England's Red Roses and Lionesses Mark 2025 as a Watershed Year for Women's Sport
In 2025, England's women's teams achieved remarkable success, with the Red Roses winning the Rugby World Cup and the Lionesses retaining the UEFA Women's Euros, highlighting a landmark year for women's sport in England.
The Rugby World Cup final drew an audience of 81,885 attendees at Twickenham, contributing to a cumulative tournament attendance of 441,356. The BBC reported a peak television audience of 5.8 million for the final, making it the most-watched women's rugby union match in the UK and the year's highest-viewed rugby match overall.
The momentum continues with over 40,000 tickets sold for England's upcoming Women’s Six Nations opener against Ireland at Twickenham, as the team pursues an impressive 33-match winning streak. Premiership Women's Rugby has also seen a significant rise in attendance, with a 70.5% increase across the first six rounds compared to the previous season.
Arsenal Women secured the UEFA Women's Champions League title in Lisbon and now host all Women's Super League games at the Emirates Stadium. League attendances have risen to an average of 36,214 from 28,776.
In golf, Charley Hull reached No. 5 in the women's world rankings, the highest position achieved by an Englishwoman since the rankings began in 2006.
Grassroots rugby participation in England has similarly expanded, rising from 25,000 to 40,000 women players over the past five years.
Following their Euro victory, the Lionesses' homecoming attracted 65,000 fans outside Buckingham Palace. Wembley Stadium hosted England’s commanding 8-0 victory over China, while 20,252 spectators attended the 2-0 win over Ghana in Southampton.
