The Springbok Women have been ranked 12th after World Rugby introduced the first-ever women's Test rankings.

The initial rankings are based on every Test played since women's rugby turned professional in 1987 and will use the same criteria as the men's rankings. 

New Zealand are the top-ranked side, followed by France, England, Ireland, Canada, USA, Australia, Italy, Spain and Wales, who compete the top 10.

South Africa are 12th behind Samoa, with Scotland coming in at 13th.

The new system comes into effect on 1 February, a week before the 2016 Women's Six Nations starts and 18 months before the Women's World Cup in Ireland. 

Women's World Rugby Rankings (Top 15):

1. New Zealand 92.08
2. France 88.18
3. England 86.71
4. Ireland 83.61
5. Canada 82.12
6. USA 81.23
7. Australia 80.03
8. Italy 76.97
9. Spain 76.60
10. Wales 74.00 
11. Samoa 68.74
12. South Africa 68.56
13. Scotland 65.72
14. Portugal 64.00
15. Netherlands 63.57
Full rankings
How the rankings work

Photo: Harry Engels/Getty Images