The growth of the women's game in Europe: A new awakening

On Saturday 27th of September, England and Canada faced off in the Women’s World Cup final, with the hosts England lifting the title- an excellent way to close the women’s Test Match scene in 2025.

However, despite the marvellous spectacle that it was, the main highlight of the year for smaller rugby countries like Denmark, Austria, Romania, Norway and Georgia would come two months later, when these nations made their Test Match debut/return.

After a record-breaking World Cup and a blockbuster year, the awakening of several new national teams was not only a sign of success but also proof of further growth in the women’s game.

For a long time, the women’s game in Europe was populated by just a few teams, with most unions focused solely on sevens, unable to believe in the power of 15s and, by extension, the women’s game as a whole.

However, over the last five years, things have changed dramatically and positively, with Rugby Europe’s competitions growing exponentially, showcasing not only one division but three.

While Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden historically contended in the Rugby Europe Championship, Belgium, Germany and Finland squared off in the Rugby Europe Trophy competition, with Austria, Czechia, Romania and Georgia clashing in the newly debuted Conference division.

While Norway and Denmark played their fixture outside of any of the continental union competitions, they were the 12th and 13th Rugby Europe women’s teams to step into the fray.

Like a night sky slowly filling with stars, Europe is now enjoying a vibrant skyline that has the potential to take the game forward into a new era. But how was the growth influenced by the last few years and the World Cup? And how influential has social media been for waking up these nations?

For Rugby Europe’s Head of Digital, Ben Fox, the growth is a reality amongst the Rugby Europe nations, as he explains.

“The 2025 Rugby World Cup went far beyond the traditional markets, as there were activations, plans and activities in countries such as Switzerland, Hungary, Belgium and a few others. One of the real strengths of the women’s game is the openness and genuine enthusiasm for the sport, and a perfect example of that is the players’ social media profiles,” said Fox.

For the former Scotland Rugby Union Media Manager, those strengths have been key to move the game forward, creating a completely different engagement that has enticed new fans to get attached to players and, by extension, the teams.

“The women’s game is more open in terms of lifestyle trends, as rugby commits with fashion and health, and the women’s game encapsulates that. They have created their own path, and that’s one of the biggest takeaways. Look to Spain and how the union highlighted their team and players, telling their stories, challenges and dreams.”

However, did the World Cup locally have any impact? According to Austria Rugby’s vice president, Katharina Kueß, there was some excitement brewing around the tournament, although the union and World Rugby had to give a slight push.

“If we hadn’t done any activities or activation, it would’ve passed us by completely. However, we made a serious attempt to promote the World Cup and farm engagement through it, with the help of World Rugby, which provided us with numbers, data, and facts to share on social media, raising awareness.”

The frenzy of the 15s aside game and its appeal is slowly gaining traction. Despite sevens having a different taste and it’s inclusion in the Olympics, many argue the shortened format of the game isn’t as inclusive as 15s, as the former player and now Rugby Österreich (Rugby Austria) board member explains.
“When we opened applications for our first 15s national team open practice, we had more than 60 players making themselves available,” reveals Kueß.

“You could feel the excitement around them as it was something new to us. It was a collective effort, as the men’s team helped us around the set-piece, especially because we were going to face Czechia, a more experienced team on that end.

“Players are eager, arranging practices and games, and although we only have an official sevens league, we have managed to arrange more than a few intra-clubs 15s games. We felt it was the right time to take the next step and create Austria’s 15s national team. Everyone got on board, and it has been huge for us.”

And while the Austria 15s won’t be the headliner come 2026, Kueß says that they remain focused on keeping their faith in the programme.

“In the near future, we will concentrate on the sevens, due to the Olympics, but we are determined on continuing to grow our 15s programme. My phone is buzzing all the time with people from neighbouring unions inviting us to play a Test match. But we need to stick to the process, widen our squad and develop our foundations before scheduling two or three games per year.

“Visibility is the biggest obstacle and concern, followed by investment and infrastructure. We have put in place strategies to tackle these issues head-on, but it will take time. In the Rugby Europe universe, I do feel that change is happening, and we need to keep pressing on.”

Of the same opinion is Nina Vistisen, the former Saracens utility back who has become Denmark’s sevens head coach.

“The game has grown, but it doesn’t mean that the numbers have grown overly,” explains the former England 7’s development international.

“In Denmark, we have around 140 licensed female players, but perhaps only 60% of them can qualify to play for the Danish national team. While the sevens have earned promotion to the Rugby Europe Championship division and the 15s side is now a reality, I believe we still need more numbers to create a better product. This has been one of our biggest challenges.”

Vistisen, who has been involved with Danish rugby since 2020, offers insight into the state of rugby in the country when she arrived for the very first time.

“It was a bit of cultural shock at first, knowing now that there are over 40,000 female rugby players in the UK with a super competitive club landscape, and Denmark was far from that level. The women exclusively played sevens, and the competitive depth was lacking at a club level, with most clubs having only enough to field one sevens team.

“In the last few years, there has been some progress with teams and clubs coming together to create more opportunities for players.”

With Norway and Sweden’s help, Denmark slowly introduced players to 15s, challenging them to become familiar with a code that had not been played in the country for almost 20 years.

On 1st November, they hosted their first international Test Match, in which they faced Norway, defeating their neighbours with Vistisen featuring as their starting fly half.

“I was super focused on my role as a player, but I was also extremely overwhelmed by the number of people on the sideline” remembers the Danish international.

“This was our first Test match on home soil, and while we had advertised it in the weeks leading up, we never expected so many to turn out and support us. It encouraged us to play a good game and make it exciting for those fans, as we want them to come back and get involved with the sport.

“For those of us determined to grow the game, we want to expand our numbers. Unfortunately, most of the Danish rugby game is supported by volunteers, making the whole operation fragile.”

The well-packed CSR Nanok grounds were the result of a collective social media effort that generated enough engagement to convince new and old fans to rally behind their national team and support them in their inaugural home Test match. For Rugby Europe staff member Fox, the way the women’s game has tackled social media has been key to its success.

“You can’t be what you can’t see. The women’s players understand their role on social media and how they could tackle an algorithm who pushes the user to keep scrolling. Their content is all about enthusiasm and is done professionally. It is more socially inclusive, as you feel you belong to their team and something bigger.”

While there’s a lack of players, staff, and resources to reach the next level, Fox shares that perceptions around the women’s game have shifted, with unions now seeing it as a necessity rather than a mere eccentricity.

“Contrary to what happened on prior occasions, the unions now seek to ride the Women’s World Cup wave, as they feel that they have a chance to qualify for the main stages of the game. Nowadays, not having a women’s team doesn’t feel right and teams feel the need to develop their programme.”

Despite the difficulties, challenges and obstacles, unions, players, staff and volunteers have never ceased to believe in their goals, giving the women’s game a fair shot of succeeding, as Fox concludes.

“Women’s rugby is here to stay, and we have a great opportunity in our hands. All of us now need to think about how we make it profitable, as this question is also posed in the men’s. Giving players a star status might be a way to achieve that, and the women’s game has already taken the first steps in that area.”

The Women’s Rugby Europe Championship and Trophy will be played in February and March 2026, with more unions flocking towards the women’s tent than ever before, a promising sign for a stronger future.