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RWC 2025: Breach looks to Brighton as host venues are announced
The announcement of the locations for England’s home Rugby World Cup in 2025 brings added excitement for fans and players alike as the sport will be showcased across the country.
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Designed to represent the core vision to create a celebration of women’s rugby across England, the tenth edition of the women’s RWC will span eight stadiums.
Now two years out from the tournament which will run from 22nd August 2025 until the 27th September, host cities of Brighton and Hove, Bristol, Exeter, London, Manchester*, Northampton, Sunderland, and York have been announced today.
The eight venues of Brighton and Hove Albion Stadium, Ashton Gate, Sandy Park, Twickenham Stadium, Salford Community Stadium*, Franklin’s Gardens, Stadium of Light, and York Community Stadium will set the stage for the most accessible women’s RWC ever.
Four venues currently featured in Allianz Premiership Women’s Rugby are included, with stadiums used by PWR teams Bristol Bears (Ashton Gate), Exeter Chiefs (Sandy Park), Sale Sharks (Salford Community Stadium), and Loughborough Lightning (Franklin’s Gardens) all involved.
In addition, three stadiums which typically are home to football teams including Premier League’s Brighton and Hove Stadium which also hosted UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 as well as being the RWC 2015 venue where Japan men secured their historic 34-32 victory over South Africa, Sunderland’s Stadium of Light, and York Community Stadium.
The scale of the World Cup not only allows fans across the country to connect with international rugby, but it also allows many of the Red Roses to play in places that hold fond memories for them.
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England and Saracens back Jess Breach, who was born in Chichester, is looking forward to seeing nearby Brighton host some of the fixtures in the tournament.
The 25-year-old said: “I’m super excited for Brighton to be on the map for the World Cup in 2025. For me, it’s really special because I only live 30 or so minutes away from the city and I went there when I was 12 years old to play for an all-girls team. That’s where I then kicked on playing after playing minis for Chichester RFC. I can’t wait for the rugby community to see what a fantastic city Brighton is.”
Breach also hopes that having top-level rugby spread nationwide in the mega event will encourage large local crowds.
“Having the Rugby World Cup in different regions around the country will definitely make the game more accessible to a bigger audience. It means people can come and watch international rugby at places maybe an hour away rather than having to travel longer distances, so I think it’s really important for the growth of our game. Hopefully, it means we can get big crowds at all matches at every host venue.”
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Compared to the last World Cup in New Zealand, any distance the Red Roses will travel in England to play at the RWC in 2025 will be a drop in the ocean.
Breach eagerly anticipates playing in a home RWC and having loved ones in closer proximity compared to her previous experiences on the international stage.
“Rugby always takes you away from your family and friends and I think how you deal with it is really important.
“The Rugby World Cup in 2021 was challenging for a lot of us with it being on the other side of the world but it’s going to be super special and important to us to have a World Cup on home soil.
“Everyone that loves you can come and watch, which will really boost us and help us win lots of games. Hopefully, that will result in us playing in a final in front of 82,000 people.”
The Red Roses are no strangers to bringing the game to crowds across the country, having previously been the home side at a variety of stadiums, mostly recently at this year’s Six Nations where they played in Newcastle, Northampton, and Twickenham.
“It’s really exciting to be able to play in lots of different stadiums in an England shirt,” Breach said.
“I think the level of support we receive has been really good so far from the Six Nations to autumn internationals and even club games. It means lots of family and friends can come and watch us play in an England shirt which is amazing and always special to everyone. It means a lot to pull on that Red Roses shirt for them,” she added.
Hosts England have already secured their qualification, as have New Zealand, France, and Canada due to finishing in the top four of RWC 2021. Additional teams will qualify through World Rugby’s WXV tournament which will play its inaugural competition this October, as well as regional competitions in 2024.
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Comments on RugbyPass
Interesting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
2 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
2 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
2 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
37 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
2 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
1 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
5 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
33 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to comments