Women’s EURO 2025 proved to be a huge success, and global interest in women’s football continues to grow and grow. Women’s Rugby World Cup organisers are now hoping that women’s rugby receives a similar boost once the 2025 edition of the tournament gets underway on August 22.
This year’s edition of the Women’s Rugby World Cup, the 10th in total, is set to be the biggest and the best, with the competition expanded to 16 sides for the first time since 2002. Fans from all four corners of the globe are expected to descend on English soil for the rugby festivities.
While there’s plenty of expansion still to come in the sport of women’s rugby, the tournament has already come on leaps and bounds since the inaugural edition took place. 34 years ago, the United States, skippered by 39-year-old Mary Gail Sullivan, shocked the world by lifting the Women’s Rugby World Cup trophy when the tournament was first held in Wales.
New Zealand may only be currently ranked third in the Women’s World Rankings, but they have been the dominant side when it comes to the World Cup. The Black Ferns have reigned supreme at 6 of the last 7 editions of the tournament, beating England in five of those Finals. However, it’s the 2025 World Cup hosts, England, who are the favourites to lift the trophy for a third time following their title triumphs in 1994 and 2014. Amazingly, the Red Roses haven’t lost a game since their 2022 World Cup Final defeat to New Zealand.
Let GOAL give you all the vital information you need to know ahead of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, including the full match schedule, where all the action is taking place and how you can watch or stream every game live.
When is the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025?
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The Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 kicks off with England vs the United States at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland on Friday, August 22 and ends with the final at Twickenham in London on Saturday, September 27.
Which teams are playing at the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025?
For the first time since 2002, 16 teams are participating in the Women’s Rugby World Cup Finals. They are split into four pools of four as follows:
PoolTeamsAUnited States, England (hosts), Australia SamoaBCanada, Scotland, Wales, FijiCNew Zealand, Ireland, Japan, SpainDFrance, Italy, South Africa, BrazilWhat is the Women’s Rugby World 2025 format and key dates?
The 16 competing countries at the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 are divided into four pools of four teams (pools A to D). Teams in each pool will play one another in a round-robin format, with the top two teams advancing to the knockout stage.
The knockout stage will consist of three single-elimination rounds, culminating in a final and a third-place playoff. In the case of a tie in regulation time, two 10-minute periods of extra time will be played to determine a winner. If the scores are tied at the end of extra time, an additional 10-minute “sudden death” period would be played, with the first team to score any points being the winner. If the score remains tied, a kicking competition will ensue.
Check out when the various stages of the tournament are taking place:
Group stage: August 22 – September 7Quarter-finals: September 13 – 14Semi-finals: September 19 – 20Final: September 27Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 schedule
Below is the full schedule for the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025:
DateFixtureKick-off (BST)Watch (UK / US)Stream (UK / US)Fri Aug 22Pool A – England vs USA7:30pmBBC / CBSBBC iPlayer / Paramount+ / FuboSat Aug 23Pool A – Australia vs Samoa12pmBBC / CBSBBC iPlayer / Paramount+ / FuboSat Aug 23Pool B – Scotland vs Wales2:45pmBBC / CBSBBC iPlayer / Paramount+ / FuboSat Aug 23Pool B – Canada vs Fiji5:30pmBBC / CBSBBC iPlayer / Paramount+ / FuboSat Aug 23Pool D – France vs Italy8:15pmBBC / CBSBBC iPlayer / Paramount+ / FuboSun Aug 24Pool C – Ireland vs Japan12pmBBC / CBSBBC iPlayer / Paramount+ / FuboSun Aug 24Pool D – South Africa vs Brazil2:45pmBBC / CBSBBC iPlayer / Paramount+ / FuboSun Aug 24Pool C – New Zealand vs Spain5:30pmBBC / CBSBBC iPlayer / Paramount+ / FuboSat Aug 30Pool B – Canada vs Wales12amBBC / CBSBBC iPlayer / Paramount+ / FuboSat Aug 30Pool B – Scotland vs Fiji2:45pmBBC / CBSBBC iPlayer / Paramount+ / FuboSat Aug 30Pool A – England vs Samoa5pmBBC / CBSBBC iPlayer / Paramount+ / FuboSat Aug 30Pool A – USA vs Australia7:30pmBBC / CBSBBC iPlayer / Paramount+ / FuboSat Aug 30Pool A – USA vs Australia7:30pmBBC / CBSBBC iPlayer / Paramount+ / FuboSun Aug 31Pool C – Ireland vs Spain12pmBBC / CBSBBC iPlayer / Paramount+ / FuboSun Aug 31Pool C – New Zealand vs Japan2pmBBC / CBSBBC iPlayer / Paramount+ / FuboSun Aug 31Pool D – Italy vs South Africa3:30pmBBC / CBSBBC iPlayer / Paramount+ / FuboSun Aug 31Pool D – France vs Brazil4:45pmBBC / CBSBBC iPlayer / Paramount+ / FuboSat Sep 6Pool B – Canada vs Scotland12pmBBC / CBSBBC iPlayer / Paramount+ / FuboSat Sep 6Pool A – USA vs Samoa1:30pmBBC / CBSBBC iPlayer / Paramount+ / FuboSat Sep 6Pool B – Wales vs Fiji2:45pmBBC / CBSBBC iPlayer / Paramount+ / FuboSat Sep 6Pool A – England vs Australia5pmBBC / CBSBBC iPlayer / Paramount+ / FuboSun Sep 7Pool C – Japan vs Spain12pmBBC / CBSBBC iPlayer / Paramount+ / FuboSun Sep 7Pool D – Italy vs Brazil2pmBBC / CBSBBC iPlayer / Paramount+ / FuboSun Sep 7Pool C – New Zealand vs Ireland2:45pmBBC / CBSBBC iPlayer / Paramount+ / FuboSun Sep 7Pool D – France vs South Africa4:45pmBBC / CBSBBC iPlayer / Paramount+ / FuboSat Sep 13Q/F – Pool C (1st) vs Pool D (2nd)1pmBBC / CBSBBC iPlayer / Paramount+ / FuboSat Sep 13Q/F – Pool B (1st) vs Pool A (2nd)4pmBBC / CBSBBC iPlayer / Paramount+ / FuboSun Sep 14Q/F – Pool D (1st) vs Pool C (2nd)1pmBBC / CBSBBC iPlayer / Paramount+ / FuboSun Sep 14Q/F – Pool A (1st) vs Pool B (2nd)4pmBBC / CBSBBC iPlayer / Paramount+ / FuboFri Sep 19S/F – Q/F (1) vs QF (2)7pmBBC / CBSBBC iPlayer / Paramount+ / FuboSat Sep 20S/F – Q/F (3) vs QF (4)3:30pmBBC / CBSBBC iPlayer / Paramount+ / FuboSat Sep 27Bronze Final – Semi-Final losers12:30pmBBC / CBSBBC iPlayer / Paramount+ / FuboSat Sep 27Final – Semi-Final winners4pmBBC / CBSBBC iPlayer / Paramount+ / FuboHow to buy Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 tickets
Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 match tickets can be purchased directly via the official Rugby World Cup site, with general public tickets and premium experience packages available, although tickets for some matches will be in high demand.
In addition, fans can purchase Women’s Rugby World Cup tickets on the secondary market. StubHub is one of the leading retailers for those seeking to buy tickets through alternative channels. StubHub is a legitimate merchant in the ticket resale marketplace and a safe place for fans to buy tickets. StubHub’s website guarantees that you will get tickets in time for the event you are attending and a valid entry ticket.
Which nation is hosting the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025?
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England are playing Women’s Rugby World Cup hosts for the second time. They staged the event for the first time back in 2010. During the pool phase of that tournament, they romped to three easy victories, scoring 146 points and conceding just 10. They shut out both Ireland and Kazakhstan and would do the same in the semis against Australia. However, they succumbed to New Zealand in the Final (for a third successive Women’s Rugby World Cup), in front of a crowd of 13,253 at the Twickenham Stoop.
Where can I watch the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 in the UK?
In the UK, BBC Sport has the exclusive rights to broadcast every game of the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup in England. Selected matches will be shown on the BBC’s linear channels, while every game will be available to stream live on BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and app.
Where can I watch the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 in the US?
CBS Sports and Paramount+ are the exclusive home of rugby in the United States until at least 2029, including the next three Rugby World Cups. CBS Sports will provide unprecedented multi-platform rugby coverage across linear and streaming, and Paramount+ will stream every Rugby World Cup match, plus all the USA Rugby National Team’s World Rugby matches.
Paramount+ offers two subscription plans: Paramount+ Essential with ads for $7.99/month or $59.99/year, and Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, which is ad-free (except for live TV) for $12.99/month or $119.99/year. Both allow you to watch the live rugby action:
Paramount+ Essential: This plan includes access to a vast library of movies and shows, live sports like NFL on CBS and UEFA Champions League, and 24/7 live news with CBS News. It also includes some ads.Paramount+ with SHOWTIME: This plan includes everything in the Essential plan plus the entire SHOWTIME library, ad-free viewing (except for live TV and a few shows), and the ability to download shows to your mobile device.
FuboTV also offers a top-quality streaming service with access to the Women’s Rugby World Cup and a whole world of sports. Fubo subscription plans start from $84.99 per month as part of a rolling contract. Fubo offers a free 7-day trial to new subscribers. With over 200 channels, no contract, no hidden fees, and the option to cancel anytime, Fubo is a no-brainer for sports fans.
Where will the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 be played?
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The 32 Women’s World Cup 2025 matches are taking place in 8 stadiums and cities/towns all over England. Twickenham will host the final. Twickenham Stadium, often referred to as ‘The Home of Rugby’ is a rugby union stadium in London, England. It is owned by the Rugby Football Union (RFU), which has its headquarters there. The stadium is the venue for the England national rugby union team’s home matches. Twickenham is the world’s largest rugby union stadium, the second largest stadium in the United Kingdom (behind Wembley Stadium) and the fourth largest in Europe, with a 82,000 capacity. In addition to staging regular rugby union matches, the stadium has also hosted concerts featuring some of the world’s biggest musical performers, including U2, Beyoncé, the Rolling Stones, Eminem, Lady Gaga, and Metallica.
The full list of venues for the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 are as follows:
Twickenham Stadium – LondonStadium of Light – SunderlandAmex Stadium – BrightonAshton Gate – BristolSandy Park – ExeterFranklin’s Gardens – NorthamptonSalford Community Stadium – ManchesterYork Community Stadium – York