‘Be bold, be innovative’ – how women’s rugby is evolving as ’25 World Cup looms

In September 2025, Twickenham will dust itself down for another major showpiece. The Women’s Rugby World Cup final will be in town, and there is immense pressure on organisers to make the tournament the greatest spectacle the female game has ever produced.

New Zealand experienced a near-perfect tournament in 2022 as the Black Ferns recovered from a damning internal cultural review and steamrolled their way to the final, where they edged England in front of 42,000 fans at Eden Park. The standard was set. For their part, the Red Roses are embracing the pressure — both internal and external — that is on their shoulders to win a first World Cup in a decade. Form would suggest they are the favourites.

They eased past New Zealand in a 24-12 win at Twickenham in September. Three weeks later, they did it again in a 49-31 rout in WXV 1 in Vancouver, their 19th straight victory. They’ve won the Six Nations every year since 2019 including three straight Grand Slams. However, coach John Mitchell and his side know all too well that form goes out the window come the World Cup. It didn’t help them last time, and it won’t at Twickenham next September.

England are also desperate for their on-field efforts to make an impact far beyond just the record books. The No. 1 side in the world boast superstars like Ellie Kildunne and Abby Dow who have the power to turn a game on its head anytime they touch the ball. At a time when competition for eyeballs has never been so fierce, the Red Roses not only need to win, but entertain and express themselves to garner a new following, the likes of which haven’t been seen in women’s rugby.

A year out from the tournament, their efforts are already reaping rewards.

A record 58,498 fans watched their clash Six Nations clash against France at Twickenham in 2023. In April this year, a peak UK TV audience of 1.9 million watched the two battle it out again in a decider in Bordeaux. Participation also continues to trend upwards. In January, World Rugby reported that the global playing population had almost reached two million.

“There’s that unstoppable rise of women’s sport in the world at the moment. There’s the sporting movement, but there’s the moral and social movement that we’re also a part of if we can harness the power of the tournament in 2025,” Sally Horrox, head of women’s rugby at World Rugby, told ESPN.

“It’s in eight different venues across the country. Everybody is within two-and-a half hours of a venue and that was one of the cornerstones of the tournament. One of the first objectives is to increase the awareness of rugby for women and girls and change perceptions so that people think it’s a sport for them.”

Those at the grassroots level are watching closely. Bronwen Jackson-Turner is the women’s captain at London’s Ironside Rugby Club, which has two senior women’s sides as well as girls’ teams. They’re growing and want to expand more, but it’s not as simple as many may think.

“If the World Cup brings in this sort of growth that [it’s] expected to just based off ticket sales and the amount of people that are going to be watching that might then try [rugby], we need more pitches, more referees,” Jackson-Turner tells ESPN.

“We need better referees, particularly in the women’s game. We need more physios, medical support and all that just needs funding.”

Lessons from the past

Team GB Women’s Sevens coach, Giselle Mather, who lifted the World Cup with England in 1994, has seen potentially game-changing moments like a home tournament come and go. Sadly, those opportunities were largely missed.

There were aspects of the 2010 World Cup — the last held in England — that were successful, including a final between England and New Zealand that was watched by over 13,000 fans — a figure that marked a strong crowd at the time. However, the lasting impact and tangible legacy projects were scarce. The women’s game attracted large interest during the tournament, but the lack of infrastructure around the game meant it didn’t last.

“I think a lot of lessons were learned in 2010,” Mather tells ESPN. “There is a huge team behind this World Cup for just that purpose because we didn’t get that right in 2010. There’s funding for — and this sounds ridiculous — female toilets, showers, that kind of stuff needs to be in rugby clubs to allow females to feel comfortable to be in the environment.”

The basics, like changing rooms and toilets specifically for female players, are key issues being navigated by clubs and franchises up and down the UK.

“There does need to be more money and more funding. Some of that will need to be ring fenced [for] the women’s game to ensure that it can develop at the rate that it will need to catch the [World Cup] wave,” Jackson-Turner adds.

The blueprint

Former England star and World Cup winner Maggie Alphonsi, who is still one of the biggest names in the game, says there needs to be more people involved across all areas, with a focus on engaging the public more. If people don’t know when you’re playing and who they’re watching, why would they turn up? Making players household names isn’t easy, but it’s essential for catching people’s attention.

“Legacy is the huge buzzword, isn’t it? After any sporting event, we talk about it all the time,” Alphonsi tells ESPN. “We need to have more coaches full stop. Officials as well… females, but officials just working in the women’s game.” Alphonsi says the 2022 Women’s European Championship, when the Lionesses stopped the nation in its tracks for a few glorious summer weeks, has shown how to make the tournament a success.

“We have a blueprint that’s been put out ahead of us.” Alphonsi says. “Those athletes are still household names. The WSL is a huge success. It’s on TV quite frequently… we hear about them and it’s not just a one-off stories, we know about their journeys. We have to say it, we are following on the coattails of women’s football and what they’ve done. It’s a superstar sport now. So how do we continue to follow on what they’ve achieved from World Cups [and] Euros and try to keep making the sport appealing?”

Of course, the Lionesses had the fairytale ending. Think Chloe Kelly flicking the ball into the back of the net at Wembley to beat Germany in extra time, tearing her shirt off in the now iconic celebration. Their legacy would not be the same had they lost. The Black Ferns had their moment in 2022, and the Red Roses need their own to really make their mark. Mather believes they’re every chance of doing that.

“The pressure’s there but they are embracing that,” Mather says. “They are the No. 1 side in the world. The work that they’re putting in, there’s no stone left unturned.”

Changing the game

Beyond making each tournament a success — and anything other a major triumph would be seen as a big blow for the growth of game — there is a growing appetite to alter the code to suit women and girls. Arguably the most divisive change World Rugby are exploring is a smaller ball, which was discussed at a “Shape of the Game” meeting held last year. Research and trials are being conducted and the 4.5 size ball has already been used in the under-18 and u20 Six Nations. Rugby is not breaking new ground in that regard — a smaller ball is already used in the WNBA, for example.

However, Horrox says any changes need to enhance the strengths of the women’s code while ensuring it doesn’t stray too much from tradition.

“I think there was also unanimous support in that room… to highlight and celebrate the differences [in the female game] be brave, be bold and innovate,” Horrox says.

“The game shouldn’t look wholly different. There’s been mixed views, because you’ve got those women that play the game that we should celebrate, that have the skill levels to be able to cope with the size five ball. But there are others who … want to see if they can become even better players, exploit that freedom of movement and improve those skills by trialling the 4.5 which is slightly lighter and smaller.”

Alphonsi isn’t convinced. As a female growing up in a male dominated sport, she relished the fact that the game was the same regardless of gender. “I’d be very open and honest. I don’t support it. I spent my whole career playing a sport [and] what I loved about it was there was no difference in gender in terms of playing the sport,” Alphonsi says.

“I think there’s some things that you adjust and change and there’s some things you just leave alone. And for me, I think the size of the rugby ball, something I’m quite passionate about, I would like that to be left alone.”

Nothing concerning the size of the ball in the elite women’s game will be changed until after the World Cup, which is the sole focus for all involved. The sport simply cannot let this opportunity slip, failure to get that right will set it back. So, it will be down to the players to shoulder the burden off the pitch and deliver at Twickenham.

Mather reiterates the fact that the Red Roses must embrace the immense challenge they’ll face come next September: “If you’re going to be the No. 1 in sport, in anything, there’s pressure. That’s part of what elite athletes thrive off of.”