World Rugby Partners With Stepathlon For 'The Road To Twickenham' Challenge
By Priscilla Jepchumba
Fans are invited to support World Rugby, Stepathlon, and the 'The Road to Twickenham' initiative for the Women’s Rugby World Cup England 2025. This is planned to be the most prominent and open women’s rugby competition ever, taking place between August 22nd and September 27th.
It's nearly impossible to reach 95% coverage of the entire English population despite including nearly all the legendary stadiums from Sunderland to Exeter. This still won't be sufficient to accommodate all the spectators interested in the tournament.
The partnership with Stepathlon aims to help create fan communities before the World Cup, engage the fans, and encourage them to mix physical activity and mental health before and during the tournament in England and the world.
Apart from the RWC 25 app and website, Stepathlon—a platform that fuses sport, popular culture, and wellness—will be incorporated into activities such as ‘The Road to Twickenham,’ in which fans are tasked with the challenge of walking the distance between Sunderland and Twickenham to celebrate the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
Fans will also be encouraged to participate in wellness challenges before the event, the first of which will commence in the Autumn of 2024. These challenges will range from supplying fans with various incentives such as prizes and health attributes to empowering ChildFund Rugby and World Rugby through fan support to address vulnerable children and youths around the globe.
"We are delighted to be working with Stepathlon on this community wellness initiative as we look to build excitement and anticipation ahead of Women’s Rugby World Cup England 2025,” said Alan Gilpin, the CEO of World Rugby.
“Women and girls are at the heart of our ambitious strategy to grow the game, and by collaborating with Stepathlon, we aim to harness the incredible momentum of an era-defining moment for the sport, to reach, inspire, and welcome a new generation of fans and participants to our sport. It really will be too big to miss!” Gilpin stated.
"This project will allow rugby fans all over the world to participate and feel part of the event, whether they can travel to England for RWC 25 or not,” added James Rothwell, the CMO of World Rugby.
“Community, teamwork, and friendship are at the heart of rugby’s values, and we want to build a global community of fans encouraging each other to get outside and be active on the road to the competition. We are excited to leverage Stepathlon's skills and expertise in creating and engaging fan communities inclusively and expansively."
Stepathlon Founder and Chairman Ravi Krishnan expressed his excitement about the rapid growth of women's rugby and the passionate new fanbase it is attracting. He mentioned the potential for impact and inspiration in the women's game and the honor of working with World Rugby to encourage more fans to attend matches.
The collaboration aims to create an inclusive wellness journey for fans, promote active lifestyles, and contribute to the promotion of Women's Rugby and the Women's Rugby World Cup.
JUDY ROTICH