by “Where brotherhood meets rivalry” is the catchy slogan of the 2025 Rugby World Cup which will take place in England next August and September. Take a look at the tournament’s new match schedule, featuring England’s blockbuster opener against the United States and 16 teams spread across eight cities, and it already looks more ambitious and potentially revolutionary than any of its predecessors .
Also hear the insightful opinion of Sally Horrox, Head of Women’s Football at World Rugby. “I think this is an opportunity to reposition rugby,” she believes. “Not just women’s rugby. Rugby. We must ensure that the impact of this tournament is felt all over the world. There is certainly an invaluable opportunity for female rugby union players to leave their male counterparts in the shadows.
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Unless, of course, you think the past tense should already be applicable. Women’s and women’s rugby is the fastest growing sector of sport in the world, as highlighted by the Olympic Games this summer. Apart from Antoine Dupont, the star of the Games was the American Ilona Maher, who now has 4 million followers on Instagram and has become the standard bearer for strong and sporty women around the world.
It’s no wonder that optimistic Horrox is also basking in the warm glow of the day millionaire philanthropist Michele Kang announced she would give the bronze medal-winning U.S. women’s rugby team $4 million to use over the next four years to help grow the sport in the country. the United States as the 2028 Games approach. “That moment when she brought all the players together and said, ‘This sport captures the world’s imagination,'” Horrox recalls. “And told them they were just as important as men and needed more support and investment.” It was a glimpse into the impact of the game.”
This month, two-time men’s World Cup winner captain Siya Kolisi, dressed in a Springbok women’s rugby jersey and pink-patterned bucket hat, could also be found preaching an equally inclusive message . “Rugby is still a small sport and we have to compete with bigger sports,” he said. “The more people who play this game, the better.”
World Rugby’s new ‘Rugby Rising Play’ initiative aims to introduce a non-contact form of play to girls in 40 countries over the next nine months, increasing participation and visibility of the sport.
Talking to Horrox also means feeling a new energy and contagious momentum that fuels the entire mission. Having worked in netball, football and tennis, she knows exactly how to promote a sport and provides lessons on how players, both men and women, should think to elevate rugby in the public consciousness.
For her, it’s about introducing sports figures to a wider audience, with the World Cup being an ideal springboard. “It’s about getting to know the players… not just their performance on the field, but also the energy that the tournament will create between the players and the fans. Our work must revolve around this connection. We describe it as a generational moment but it’s also an opportunity for it to be a real inflection point. We can capture the attention of a nation, then spread that impact around the world to create long-term, sustainable change.
Specifically, it means finding more individuals who can follow the example of Maher and New Zealand’s charismatic Ruby Tui. By 2022, World Rugby was aware of Maher’s ability to spread the gospel. “She took to the stage at our global summit as a player spokesperson and spoke about her body image, her self-esteem and what rugby had done for her. I think we need to celebrate these women and raise awareness of their quality and excellence. We must raise their visibility. I actually think this applies to men’s rugby as well. We identify individuals who want to be the voice of players, but not everyone does.
It doesn’t hurt that there are now national teams on the rise. England remain clearly in the lead, but Canada gave them a worthy match on the final weekend of the recent WXV tournament and Ireland also toppled New Zealand. Although the low number of spectators in the stands during many matches was less encouraging, Horrox points out that the matches were broadcast in more than 150 countries around the world. “It’s not just about whether Canada can attract 5,000 to 10,000 people to a stadium. It’s about whether people can see this sport, no matter where you are in the world.
There is a parallel trend to increase the number of women in the “rugby workforce”, while the Rugby Football Union also wants to have 100,000 female players by 2027 (with the help of just over £12 million in government funding) despite this week’s independent report suggesting more needs to be done to encourage women’s rugby in schools. Perhaps in the not-too-distant future there will also be a female president of World Rugby, as opposed to the traditional male bun fight.
Regardless, Horrox no longer sees a distinction between the promotion of women’s rugby and that of the sport as a whole. “It could be argued that when our work is done and we are working in a truly thriving global sport, we will no longer need to distinguish between men’s and women’s rugby. We will simply have growing emerging markets across the world and women’s and women’s football will be integrated and thriving in all of these markets.
“My job is to develop rugby and make it more relevant, accessible, entertaining and exciting. I happen to do this by increasing the female fan base. This is the fastest growing segment of our game and that’s why we’re prioritizing it. This means making women’s rugby a niche sport and bringing it into the mainstream. We see such an opportunity and that to me is why this work is so exciting. It’s a movement, not a moment.
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