Saturday afternoon was another wonderful moment for women’s sport in England. The country’s Women’s Rugby Team became world champions for the third time. And they did it in front of record numbers.
According to the BBC, the Red Roses’ 33-13 victory over Canada was watched by 5.8 million people across TV and streaming. There were 81,885 people at Twickenham for the match, the second-highest total ever for a rugby World Cup final – men or women.
Across the tournament, 12 million people tuned in to the BBC’s coverage, with 10.5 million streams on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport digital platforms. Furthermore, BBC Sport social media clips racked up 51 million views, while the BBC Sport live reporting pages got 18.3 million views.
These numbers are a serious achievement. The Red Roses do not (yet) have the celebrity and reach of their footballing counterparts, the Lionesses. However, we see once again that if people are exposed to women’s sport, they want to watch it. Broadcasters and media outlets of all types should remember that, and make the investments now.
Alex Kay-Jelski, Director of BBC Sport, commented:
This record-breaking tournament is a landmark moment for women’s rugby, and we’re incredibly proud to have brought every moment to audiences across the UK. The response from fans from packed stadiums to millions watching and engaging across BBC digital platforms shows the huge appetite for world-class women’s sport.
More Women’s Rugby to Come
Which is lucky, really, because there is plenty more to come! Today, the women’s cricket World Cup begins in India and Sri Lanka. Sadly, the first match has been disrupted by rain, but it should be an excellent tournament. It’s available on Sky Sports in the UK and Willow in the US. There is a lot of free coverage available on ​ICC.TV​ too. (I ​wrote a preview​ of the tournament for TechRadar.). Obviously, it will not get the numbers that coverage on free-to-air BBC/ITV channels would, but it is another opportunity for plenty of people to see some of the best female athletes in the world.
There will be more women’s rugby on the BBC, too, Kay-Jelski said:
We remain committed to delivering outstanding coverage that reflects and grows that passion, and fans can look forward to Premiership Women’s Rugby matches with us across the 2025/26 and 2026/27 seasons and the 2026 Women’s Six Nations.
After the success of the last month, more people than before will tune in. Remember, ​everyone watches women’s sport​.