RWC 2025 hits ticket milestone, breaks social media records

Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 set a new landmark on Tuesday with organisers revealing more than 400,000 tickets have now been sold.

It means ticket sales for the tournament – already guaranteed to be the best attended women’s World Cup ever – had exceeded all targets set internally.

News of the milestone came on the back of a weekend in which more than 85,000 fans attended eight matches across England, from the record-breaking opening contest between England and USA in Sunderland on Friday to New Zealand’s victory against Spain in York on Sunday.

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Speaking at Twickenham, Women’s RWC 2025 Managing Director Sarah Massey also revealed there had been 77 million video views and 3.6m engagements across digital channels, surpassing the total number from the previous tournament in New Zealand three years ago.

“Wow, what an opening weekend. We promised a global celebration of women’s rugby and that is exactly what we got and exactly what we are delivering,” Massey said.

“Today we can announce that we have sold over 400,000 tickets for this tournament. That is surpassing even our revised ticketing targets.

“We’ve got four match days this weekend heading for a sellout and we are constantly trying to make sure that we’re putting tickets back [on sale]. So do keep checking the website because tickets will become available.”

The opening match attracted 42,723 fans to the Stadium of Light, while the broadcast on BBC One boasted a peak audience of 2.4m in the UK. The Red Roses rewarded those watching with an 11-try victory against the Women’s Eagles.

England are next in action against Samoa at Franklin’s Garden on Saturday, a venue that has a 15,148 capacity. They then end their Pool A campaign against Australia at Brighton & Hove Albion Stadium, which can accommodate 31,800 fans.

Massey pushed back against the suggestion that those matches could have been scheduled to be played at bigger venues.

“When we set out planning this tournament two, three years ago, we were absolutely ambitious and we have met that ambition with what we’ve done and we are just exceptionally pleased with where we’ve got to,” Massey said.

“So, we are really happy with the venues and the cities that we’ve gone to. I think it’s because of what they’ve done, and what everybody in the team has done, to bring this excitement and bring this tournament to the records that we are clearly showing today.

“But no, we are really happy that the ambition we had we are now meeting. We’re exceeding our targets that we set out to begin with.”

World Rugby Chief of Women’s Rugby, Sally Horrox added: “It’s great to be in packed stadia.

“To Sarah’s point, we were really ambitious when we set out our stall. But there is something special about having sellout crowds, and I think that really makes a statement.”

The opening weekend was also the first to feature flashing mouthguards, designed to indicate when players require a head injury assessment.

According to Women’s RWC 2025 Competition Director Yvonne Nolan, three of the six players who were taken off for an HIA during the first round of matches had displayed no other signs of a head injury.

“At the weekend, we had six alerts of which three were unique,” Nolan said. “That means that there was no other sign or indicator that a player needed to be removed for a HIA. So, that shows that they’re working.

“That shows that this technology is giving us another tool that we can use to make sure that the players are as safe as they can possibly be.”