September 2025 Rugby Round-Up

The Rugbystore round-up of the big news stories from the world of rugby over September.

1. Red Roses win it all on home soil

With countless highlights and stunning performances, the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup concluded with the Red Roses claiming the title in a 33–13 win over a spirited Canada.

The Canadian women had already shocked the tournament with their semi-final victory over the Black Ferns, but the strength of England proved too much as the pre-tournament favourites lifted the trophy in front of nearly 82,000 fans on home soil. The win also extended England’s unbeaten run to 33 matches.

2. More teams Qualify for the 2027 Rugby World Cup

The end of September saw more teams qualify for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia, with the line-up for the expanded tournament now almost complete.

Canada, Tonga, and the USA all secured qualification through their placement in this year’s Pacific Nations Cup, while Samoa dropped into the Pacific/Sudamérica qualifying play-off.

In South America, Uruguay edged out Chile to claim their usual place in the tournament, with Chile forced into the play-off alongside Samoa. After a 32–32 draw in the first leg in Salt Lake City, the tie came down to 80 minutes in front of a packed Estadio Sausalito in Viña del Mar. Chile ran out 31–12 winners, sealing back-to-back World Cup appearances.

Samoa will now get one last chance to make it to Australia, facing the Final Qualification Tournament in November. There, they will take on Belgium, Namibia, and either Brazil or Paraguay for the final spot at Rugby World Cup 2027.

3.Ma’a Nonu continues to break Top 14 records

You may be forgiven if you didn’t know that two-time World Cup winner Ma’a Nonu was still playing club rugby—but after a stint in the USA, the legendary All Blacks centre has been an asset for Toulon since re-joining earlier this year.

Upon his return, the 43-year-old broke the record as the oldest player to appear in a Top 14 match. He continues to extend that milestone with every game he plays this season. At the end of the month, Nonu added yet another achievement, scoring against Bayonne to reclaim his record as the oldest try-scorer in the league’s history. With the previous record only set at the end of last season, it’s fair to say this may not be the last time the rugby legend raises the bar.

August Competition Round-Up

Rugby Championship

This year’s Rugby Championship is going down to the wire, with three teams still able to claim the title.

Despite some stunning wins over New Zealand and Australia, Argentina are out of contention, sitting six points behind South Africa.

While it is still mathematically possible for the Wallabies to win, they would need a bonus-point victory combined with a significant points swing to leap to the top of the table.

For the other two sides, the path is more straightforward. The Springboks need only to beat Los Pumas in London with a bonus point to secure back-to-back titles; with their superior points difference, a win alone may suffice. The All Blacks could claim the championship, but they would need a bonus-point victory by a large margin—unless the Springboks lose, in which case a win over the Wallabies would be enough.

Women’s Rugby World Cup

As previously mentioned, the Red Roses may have lifted the World Cup, but the focus wasn’t solely on the winners. Runners-up Canada received widespread plaudits for their performances throughout the tournament. Despite the gulf in resources between them and the traditional powerhouses of the women’s game, Les Rouges shocked the world by reaching the final and pushing England for the full 80 minutes.

Elsewhere, the Black Ferns secured the bronze medal with victory over France in the third-place play-off.

All in all, this edition of the Women’s Rugby World Cup was a huge success, with record levels of engagement across the tournament.

Pacific Nations Cup

Fiji made it back-to-back Pacific Nations Cup titles after defeating Japan 33–27 in the final for the second year in a row.

Following two rounds of group games, Fiji, Tonga, Japan, and Canada all progressed to the semi-finals, with Japan overcoming Tonga and Fiji dispatching Canada to set up the final in the USA.

For the Fijians, the win marks their seventh Pacific Nations Cup title since the competition’s inception in 2006.

Club Rugby

The 25/26 pro club season is underway, with the biggest leagues kicking off throughout September.

The Top 14 was the first league back in action, with France’s biggest clubs clashing over 26 games and play-offs to be crowned champions of France. After four games, the biggest surprise has been the resurgence of Racing 92, who currently sit fourth despite struggles last season.

The United Rugby Championship and Gallagher Premiership both kicked off at the end of the month, and even after just one round of games, there have already been notable results in both leagues.

In England, the Northampton Saints and Exeter Chiefs played one of the most thrilling draws you’ll see, with the Chiefs coming back to draw 33–33. Last season’s runners-up, the Leicester Tigers, suffered a huge shock, losing by 18 points to the Bristol Bears.

The URC got off to a shocking start as defending champions Leinster lost 35–0 in South Africa to the DHL Stormers. The result marked only the second time the Irish giants had failed to score in a league fixture, with the previous occasion occurring all the way back in 2008.

That’s it! That’s our quick round-up for September 2025. Be sure to checkout the rest of the Rugbystore Blog for news, reviews, training tips and much more.