By Ben Connelly.
This summer the stars have perfectly aligned for women’s sport as the European Championship kicks off in Switzerland on July 2, while in England the Rugby World Cup also kicks off on August 22.
Women’s football in the UK has had a big boom in popularity in the last few years especially since the Lionesses won Euro 2022, with 17.4 million viewers tuning in to watch the final against Germany. This also put more light on the Women’s Super League which saw an immediate spike in attendances.
To help the country get into the spirit of Euro 2025, pubs will be allowed to push back closing times, staying open until 1:00am if England or Wales make the final stages. The Lionesses are one of the best teams in the tournament and will be one of the favourites to hold on to their European crown. The extension of opening hours will be a certain incentive for every pub goer in the country.
Eight different venues will be hosting the prestigious tournament, with the final taking place in Switzerland’s largest stadium, St Jakobs-Park. This stadium has hosted many Swiss men’s national team matches and has even hosted the 2016 Europa League between Sevilla and Liverpool.
In terms of the women’s Rugby World Cup taking place in August this summer, England are clear favourites to lift the trophy in front of their home fans. They are enjoying a 20-match winning streak with their latest victory being a 43-42 win at home to France. The last defeat the Red Roses suffered was in the World Cup final of 2022, losing to New Zealand, who are the most successful team in World Cup history having won six of the nine editions. As an indication of how women’s rugby is growing, the 2024 Six Nations was the most viewed edition of the tournament in history and is likely to be surpassed when official attendance figures for the 2025 edition are made official.
The Red Roses will kick off their campaign against the USA in the Stadium of Light in the North East of England. England will also have to get past the Samoans and Australians. The Red Roses are top seeds alongside Canada, France and the Black Ferns.
For the first time ever, the tournament will be held in eight different venues. The final is set to be at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium in London. Premier League club Brighton and Hove Albion will host two pool stage matches; England v Australia and New Zealand v Ireland. The last edition of the Women’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand saw just 3 host stadiums used, including the New Zealand national stadium Eden Park.
Things are looking positive for women’s sport this summer and these two showpiece events promise to bring even more attention to women’s rugby and football.
