The 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup is underway in England, marking the biggest edition of the tournament yet. With 16 nations competing across eight venues, the event is expected to set new attendance records and showcase how far women’s rugby has come since its grassroots beginnings.
The opening day saw the United States, winners of the inaugural 1991 World Cup, fall 69-7 to host nation England in Sunderland. While the result highlighted the gap between the world’s No. 1 team and the rest, it also set the tone for what promises to be a landmark tournament in terms of visibility and growth.
Tournament Format
The competition is structured into four pools of four teams each. Every side plays three round-robin matches within its pool, with the top two in each group advancing to the quarterfinals. Knockout play follows a single-elimination format, leading to the semifinals and the grand final at Twickenham on Saturday, 27 September. A bronze-medal playoff will also precede the championship clash.
This year marks the first time the Women’s Rugby World Cup has featured 16 teams, four more than the last edition held in New Zealand in 2022 (originally scheduled for 2021 but delayed by the pandemic).
Pools at a Glance
Pool A: England, Australia, United States, Samoa
Pool B: Canada, Scotland, Wales, Fiji
Pool C: New Zealand, Ireland, Japan, Spain
Pool D: France, Italy, South Africa, Brazil
Full Tournament Schedule (Selected Highlights, BST Times)
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Opening day, 22 August: England vs. USA (19:30, Sunderland)
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23 August: Australia vs. Samoa (12:00, Salford), Canada vs. Fiji (17:30, York), France vs. Italy (20:15, Exeter)
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24 August: Ireland vs. Japan (12:00, Northampton), New Zealand vs. Spain (17:30, York)
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30 August: Canada vs. Wales (12:00, Salford), England vs. Samoa (17:00, Northampton), USA vs. Australia (19:30, York)
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6 September: USA vs. Samoa (13:30, York), England vs. Australia (17:00, Brighton)
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Quarterfinals: 13–14 September (Exeter, Bristol)
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Semifinals: 19–20 September (Bristol)
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Bronze Final: 27 September, 12:30, Twickenham
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Final: 27 September, 16:00, Twickenham
Rugby Union Scoring System
Unlike rugby sevens, which featured at the Olympics, rugby union involves 15 players per side competing in 80-minute matches split into two halves.
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Try (grounding the ball in the try zone): 5 points
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Conversion kick (after a try): 2 points
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Penalty kick or drop goal: 3 points
Live Streaming Details: Where to Watch?
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United States: Coverage split between CBS and Paramount+, with USA’s final pool match against Samoa set for free-to-air broadcast on CBS.
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United Kingdom: All games will air on the BBC, with streams available via the BBC iPlayer.
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Other regions: Matches are also available through World Rugby’s digital platforms, with local broadcasters carrying additional coverage.
Favorites and Odds
England, unbeaten since their 2022 final defeat to New Zealand, enter as heavy favorites on home soil. The defending champions, the Black Ferns, remain strong challengers, while Canada and France are considered dark horses. According to DraftKings, England opened at -280, followed by New Zealand at +260. The USA are long shots at +10000.
What began in 1991 with teams scraping funds through raffle tickets and shared accommodation has evolved into a global showcase attracting sellout crowds and major sponsors. Organisers project that the Twickenham final will surpass the 66,000 attendance record set at Paris 2024’s rugby sevens, cementing women’s rugby as one of the fastest-growing sports worldwide.
With record ticket sales already confirmed and global stars bringing new audiences into the fold, this edition could prove a turning point for rugby’s future.
Yash Desai is a renowned journalist with over 10+ years of experience covering sports around the world. He began his career as a News Reporter in Delhi, India, and got an opportunity to cover several World events, including the Olympics, Paralympics, and World Games. He often felt that women’s sports are sidelined and given step-motherly treatment by the mainstream media. To bridge this gap and to build an equal playing field, Yash co-founded FemaleInSports and is currently working as a Lead Editor here.
