Brighton to host matches at 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup

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Top-class rugby returns to the Brighton and Hove Albion Stadium.

Bruce Talbot

2023-08-22T07:00:00Z

We are hosting two games at the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup in September.

We’re delighted to announce that the Brighton and Hove Albion Stadium will be one of the eight match venues for the 2025 Women’s World Cup.

World Rugby and the RFU, with support from the UK Government, have confirmed the host cities, venues and tournament dates that will provide the stage for the biggest-ever celebration of women’s rugby.

Kicking off on 22 August and concluding with the Rugby World Cup final, on 27 September, the 10th edition of the showcase event will be the most accessible ever. The countrywide format means an unparalleled opportunity to see, engage with and support the stars of the women’s game.

Following a competitive selection process, the final roster of host cities and venues reflects the tournament’s core mission of growing the sport, taking rugby across the country and engaging with diverse communities. All will provide a family-focused festival of rugby.

For the first time ever, the elite women’s rugby tournament will be hosted across eight venues and cities around the country with 16 teams competing to be crowned world champions.

The biggest-ever celebration of women’s rugby – the host cities and venues

Brighton and Hove – Brighton and Hove Albion Stadium
Bristol – Ashton Gate
Exeter – Sandy Park
London – Twickenham Stadium
Manchester – Salford Community Stadium
Northampton – Franklin’s Gardens
Sunderland – Stadium of Light
York – York Community Stadium

While the full match schedule and ticketing details will be announced next year, the milestone two-year celebration and confirmation of dates and venues provides the ability for fans across England to start to plan their Rugby World Cup 2025 experience.

Canada, England, France and New Zealand have already qualified for Rugby World Cup 2025 after finishing in the top four of RWC 2021, with the remaining positions to be filled via World Rugby’s new women’s international 15s tournament, WXV, and regional competitions in 2024.

Chief executive and deputy chairman Paul Barber said, “We’re delighted to be chosen as one of the eight host venues for Rugby World Cup 2025.

“The men’s game in the 2015 World Cup when Japan beat South Africa was one of the most amazing days we’ve had at the stadium and I’m sure the matches we host in 2025 will create many more lasting memories.

“Our women and girls programme is an integral and hugely important part of our commitment to women’s football at the club and we’re delighted to extend that support for women’s sport to world-class rugby too.

“We look forward to welcoming the teams and the supporters attending the Rugby World Cup in 2025 and to showcasing our stadium and the city of Brighton & Hove.”

Raising the bar, inspiring more people to play and support the game

Rugby World Cup 2021 smashed records across the board with more than 150,000 fans attending across the tournament, 1.8 million viewers on average in England and New Zealand tuned into the final with more than 156 million video views on social media. Powerful personalities were born, and a new generation of accessible and relatable role models championed change.

RWC 2025 aims to continue to raise the bar for women in rugby, inspiring the next generation of young players and supercharging the growth of women’s sport in England and across the globe. The Rugby World Cup Impact Programme, delivered by the RFU in partnership with the UK Government and Sport England, will also create more opportunities for females than ever before across all levels of the game through its volunteer, coaching and internship programmes.

The tournament is the most accessible women’s Rugby World Cup ever and will expand the reach of the game across the five-week period by bringing the world’s best players to cities right around England. Four of the venues are already home to English domestic rugby teams including Bristol Bears at Ashton Gate, Northampton Saints and Loughborough Lightning at Franklin’s Gardens, both Exeter Chiefs’ men’s and women’s teams at Sandy Park, and Sale Sharks at Salford Community Stadium. Twickenham Stadium, the historic home of England Rugby, will also play host during the tournament and has this year achieved the world record-breaking crowd of 58,498 at the TikTok Women’s Six Nations title decider between England and France in April.

The competition heads to three stadiums that regularly host football with the Premier League’s Brighton and Hove Stadium welcoming teams to the southeast, having recently hosted the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 and Japan’s shock 34-32 victory over South Africa during the men’s Rugby World Cup 2015, with Sunderland’s Stadium of Light and York’s Community Stadium also confirmed.