Women's Rugby World Cup to Continue Showcasing High Scores
The 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup has commenced in England, with more than 85,000 spectators witnessing the opening eight group games. The tournament, featuring sixteen national teams, has already seen some thrilling matches and a vibrant atmosphere.
Currently ranked fifth, Ireland faced a challenging start, having previously been defeated by France 43-0. France's victory over Italy was the closest contest of the round, with 3.2 million viewers tuning in on TF1 in France. Meanwhile, the host nation England's game against the United States had a peak television audience of 2.4 million in the UK.
Reigning world champions New Zealand will face Japan in the tournament, a matchup that promises to be exciting. When they last met, New Zealand secured a commanding 95-12 victory.
However, Yvonne Nolan, the competition director for Rugby World Cup 2025, predicts that the matches will get tighter and tighter as the tournament progresses. She believes that the performance gap between teams will close in the future, a sentiment echoed by tournament managing director Sarah Massey, who highlighted the electric atmosphere, joy, and vibrancy of the fans.
The average margin of victory in the first round was a significant 47 points, but the relative lack of previous exposure to 'blow-outs' is unlikely to detract from fans' enjoyment. In fact, the fan experience overall is being positively received by those who attended.
England, who are expected to heavily defeat Samoa, who lost their Pool A opener 73-0 to Australia, have made 13 changes for their upcoming game, with injured captain Zoe Aldcroft missing.
The main favorites for the tournament are New Zealand, England, France, and Canada, all of whom reached the 2021 semi-finals. However, Nolan predicts that the matches will become more competitive as the tournament progresses.
A post-match survey sent to fans shows they are enjoying the overall fan experience. The World Cup may be the first time many spectators watch a 'live' game of international rugby union, making this tournament a special event for rugby enthusiasts and newcomers alike.
