England have been named as hosts of the 2025 Rugby World Cup.
The Rugby Football Union (RFU), England’s governing body for rugby union, last hosted the Rugby World Cup in 2010 and since then, women’s rugby has grown exponentially.
England’s 15-a-side team are the No.1 ranked team in the world, having recently won a fourth consecutive TikTok Women’s Six Nations title with another Grand Slam.
And female participation in England has grown from 13,000 to 40,000 registered players in clubs, with a growing pipeline of girls playing in schools, colleges and universities.
The Rugby World Cup 2025 will be the first time that the tournament will be made up of 16 teams and the hosting model will facilitate opportunities for people living in different parts of the country to attend, promoting rugby and enhancing participation in the sport nationwide.
𝗪𝗘 𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗟 𝗛𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗥𝗨𝗚𝗕𝗬 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 𝗖𝗨𝗣! 🙌#RedRoses | #RWC2025 pic.twitter.com/hR8NtohScX
— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) May 12, 2022
And the theme of legacy with be at the heart of the tournament.
The legacy programme will focus on facility development and the recruitment of female coaches and referees, creating a multigenerational legacy and encouraging an ever-growing fan base.
RFU Chief Operating Officer and former England Women’s Captain Sue Day said: “We are thrilled to be hosting Rugby World Cup 2025, it is going to be incredible.
“Working closely with Government, UK Sport, Sport England and World Rugby together, we will create a lasting legacy for women’s rugby in England, the UK and across the world.
“As we have seen from other home World Cups in cricket, hockey and netball, a Rugby World Cup will further advance all women’s sport.
“I can only imagine how proud we will be and how special it will feel to host the final at Twickenham.”
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said: “We want to use the 2025 World Cup as a catalyst to inspire more women and girls to get active and enjoy the benefits of competitive sport.
“We’ve a great platform to do so. The Red Roses are top of the world rankings and grassroots participation is booming. We’re investing £30 million in a major sporting events package over the next three years to help us achieve our aim.”
With the aim of attracting more fans of women’s rugby in the build-up to 2025, there will be a renewed effort into marketing and fan attendance at Allianz Premier 15s matches.
The RFU is committed to growing the English game, leading into 2025 through its focus on implementing an ‘Every Rose Action Plan‘ and the planned staging of a Festival of Rugby event through the legacy programme.