The Women’s Rugby World Cup final at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium on Saturday set a new benchmark for the sport with a record-breaking attendance of 81,885 fans. The figure, announced following England’s 33-13 victory over Canada, established the largest crowd ever recorded for a women’s rugby match.
The new mark surpassed the previous record of 58,498, also set at Twickenham during the 2023 Women’s Six Nations Championship. World Rugby reported that more than 440,000 tickets were sold across the tournament, tripling the sales from the previous World Cup held in New Zealand in 2022.
The final also delivered strong broadcast numbers. BBC Sport confirmed a peak audience of 5.8 million viewers across television and streaming platforms, making it the most-watched women’s rugby match in UK history and the most-viewed rugby game of the year overall. In total, 12 million people watched the tournament on television, with 10.5 million streams recorded on BBC iPlayer and digital outlets.
“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,” said BBC Sport director Alex Kay-Jelski. “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.”
