🔝 The tournament had record-breaking crowds and further relevant information to consider this Women´s Rugby World Cup as a historical event :

– 140,000 fans attended the whole tournament.  The previous World Cup total attendance record was 45,412 set in 2017 in Belfast at an average of 1,514 per game.
– A record 34,235 showed up at Eden Park for the opening day’s action alone.
– 42,579 in the final, A record-breaking crowd for a women’s rugby match.
– New Zealand become the first-ever host nation to win the tournament.
– It was the first Women´s Rugby World Cup to feature teams of professionals.

🎙 The development and growth of Women´s Rugby have great relevance for World Rugby; in his participation at #SiSMasters, Alan Gilpin, the CEO of World Rugby, stated: “One of our biggest growth opportunities without question is the women’s game. And how we grow women’s rugby has been the fastest growing part of our sport for several years.” 

More than a quarter of the overall playing population is now female, and there has been a 28 per cent increase in registered players since 2017. Gilpin added: “We’ve seen a huge increase in interest in women’s rugby over the last 10 years. We launched a specific women’s growth plan four years ago, five years ago, and are continuing to build on that.”

The institution knows the relevance of representation for girls and women worldwide; Gilpin said: “As we build that competitive depth in the women’s game, it’s going to become an ever more aspirational, inspirational part of what we do. So the competition pillar is fundamental. That’s a key driver of the participation pillar for us and making sure that we are providing again great opportunities for girls around the world.”

📈 The Women’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand made a statement, and it feels like the start of something to change the game forever. The next World Cup will be staged in England in 2025; the tournament is expanding to 16 teams, the exposure and sponsorship income will increase, and it will be an excellent moment to see how much women´s rugby has advanced. 

➡ If you want to know more about what Alan Gilpin is doing at World Rugby, listen to the podcast here: spoti.fi/3dFHvkn