England’s historic Women’s Rugby World Cup victory formed just part of a record-breaking tournament for World Rugby as it became the most-watched women’s rugby union tournament ever.
Across the tournament, nearly half a million tickets (444,456) were bought to attend matches with 92% of saleable tickets sold.
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That included a record 81,885 attendance for the final at Allianz Stadium which marked the highest attendance for a women’s rugby match ever.
That staggering demand to watch rugby was just as evident in remote viewership, too.
The final, which saw hosts England triumph 33-13 against Canada, was watched by an historic peak audience of 5.8 million viewers on the BBC.
It made it not only the highest viewership ever for a women’s rugby match on UK television, but also the most-watched rugby match of the year.
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That thirst for women’s rugby content extended to social media too, where there were 219 million views for players’ social media accounts which further amplified the reach of the tournament.
“We are just so proud of the achievements that we have accomplished. This has been the most watched, most diverse and most empowering tournament any of us have ever seen and it’s shown women’s sport at its finest,” said Sarah Massey, Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 managing director.
“We had a bold ambition, we had a clear plan, we had absolute belief in what we were doing and followed by hard work from so many people.
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“From start to finish we have witnessed operational excellence from our incredible team of staff, volunteers, partners and the teams across our host cities and venues.
“The delivery of this tournament has been almost flawless and that’s thanks to all their tireless work and commitment.”
While the numbers reached during the tournament itself are important, the legacy they leave is also essential in assessing the impact of the World Cup.
With half of attendees at the 2025 World Cup never having watched a women’s rugby match before, the impression the tournament has made has left nearly all supporters hungry for more.
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In fact, 95% of those who have attended matches during the tournament plan to watch women’s rugby in the future and the same percentage now believe the sport is just as much for women as for men as a result of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025.
“The story of this tournament is much deeper than [just figures] and in my view, we’ve been involved in the greatest Rugby World Cup of all time,” added Alan Gilpin, World Rugby chief executive.
“[It was] a tournament that delivered on every single level. It didn’t just raise the bar, it went stratospheric, it broke records, changed perceptions and showcased the very best of our sport and our players and beyond those record-breaking numbers.”
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