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This article was published 1/2/2016 (1690 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TORONTO - Canada stands fifth in World Rugby's inaugural women's world rankings.

New Zealand tops the list, followed by France, England and Ireland. The U.S. is No. 6, ahead of Australia, Italy, Spain and Wales.

The women's rankings, released Monday, confirm that New Zealand rules rugby. The All Blacks top the men's table, with Canada 19th.

World Rugby chairman Bernard Lapasset called the introduction of the women's rankings "another significant milestone."

"After the success of Women's Rugby World Cup in 2014 and the excitement building up to the next edition in 2017 in Ireland, it's vital for international teams to have a rankings focus that will drive exposure and interest as well as increasing the competition schedule, as it encourages member unions to play more test matches," he said in a statement.

New Zealand's women, known as the Black Ferns, won the Women's World Cup in 1998, 2002 2006 and in 2010. They finished fifth in 2014 when England defeated Canada in the final.

The governing body of rugby says the rankings are the product of analysing every result from the first official women's international matches dating back to 1987 and are based on the same criteria as the men's rankings.

Canadian coach Francois Ratier said Canada's fifth place in the ratings was likely due to the fact that his team has traditionally played fewer games than France and England.

"It's another motivation for all of us," he said in an email.