2025 Will Be A Big Year For Women's Rugby Even Without The World Cup
Next year will be a historically important one for women’s rugby.
Rugby is, of course, played in an organized fashion in about 119 countries and has over 500 million fans worldwide. However, the overwhelming majority of these fans are men, which means rugby—particularly the women’s game—has immense potential to grow.
In 2025, the Women’s Rugby World Cup will be held in England for the first time since 2010. This is the premier event for women’s Rugby Union, bringing the World Cup back to the place where rugby, in its current form, was born.
While the men’s World Cup will be played in the United States in 2031, it’s worth noting that women’s rugby has traditionally pushed the frontiers of the sport, with past World Cup championships hosted in Spain and the Netherlands. The 2033 Women’s Rugby World Cup will also be held in the United States.
The first-ever women’s World Cup was held in Wales in 1991, with the United States winning the championship match 19-6 over England.
England will face the USA in the opening match of the 2025 World Cup at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light on August 22, 2025.
In addition, two countries are likely to launch domestic leagues for women’s rugby union. Currently, only England and New Zealand have professional women’s leagues.
The Women’s Elite Rugby league is set to begin in the United States in March 2025, with Jessica Hammond-Graf serving as president of the WER.
“We are thrilled to take world-class women’s rugby to the next level across the United States and delighted to have the support of our six generous host cities,” said Jessica Hammond-Graf in a media statement. “Each chosen market has a unique, storied history with the sport of rugby, and we’re proud to continue building upon that legacy while expanding opportunities for future generations of athletes.”
Teams in New York, San Francisco, Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Boston, Chicago, and Denver will participate in the league’s inaugural season, with games beginning in March 2025.
South Africa is also expected to launch a professional league.
“This is a critical staging post toward the ultimate goal of a fully professional women’s game worldwide, and it represents a key investment for the exponential growth of rugby in South Africa,” said SARU president Mark Alexander.
The Rainbow Nation plans to launch the ‘Women’s Super League Rugby’ (WSLR) next year, which will bring approximately 125 players under contract.
