USA Rugby will host the second edition of the Women's Rugby Super Series, featuring the USA Women's Eagles and the top three nations from Women's Rugby World Cup 2014, in Salt Lake City.

France replace last year’s winners New Zealand and they will be joined in Utah by 2015 runners-up England and Canada, who finished last in the inaugural round robin-style competition.

The four international teams will train at the University of Utah ahead of match days on 1, 5 and 9 July, with all matches to be played at the Regional Athletic Complex (RAC), an impressive multi-sport facility that was completed as recently as the summer of 2015.

"We are excited to bring international rugby back to Salt Lake at such a monumental time in the rugby calendar," USA Rugby director of operations Jennifer Gray said. "After a successful U20 Trophy, and with great partners and world-class facilities at the Regional Athletic Complex and University of Utah, Salt Lake City was a no-brainer to host four of the world's best women's national teams in the Super Series.

"We hope to see rugby fans from all over the country travel to Utah this summer to take in the breath-taking scenery and lovely community the state has to offer, as well as the top-level rugby scheduled to be on display."

Huge event

Utah has hosted several international test matches in the past, and welcomed eight national teams for the World Rugby U20 Trophy in 2012.

"This is a huge event for us – not just as a rugby community nationally, but locally – to really showcase our pride and our community's involvement and support of the national team and what we're trying to do," said Rugby Utah co-founder and former Eagle Kimball Kjar. "More importantly, we recognise the fact that this event, in terms of international women's rugby, is one of the biggest events this year, particularly going into World Cup preparations over the next period of months.”

The Super Series follows in the footsteps of the long-held Nations Cup competition, bringing four of the best women's national teams together for three high quality matches each.

The shortened Women’s Rugby World Cup cycle also places a higher importance on the competition, as the 2017 event in Dublin will kick off a short 13 months after the culmination of the Super Series.

Women's Rugby Super Series fixtures

Friday, 1 July: Canada v England, France v USA
Tuesday, 5 July: England v France, Canada v USA
Saturday, 9 July: Canada v France, England v USA