One year after the 2025 final: measurable growth in women’s rugby

The moment has been turned into ongoing activity rather than a single event. World Rugby and national unions have focused on three practical tracks: expanded international competition, grassroots participation programs, and off-field welfare and career support.

WXV Global Series has been introduced as an annual model running 2026–2028. The structure:

• Top 12 nations operate a home-and-away touring model.
• Six additional nations compete in the WXV Global Series Challenger.
• The calendar will deliver more than 100 international fixtures across the three-year window.

That schedule increases meaningful Test rugby for more countries, giving squads regular, high-level matches rather than occasional tournaments.

World Rugby's Rugby Rising Play programme has reached its second anniversary with measurable outputs:

• 25,162 girls aged 11–18 have taken part in the 10-session programme.
• 975 trained workforce members have delivered the sessions.
• 32 additional member unions joined the initiative in 2026, taking total supported unions to 63.

Beyond Rugby Rising Play, 68 unions have committed to growing women's and girls' participation by 50% ahead of the 2029 Women's Rugby World Cup in Australia. World Rugby projects there could be 3.4 million women and girls playing by 2029 if those commitments hold.

Impact '25 report shows a domestic example: over four years the number of girls playing age-grade rugby at clubs rose by 49%. That statistic provides a concrete national trend that complements the international programme totals.

World Rugby has expanded non-playing support with specific outputs:

• Women's Health Webinar Services ran the first two of a three-part series, attracting 780 attendees.
• The 2026 Women in Rugby Careers Programme currently supports over 250 women across 91 countries.

World Rugby frames these initiatives as part of sustaining growth by improving player welfare, education and off-pitch opportunities.

Brett Robinson, World Rugby Chair, described the 2025 tournament as "a defining moment" and linked the organisation's 2026–31 Strategic Plan to providing unions with competition certainty, commercial growth and clearer pathways.

Sally Horrox, World Rugby Chief of Women's Rugby, said the 2025 tournament "set a new benchmark for women's sport" and stressed converting that benchmark into "long-term, sustainable growth."

The last 12 months show an organised push to convert a high-profile final into durable development: a bigger international calendar, measurable participation increases in community programmes and national growth figures, plus several welfare and careers initiatives. The story now is whether these investments and commitments will sustain momentum through to Australia 2029 and expand playing opportunities across more unions.