The legacy of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 is already being felt across the UK and Ireland, with new evidence showing how investment in player pathways, coaching and officiating is helping strengthen the women’s game.
A new Impact ’25 report, published by the Rugby Football Union (RFU), highlights the progress made through the tournament’s legacy programme, which was designed to grow and improve the women’s and girls’ game.
The programme, delivered by the RFU in partnership with UK Government, Sport England and UK Sport, has helped more women and girls get involved in rugby, supported clubs to improve their facilities and created new opportunities for women to develop as coaches and match officials.
Over four years, around 40,000 girls aged 6-12 were introduced to rugby, while girls’ club participation increased by 49%. Hundreds of clubs also benefited from improvements to their facilities, helping to create more welcoming environments for women and girls.
Alongside more than £14.5 million of Government funding for participation, facilities and workforce development in England, UK Sport invested £1 million in an international strand focused on strengthening high performance pathways across the four Home Unions.
Delivered between 2022 and 2026, the investment supported the development of players, coaches and match officials in Scotland, Wales and Ireland, helping more women progress through the game and supporting the continued development of the international game.
In Scotland, 14 members of the nation’s Rugby World Cup 2025 squad, 44%, progressed through Regional Training Centres supported by the programme. In Ireland, players have progressed through provincial pathways into U18, U20 and senior squads, with five featuring in the 2026 Six Nations squad. In Wales, all 44 players named in this year’s U18 extended squad came through one of the country’s Player Development Centres.
The investment has also supported the development of female coaches and match officials across the Home Unions.
In Wales, the Women's Match Officials Academy has produced a number of significant milestones. Amber Stamp became the first female referee to officiate a major men's final, while academy officials have gone on to secure appointments across the Celtic Challenge, United Rugby Championship and EPCR Challenge Cup. Emerging officials have also gained international experience through the Women's U18 Six Nations, including Jenny Davies, who earned a place at the World Rugby Six Nations Camp as a Television Match Official.
The programme also strengthened coaching pathways, with Ireland embedding female coaches across all four provinces and Wales supporting more women into high performance coaching roles through its Accelerate programme.
Beyond individual pathways, the investment has helped strengthen collaboration across the four unions through knowledge-sharing, referee exchanges and joint development initiatives. The Rugby Europe Women’s Coaching Academy has extended that approach internationally, supporting 15 emerging female coaches from across Europe during Rugby World Cup 2025.
Esther Britten MBE, Head of Events and External Affairs at UK Sport, said:
"The Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 provided a huge platform for the women’s game and a transformational moment for the sport in the UK and beyond. It’s fantastic to see the legacy the event is already having across the Home Nations.
"Developing players, coaches and officials takes time, so the full impact of this investment will continue to emerge over the years ahead. We look forward to seeing how the people, pathways and partnerships supported through the programme continue to shape the women’s game.”