2025: A Watershed Year for Women's Sport in England
In 2025, women's sport in England reached unprecedented heights, highlighted by several major achievements and record-breaking attendances.
The Red Roses triumphed at the Rugby World Cup held at Twickenham, with a record final attendance of 81,885 and a total tournament attendance of 441,356. The BBC's peak home audience for the event reached 5.8 million viewers, underscoring the growing popularity of women's rugby.
In football, the Lionesses retained the Euros in Basel, Switzerland. Their homecoming attracted 65,000 fans gathered outside Buckingham Palace. Domestic matches also saw significant interest, with Wembley hosting an 8-0 victory over China in November and an attendance of 20,252 at Southampton for a match against Ghana.
Arsenal Women secured the UEFA Women’s Champions League title with a 1-0 win over Barcelona in Lisbon. This success accompanied their move to play all Women’s Super League (WSL) matches at the Emirates Stadium. The league's average attendance rose to 36,214, up from 28,776 in the previous season.
In golf, Charley Hull reached a career-high world ranking of No. 5, the highest for an Englishwoman since the rankings began in 2006.
Grassroots participation in rugby significantly increased, with women players rising from about 25,000 to 40,000 over five years. Premiership Women’s Rugby attendances grew by 70.5% in the first six rounds, and over 40,000 tickets were sold for England’s upcoming Twickenham match against Ireland in April amid a 33-match winning streak for the national team.
Women's football also saw strong growth: participation rose by 5%, online searches for female football opportunities increased by 196%, female coaches grew by 12%, and female referees by 29%.
Arsenal emphasized that their Champions League victory was part of a broader upward trend in women's football, attributing increased attendances to long-term investment rather than the trophy alone.
Looking ahead, England is set to host the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup and the European Athletics Championships in 2026, continuing the momentum for women's sports across the country.
