A rugby tidal wave has been sweeping across the United Kingdom since August 22nd. With the semi-finals looming (New Zealand vs. Canada on Friday, France vs. England on Saturday), the Women's World Cup continues to break records for its tenth edition, truly the one that will cement its place. Attendance, audiences, revenue, and spectacle: all the lights are green, signaling the entry of women's rugby into a new era.
More than 400.000 tickets sold
In 2010, England already hosted the Women's World Cup. At the time, all group matches were played at Surrey Sports Park, the University of Surrey's stadium, with a capacity of just 3.000 spectators. The semi-finals, the third-place match, and the final were held at Twickenham Stoop (14.000 seats), a much smaller venue than its illustrious neighbor Twickenham. Fifteen years on, the contrast is striking. The Women's World Cup is now played by 16 teams (compared to 12 previously) and takes over major stadiums, such as Sunderland's Stadium of Light, which hosted the opening match in front of 42.000 people; Brighton & Hove Albion Stadium, where more than 30.000 supporters gather in the Premier League; and, of course, the real Twickenham, the venue for the final two matches of the tournament.
Stadiums were packed, what's more: more than 400.000 tickets were sold (a record broken). We have already exceeded our commercial revenue targets, with strong ticket, hospitality and sponsorship sales ", says Gill Whitehead, president of this Women's World Cup. The final will be played to a sold-out crowd and will become " the most watched women's rugby match in history ».
🔥 HISTORY MADE 🔥
- Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) August 26, 2025
Over 400,000 tickets sold for the Women's Rugby World Cup 🌍 #RWC2025 | #ThisEnergyNeverStops
“The arrival of women’s rugby on the world stage”
The success is also evident in terms of audience figures, with records broken in France on TF1 and in England on the BBC, among others. The spectacle offered obviously helps, with a nice average of 59 points per match so far – better than at the Men's World Cup in 2023. When we started planning this tournament, we were really ambitious. And we achieved that ambition., says Sarah Massey, World Cup CEO. We're very happy with the cities and stadiums we've been to. We're surpassing the goals we initially set for ourselves. »
Sally Horrox, World Rugby's Director of Women's Rugby, feels she is witnessing " the arrival of women's rugby on the world stage ", And " it's only going to get worse " she insists. " It's going to continue to grow from here. There's even more to come. That's the overwhelming feeling I've had traveling, meeting, and talking with the teams, players, and tournament organizers. "The momentum is there, and that's already a big step!
