RFU set to join France in bidding for 2025 World Cup

THE RFU aims to submit a bid to host the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2025.

The 2014 winners’ main rivals for the rights to host are likely to be France, with a decision expected in May 2022.

The RFU’s plan involves staging the “best-attended women’s Rugby World Cup ever” and the governing body aims to sell out Twickenham for the final after nationwide pool games.

The bid will be submitted to World Rugby in January “subject to securing sufficient private and public-sector funding”

In September, the RFU also confirmed its desire to bid for the 2031 edition of the men’s tournament.

It hopes hosting the women’s event would lead to 500 new female coaches in the sport as well as 1,000 new match officials and an extra 60,000 added to the current 40,000 registered female club players.

The RFU would also look to support the development of women’s rugby in Scotland, Wales and Ireland so all four home nations could qualify for the RWC2029.

Ireland missed out on qualification for the delayed tournament in New Zealand in 2022, while Scotland are yet to seal their place.

England last hosted the women’s World Cup in 2010 and are currently the topranked team in the world.

RFU chief executive, Bill Sweeney said hosting the 2025 tournament would reinforce the UK’s reputation as “a global leader in promoting women’s sport”.

He added: “As well as providing great economic returns, hosting the tournament would help to further promote rugby as an inclusive sport and provide a springboard to narrow the gap between male and female participation.”

Former England captain Sue Day, now the RFU’s chief operations and finance officer, said: “As we have seen from other home World Cups in cricket, hockey and netball a Rugby World Cup would further advance all women’s sport. Nothing would beat watching the Red Roses compete in front of a full capacity crowd at Twickenham.