Women's Rugby World Cup now rivals Rugby League's men's version for size

The Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 can now boast that it rivals Rugby League’s men’s World Cup for total attendance, with organisers confirming more than 440,000 tickets sold ahead of this weekend’s final at Twickenham.

The final attendance tally for RWC 2025 will not be known until after Saturday’s bronze-medal play-off and final at Twickenham, but with at least 80,000 fans set to attend, the overall number is on course to break through the 430,000 mark.

That figure pips the 423,689 who attended the delayed Rugby League’s men’s World Cup in 2021, a comp somewhat affected by pandemic disruption. However, it will also comfortably eclipse the 382,080 who watched the 2017 edition staged across Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

While it will not quite break the 2013 Rugby League World Cup’s record of 458,483 in attendance, it’s a remarkable bellweather for the health of rugby union’s women’s game.

Tournament Managing Director Sarah Massey, speaking more broadly about the record breaking attendances, sees the competition as a “generational moment” for the sport.

“It’s an extraordinary milestone that surpasses even our best expectations,” Massey said. “We will set a new world record attendance for a women’s match at the final – surpassing Paris 2024, the Women’s Six Nations, and doubling the attendance we saw at Eden Park in the last World Cup final. When we look back at Rugby World Cup attendances through recent history, it’s clear: we are witnessing a generational moment, and the trajectory of women’s rugby is only moving upwards.”

The surge has been evident throughout the competition. A record 42,723 attended the opening night at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light to watch England defeat the USA, while the semi-finals at Bristol’s Ashton Gate drew a combined 50,000 fans.

England’s win over France in that round was played in front of 25,478.

The original sales target of 340,000 tickets has been exceeded by 100,000, with organisers stressing the significance of momentum generated by the women’s game in recent years.

Saturday’s finals day is set to feature not only the Red Roses’ clash with Canada but also the bronze medal fixture between New Zealand and France.

Entertainment will include a special performance from British guitarist Sophie Lloyd, while stars such as Sophie de Goede, Megan Jones, Jorja Miller, Braxton Sorensen-McGee and Josifini Neihamu will all be in contention for end-of-tournament awards.

“This is a thrilling time for women’s rugby,” said RWC 2025 Competition Director Yvonne Nolan. “The stage is set. The number one team in the world will face the number two team in the grand finale on Saturday, in front of a sell-out crowd at Twickenham. And we are only just getting started.”