Rules of the tournament
Pool Phase (Rounds 1, 2 and 3)
The 12 teams competing in the Women's Rugby World Cup
2010 have been seeded into three pools of four teams.
Match Points System
Teams will play each other in each pool and on a round robin
basis and match points will be awarded on the following basis:
- 4 points for a win
- 2 points for a draw
- 1 point for scoring 4 or more tries
- 1 point for losing by 7 or less than 7 points
- 0 points for a loss
Points will be awarded at the completion of each pool match
and no extra time shall be played.
Ranking at the conclusion of the pool phase
Ranking within pools
At the conclusion of the pool phase, the teams in a pool are
ranked one through four based on their cumulative match points, and
identified respectively as winner, runner up, third and fourth.
If, at the completion of the pool phase, two or more teams
are level on match points, then the following criteria shall be
used in the following order until one of the teams can be
determined as the higher ranked:
(i) the winner of the match in which the two tied teams have
played each other shall be the higher ranked;
(ii) the team which has the best difference between points
scored for and points scored against in all its pool matches shall
be the higher ranked;
(iii) the team which has the best difference between tries
scored for and tries scored against in all its pool matches shall
be the higher ranked;
(iv) the team which has scored most points in all its pool
matches shall be the higher ranked;
(v) the team which has scored most tries in all its pool
matches shall be the higher ranked; and
(vi) if none of the above produce a result, then it will be
resolved with a toss of a coin.
Seeding for Round 4
At the end of the Pool phase, the teams will be seeded based
on the position in which they finished in their respective Pools.
1st Seed Pool winner with most competition points
2nd Seed Pool winner with 2nd most competition points
3rd Seed Pool winner with 3rd most competition points
4th Seed Pool second place with most competition points
5th Seed Pool second place with 2nd most competition points
6th Seed Pool second place with 3rd most competition points
7th Seed Pool third place with most competition points
8th Seed Pool third place with 2nd most competition points
9th Seed Pool third place with 3rd most competition points
10th Seed Pool fourth place with most competition points
11th Seed Pool fourth place with 2nd most competition points
12th Seed Pool fourth place with 3rd most competition points
If two or more teams are level on competition points, then
the same criteria as that used to determine the ranking within
pools will be used (excluding criteria (i)) - see above (ii) to
(vi).
Based on the seedings the allocation of 4th round matches
will be as follows:
MATCH DAY 4: WEDNESDAY, 1 SEPTEMBER
For Rankings 9 - 12
19. 10th Seed v 11th Seed Surrey 1
20. 9th Seed v 12th Seed Surrey 2
For Rankings 5 - 8
21. 6th Seed v 7th Seed Surrey 1
22. 5th Seed v 8th Seed Surrey 2
Semi Finals
23. 2nd Seed v 3rd Seed Stoop
24. 1st Seed v 4th Seed Stoop
Finals (Rounds 4 and 5)
For the Finals, if teams are tied at full time, then the
winner shall be determined through the following sequential
criteria;
(i) Sudden Death / Extra Time - following an interval of 5
minutes, extra time of 10 minutes each way (with an interval of 5
minutes) shall be played. During the extra time periods, the first
team to score any points (a try, a successful penalty kick or a
drop goal) shall be declared the winner.
(ii) Kicking competition - if, after the extra time periods,
no winner can be declared, a kicking competition will be organised
between the two teams. The winner of that competition shall be
declared the winner of the Match.
The kicking competition shall take place as follows:
(i) All players and Match Officials will remain on the
playing enclosure. The referee will call the captains of the two
teams to the centre of the pitch and will conduct a coin toss. The
winner of the coin toss then may either choose which team kicks
first (in which case the loser chooses the end at which all kicks
will be taken) or choose the end at which all kicks will be taken
(in which case the loser chooses which team kicks first).
(ii) Each team captain must nominate 5 players to participate
in the kicking competition and inform the referee of the selected
players. Only the 5 players nominated by the captains and present
on the playing enclosure at the time of the completion of the extra
time may take part in the kicking competition. No injured,
substituted or dismissed player may take part at any time. The
order in which the players kick does not have to be pre-determined.
(iii) The match officials and team members will assemble on
the halfway line. Team members must remain behind the halfway line
in the side of the playing area not used for the kicking
competition. No one except the referee, two referee assistants and
two ball boys is allowed in the part of the playing area being used
for the competition.
(iv) The five players from each team will place kick from
three different points, all on the 22 metre line, as follows:
- First point: directly in front of the posts
- Second point: on the 15 metre line on the left hand side facing the posts
- Third point: on the 15 metre line on the right hand side facing the posts
(v) The referee will start the competition by calling the first
player selected from the team kicking first to the first kicking
point. Once the player has taken the kick, the referee calls a
player from the opposing team to kick from the same point.
(vi) The next two players (one from each team) will kick from
the second point in turn. This will continue until all five players
from each team have kicked (the next players kicking respectively
from the third point, first area and finally the second point), or
until one team is unable to equal the score of the other team
within the remaining number of kicks.
(vii) If there are an equal number of successful kicks once
each team has completed its five kicks, the competition continues
on a "sudden death" basis, following the same order of
kickers used in the first five kicks.
(viii) The competition will continue two kicks at a time (one
from each side), going progressively through the three kicking
areas stated above (and repeating the process if necessary) until
one player succeeds with a kick and the player from the other side
taking the same kick misses it. Once this occurs, the team of the
player who succeeded with the kick will be declared the winner.
Each of these additional kicks shall be taken by the same 5 players
in rotation.
Throughout the kicking competition:
(i) Once a Player has been handed the ball by the referee on
the kicking point, she must take the kick within one minute. Should
she take longer, the referee shall declare the kick void and
therefore a miss.
(ii) After each kick, the referee records the number of the
player and whether or not the attempt was successful. The match
commissioner will record the same details on the official match
report.
(iii) Once a player has completed her kick, she shall return
to stand with her team behind the halfway line in the side of the
playing area not used.
