World Rugby Unveils Strategic Plan to Accelerate Women’s Game Growth Ahead of 2025 World Cup
World Rugby has announced a comprehensive new blueprint aimed at driving the rapid expansion of the women’s game in the lead-up to the Rugby World Cup 2025. The initiative reflects the governing body’s continued commitment to advancing opportunities for women and girls in rugby while creating a lasting legacy for future generations.
The plan, launched just under a year before the next Women’s Rugby World Cup in England, focuses on building strong foundations to sustain growth at every level of the sport. Central to the strategy are three pillars: increasing global participation, strengthening high-performance pathways, and elevating the profile of women’s rugby worldwide.
World Rugby has highlighted the unprecedented rise of the women’s game in recent years, with record-breaking attendances, increased broadcast coverage, and significant commercial interest. The governing body aims to harness this momentum by ensuring that unions, clubs, and communities have the resources needed to support both grassroots development and elite competition.
The blueprint also emphasizes inclusivity, encouraging unions to expand access to rugby for women and girls in emerging regions. World Rugby intends to provide funding and practical guidance to ensure that programs are sustainable and impactful. Beyond participation numbers, the strategy underlines the importance of creating strong competitions and development systems to ensure players can reach the highest level of performance.
With the Rugby World Cup 2025 set to be the largest women’s tournament in history, the blueprint positions the event as a catalyst for further growth. Organizers expect record attendance across multiple venues in England, building on the success of the 2021 edition in New Zealand, which showcased the growing global appetite for women’s rugby.
World Rugby Chair Sir Bill Beaumont described the plan as a “transformative step” for the sport. “Women’s rugby is at the heart of our mission to grow the game globally. The Rugby World Cup 2025 will not only be a world-class tournament but also a platform to inspire the next generation of players, coaches, and fans,” Beaumont said.
By laying out this ambitious roadmap, World Rugby aims to ensure that the women’s game continues to thrive long after the final whistle of the 2025 World Cup, reinforcing rugby’s position as one of the fastest-growing women’s sports in the world.