England: Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025: Records Fall Before Kickoff
When Ilona Maher stepped up to the ESPYs stage last month, she didn’t just collect her breakthrough award — she issued an invitation.
“*You’re not going to understand it the first time you watch it,*” the U.S. star told a theater full of sporting icons. “*You’re not going to understand the second time either, but just keep watching.*”
What she promised was simple: a show worth sticking around for. And this Friday, the curtain rises on the **10th Women’s Rugby World Cup**, with Maher’s United States facing host nation England before a **40,000-strong crowd in Sunderland**.
Even before a ball has been kicked, this tournament has broken barriers.
🎟️ A Ticketing Frenzy
New Zealand set the benchmark in 2022 with **150,000 tickets sold**. England 2025 has already more than doubled it: **375,000 snapped up — 80% of capacity — with the Sept. 27 final sold out months ahead of schedule.**
The final at Twickenham could draw **82,000 fans**, shattering the current women’s rugby attendance record and setting a new standard for single-day women’s sport.
EUROPE WILL RISE AGAIN
The England fans are ready! pic.twitter.com/3110RLjKZu
— Fairgoals (@Fairgoalslive) August 19, 2025
🌹 England the Team to Beat
The buzz isn’t just about size; it’s about dominance. England’s **Red Roses** are unbeaten in nearly three years, their relentless forward power balanced now by sharper backline creativity. Their depth is staggering: of their **four recent World Players of the Year**, two might not even make the starting XV.
Coach **John Mitchell** embraces the expectation:
> “It’s a privilege to have pressure. We’ve earned it over this three-year cycle — we’re not walking away from it; we’re walking towards it.”
🌍 Growth Beyond the Field
World Rugby has expanded the field to **16 teams** for the first time in 23 years, welcoming back **Ireland** and **Spain**, while **Samoa** returns for the first time since 2014 and **Brazil** makes history as South America’s debutants.
Off the field, too, the sport is shifting:
* **31% of all World Cup coaches are women**, up from 15% in 2022.
* **40% of all team staff are women.**
* The **final will feature an all-women ground crew at Twickenham.**
* Refereeing will be led by another **all-women panel**, with Scotland’s **Hollie Davidson** tipped for a second straight final.
🌟 Legends and Storylines
The draw has seeded semifinals of **England vs France** and **Canada vs New Zealand**, with the prospect of a third straight **England–New Zealand final** looming.
Canada has shown they can disrupt the order — they beat New Zealand last year and drew in Christchurch in May — but the **Black Ferns** are the sport’s great big-stage specialists, having claimed **six of nine World Cups**.
That legacy lured back **Portia Woodman-Wickliffe**, the only woman to be named both world 15s and sevens player of the year. After retiring post-Paris Olympics, she returned, driven by one last shot at history.
> “This World Cup is going to be out the gate — the talent, the legends, the crowds,” she told RugbyPass. “England and Europe just support rugby differently, and I’m looking forward to that.”
🚀 A Defining Moment
RugbyPass recently ranked **Woodman-Wickliffe No. 1 in the world**, but even their top 50 list underlined the paradox of this World Cup: England’s brilliance may not outshine their collective might. Any of their **starting eight forwards** could stake a claim as world-class.
From Maher’s rallying cry in Los Angeles to Mitchell’s calm confidence in London, the message is clear: this isn’t just another tournament. It’s a milestone in women’s sport — one that promises spectacle, power, and the kind of moments fans won’t need a second viewing to understand.
