A source has told the Otago Daily Times the city is close to being confirmed as one of the venues for the inaugural WXV competition.
The world’s six best teams will play over three consecutive weekends in New Zealand.
Each weekend will feature three tests — one on a Friday night, and a Saturday double-header — at one venue with the Dunedin leg expected to be October 20-21.
That could mean an opportunity to see the Black Ferns at Forsyth Barr Stadium in a rematch of either last year’s thrilling World Cup final (v England) or semifinal (v France).
Wales and two other teams from the Pacific Four competition — being held in Canada in July — will also come to New Zealand.
World Rugby has introduced the three-tier WXV tournament to restructure the test calendar with a view to having an expanded 16-team World Cup in 2025.
A New Zealand Rugby spokeswoman said it was anticipated venues for the top division in WXV would be confirmed within a fortnight.
The Black Ferns have played just one test in Dunedin. They thumped Australia 40-0 in a curtain-raiser to an All Blacks test at Carisbrook in 1997. A test against the US in 2020 was cancelled due to Covid.
A potential women’s rugby weekend in Dunedin would follow the Bledisloe Cup test in the city on August 5.
