And just like that the 2026 WXV Global Series has concluded. It has certainly been dramatic. From last-gasp victories to teams finding form, there has been a little bit of something for everyone.

At the centre of it all has been some brilliant international rugby. There may have not been an official ‘winner’ of WXV Global Series, but we have seen some rugby programmes come to the fore and others leave some questions to be answered.

We’ve had a look through all WXV Global Series results. Here are the most satisfied and least satisfied teams after WXV Global Series 2026.

Most satisfied

Canada

Well, isn’t it obvious? Giant-slayers, David versus Goliath, those upstart Canadians and their tenacious rugby ways.

Canada women have emerged victorious and vindicated. They ended Englands 41-game unbeaten streak, taking some redemption for their Women’s Rugby World Cup final loss a year ago. After a frenetic draw in Exeter 26-26, opinion was divided whether Canada could get over the hump of beating the world champions. But wins in Toronto 24-21 and Ottawa 31-22 put doubters to bed and Canada took the three match Test series.

Not only that, but in the process they managed to break the North American domestic record, 18,621, a glorious return of rugby to Toronto, and front-tow DaLeaka Menin was worthily named in the World Rugby Women’s 15s Dream Team of the Year 2026 alongside Olivia Apps and Sophie de Goede.

USA Women’s Eagles

Five wins from five going into the final weekend against England, the longest consecutive number of wins for the USA Women’s Eagles in 20 years. On top of this, a nomination for World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year for 19-year-old Bella Vogel, the first USA player nominated in the programme’s history.

This tournament has been a huge building block for the Eagles. Jack Hanratty’s tenure has taken the team with promise and turned them into a team of performance.

His huge investment in the USA player pathway over the summer, with Under-20s, Under-23s, and development tours is getting players up to code, fast. That is exactly how you want to start your next Women’s Rugby World Cup cycle, with young players playing confidently.

The USA will be the team to watch next Pacific Four Series.

Wales

Wales went into the WXV Global Series pretty bleakly. Another Guinness Women’s Six Nations without a win. Fans and critics alike pressing why Sean Lynn’s Gloucester Hartpury success in Premiership Women’s Rugby wasn’t seemingly translating into the Wales set up, with Lynn sternly pressing that like Gloucester Hartpury’s success, it would take time. All promise centred on their Barbarians win 34-17 in June.

And at WXV Global Series 2026, they delivered. Eyebrows of curiosity were raised when they beat a heavily favourited South Africa 50-19 at Cardiff Arms Park. Their loss to an in-form USA Women’s was marginal at 26-24, and clearly a good match, before taking the two match series against Japan 17-0 and 29-5 away from home and without much trouble.

With no more internationals until the Guinness Women’s Six Nations next Spring, it will be Wales’ best opportunity in years. They should be eyeing up Scotland, Italy and even Ireland. But credit where credit is due, they got some wins on the board and Welsh fans must be happy.

Netherlands

Now I absolutely don’t want to overlook the fact that WXV Global Series Challenger winners, Fiji, won their first title this tournament. But, I love an underdog story and the Netherlands are exactly that.

They entered WXV Global Series Challenger as the second lowest ranked team, at 17th. They then opened the tournament beating Samoa [ranked 15th] 70-0 in Hong Kong, followed by Brazil [25th] 17-15. They narrowly lost to Fiji 20-17, though Fiji ranked five places higher than them at 12th.

Kika Mulling also bagged top try scorer of the tournament, with five tries in the campaign. While Spain have always been the best candidate for an expanded Women’s Six Nations, and the Netherlands didn’t play Spain in Hong Kong, but lost to them in the 2026 Rugby Europe Women’s Championship earlier in the year, they are ones to watch and will surely be celebrating second place this year.

Least satisfied

England

England were the team to beat going into WXV Global Series, and they were felled. Though how they lost seems the more important question. Player rotation covering maternity leave, still reeling from a second row injury crisis during the Women’s Six Nations and star players out of form, compounding issues bubbling under the surface had England looking uncomfortable.

After the second loss to Canada, John Mitchell critiqued the dwindling opportunities for English qualified players in Premiership Women’s Rugby, that young players simply weren’t getting the game time at home in order to progress and breakthrough into the England squad.

That being said, debutant Bryony Field had a brilliant tournament, littered with caps and tries, whilst Exeter’s Flo Robinson offered another young dynamic brand at scrum-half.

And they really haven’t lost much, they are still ranked first in the world. But this tournament is an invitation to evolve. Whether the Red Roses take that is up to them.

South Africa

Finally South Africa were my team to watch this tournament, and were primed for arguably the biggest WXV Global Series of their careers. They looked great over the summer, with a win against the USA, then two against Fiji in Fiji, even posting a respectable 20 points against the Black Ferns in September.

But before the series head coach Swys de Bruin abruptly left, and though the resilience of the coaching team is admirable, the knock on effect in performance was evident.

The 50-19 loss against Wales was a stuttering start, and though they picked up a wins against Italy 29-41, and Spain 0-20, they fell apart against Ireland twice at home, losing 40-27 and 38-17.

It’s a shame to see a team that had so much momentum building, like with their call to arms with the #BackHer campaign. It could have been a real turning point for the Springbok Women on the international stage, but it seems they will have to wait for that moment still.