World Rugby: Rebel league won’t detract from Women’s World Cup

World Rugby are confident that any developments around potential breakaway leagues won’t distract players or fans from this year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup in England.

It is expected that the tournament, which runs from Aug. 22 to Sept. 27 will be the most competitive and significant to date for the women’s game.

However, 2025 could also prove a dramatic one for rugby off the pitch, with ESPN reporting in November that plans are underway for a proposed F1-style breakaway league that would target the top players across the men’s and women’s game.

Asked if he was concerned that developments could distract focus from the tournament, World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin said: “There’s always talks of breakaway [leagues], there’s always talks of different competitions and actually, and we say this often, to a point, any talk about investment, innovation in the game [is] fantastic.

“We want to engage with that. We want to engage that in a way that allows those opportunities to be sustainable.

“The women’s game is a very young professional sport. There’s so much excitement about this tournament next year that I don’t think anything would distract the teams and the players from that opportunity.

“And if that creates more conversations about what investment in the women’s game comes next, again, fantastic. But let’s make sure that fits into a responsible, sustainable calendar for the women’s game.”

Over 220,000 tickets have already been sold for the entire tournament, which is more than was expected at this stage.

More than 50% of tickets for the opening match between England and the United States in Sunderland, which is not traditionally known as a rugby city, have also been sold.

Organisers expect the final, set to be held at Twickenham, to be a sellout, regardless of whether hosts and tournament favourites England are there or not.

“We know that we will [sell out the final]. The response that we’ve had every time we’ve put finals tickets out, we don’t have any concern at all that Twickenham won’t be full for that final day,” Sarah Massey, Managing Director of the Rugby World Cup 2025, said.

Massey is also confident the final will be front and centre for the public, despite September being a busy period in the UK sporting calendar.

“We’re UK Sport funded, so there’s a [joint] calendar. Everybody hopefully will know that the Rugby World Cup’s happening and actually will avoid us rather than us having to tell them to avoid that weekend,” she said.

“We are very confident with the response that we’ve had that there won’t be any concerns at all in selling out.”

There will also be an particular effort at the tournament to grow player profiles and increase the media presence of the women’s game more than ever before.

Teams will have content creators embedded with them as part of a targeted social media and content programme.

Stars like American Ilona Maher — who boasts the largest social media following of anyone in the sport — will be at the forefront of bringing the game to a new demographic.

Maher will join English club side Bristol Bears in January in a bid to promote the game and cement her spot in the USA Eagles squad for the tournament.

World Rugby are looking to push other potential stars to become household names.

“[Maher] is unique in so many ways because she’s a trailblazer in the women’s game. That’s brilliant, but there are a whole host of brilliant women who are going to play in this tournament next year,” Gilpin said.

“We talk about powerful personalities and compelling stories. One of the biggest stories in Australian sport right now is that Madison Levi is going to transition and play in a Women’s World Cup next year. And she is an absolute rock star of women’s rugby.

“So right from Ilona through all the teams you’re going to see some brilliant personalities. Ilona’s given permission to everybody to go and be themselves and that’s what’s so wonderful about it.”