The 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup arrives into York

With the Women’s Rugby World Cup taking place in England and getting underway on Friday, August 22 2025 at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, excitement has began to grow for the upcoming event with the sport growing.

General sale tickets are available from today and can be found HERE, with six of the matches set to be played at York’s LNER Community Stadium.

Canada will take on Fiji in York on Saturday, August 23 (5.30pm), before New Zealand tackle Spain on Sunday, August 24 (5.30pm).

USA and Australia will lock horns at the LNER Community Stadium on Saturday, August 30 (7.30pm), with Italy then facing South Africa on Sunday, August 31 (3.30pm).

Samoa and USA will then play the penultimate match in York on Saturday, September 6 (1.30pm), before Japan and Spain play on Sunday, September 7 (12pm).

Today's launch of the Women’s Rugby World Cup included special guests Maggie Alphonsi, a legend of the sport, and Jodie Ounsley, a Yorkshire-born star and the first deaf female rugby player to play for England.

Speaking on today’s launch, Alphonsi told the Press: “It means so much. One, because we’ve been able to welcome the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 to York for the first time, and also just to be able to inspire some of these women and young girls to want to play the sport.

“I think that what is great about being here as well is that we have got six women’s rugby World Cup matches taking place at the York Community Stadium, and hopefully we will be able to emulate what the Women’s Rugby League World Cup did.

“At the stadium, we also have the football, the men’s rugby league as well, it’s just nice to be part of such an iconic city.

Maggie Alphonsi (right) and Jodie Ounsley (left) were in attendance for the arrival of the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup. (Image: Ed Sykes - World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images) “We do want to grow the spot, we want more women and girl’s to go and play the sport, people say that if you can’t see it you can’t be it.

“To make this sport visible is so significant, and I hope that come next year, more women and girl’s will say that ‘I love this sport’.

“They can be the next Ellie Kildunne or the next Zoe Aldcroft, so it’s an opportunity to be able to put rugby union and women’s sport on the map.”

The trip along the River Ouse to welcome the Women’s Rugby World Cup was a first for Alphonsi, who was impressed with the manner in which the City had welcomed the upcoming global event.

She continued: “I have never done this before!

“I’m going to lie, this is the first time that I have been on a boat, on the River Ouse, waving to people and them waving back.

“Just being able to celebrate a tournament that is coming to this part of the world, so I’ve never done this before.

“At the same time, what a way to launch the tournament with less than a year to go.”

Ounsley represented England for five years after being selected to become the first-ever deaf female rugby sevens player.

She helped launch the event, and hopes that with the tournament taking place in her local area, that the World Cup can help inspire young women to become involved with rugby.

“I think it’s been brilliant, we’re in York as well which is my home soil,” Ounsley commented.

Students from university were in full support of the event. (Image: Ed Sykes - World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images) “I think that it is really cool to have rugby teams here, girls here, just the buzz around it has been really cool.

“I think that the amazing thing with the rugby World Cup being in York, even if you’re not a rugby player or have never watched a rugby match, I just think that this the perfect opportunity to get your tickets and come and watch a game.

“You can see the city as well, so it’s a pretty cool opportunity as well and I am so excited for it.

“This world cup is going to be huge.

“For girls to see that anyway and with it being in York, myself coming up in the county in Yorkshire, I don’t remember seeing such big competitions like this.

“To see it in York is even more special, and for young girls to see that is even more incredible.”

The Press also spoke to University of York students Hannah and Nia, who both have history with South Africa, a country that are involved with the upcoming Women’s Rugby World Cup, and are proud to see representation within the city and within the tournament.

Hannah enthused: “It’s really exciting, being South African we grew up and it was like a religion.

“I feel like this is the first World Cup where there has been a big focus around the women’s World Cup, so it is really exciting to see that get the same amount of traction as previous World Cups.

“There’s such a close-knit community and everyone kind of knows everyone, so you can’t escape.

“They are so lovely and I really enjoy it.

“I think it’s good as well that you’ve got a union and a league, we went to the rugby league World Cup two years ago and there were so many people.

“It was really interesting and there was a lot of men, which is really good, rather than just walking into a stadium and it being filled with women.

The boat travelled down York's River Ouse. (Image: Ed Sykes - World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images) “It’s good to have the support from men as well, it’s good to see more well-rounded support.”

Nia added: “It’s great for the Women’s World Cup to be coming here to York.

“We’ve been going to the university here for a while and this is like a second home, so it’s nice that it can be here.”

Tickets for the event can now be purchased at tickets.rugbyworldcup.com, with six of the 32 match tournament taking place at York’s LNER Community Stadium.

Other stadiums invovled for the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup include the Stadium of Light (Sunderland), the Salford Community Stadium (Salford), Sandy Park (Exeter), Franklin’s Gardens (Northampton), Brighton & Hove Albion Stadium (Brighton) and Ashton Gate Stadium (Bristol).