africa goes through directly. Uganda, Tunisia, Kenya, Zambia and Zimbabwe are all denied a chance to compete for a place in the world cup. Although Rwanda and Burundi have active women's 15 aside teams their unions are not IRB affiliates so they would have missed out anyway.
North America: USA and Canada go through directly. Trinidad, Jamaica, Barbados, Guyana, Cayman Islands, and Bermuda are all denied a chance to compete for a place in the world cup.
South America (0 slots): No teams. Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay and others denied a chance to represent South America at a XVs world cup.
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