2025 Women's Rugby World Cup: Fixtures, Coverage, and Key Teams to Watch

The 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup is set to be a landmark event in women's rugby, taking place in England from 22 August to 27 September. This 10th edition of the tournament will see 16 teams compete for the coveted trophy, including debutants Brazil, expanding from the 12 teams that participated in 2022.

Key Teams and Favorites

Host nation England are the favorites, coming off a thrilling 43-42 victory over France in the 2025 Women's Six Nations Grand Slam decider at Twickenham. Defending champions New Zealand, along with Canada, France, and Australia, are also strong contenders. Global superstar Ilona Maher of the United States is expected to make a significant impact.

Tournament Format and Pools

The teams are divided into four pools:

Pool A: England, Australia, United States, Samoa
Pool B: Canada, Scotland, Wales, Fiji
Pool C: New Zealand, Ireland, Japan, Spain
Pool D: France, Italy, South Africa, Brazil

The top two teams from each pool will advance to the knockout stage, with the quarter-finals scheduled for 13 and 14 September, the semi-finals on 19 and 20 September, and the final on 27 September.

Venues and Coverage

Matches will be held at eight venues across England, including Twickenham Stadium in London, which will host the third-place play-off and the final. BBC Sport will provide comprehensive coverage on TV, iPlayer, digital platforms, radio, and BBC Sounds. Every match involving England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland will be shown live on BBC One or BBC Two, with all games available on BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website, and the BBC Sport app.

Historical Context

Since its inception, only three nations have won the Women's Rugby World Cup: New Zealand (6 times), England (twice), and the United States (once). New Zealand has been particularly dominant, defeating England in five of the past six finals.