THE RED ROSES’ WORLD CUP IMPACT: A DEFINING MOMENT FOR WOMEN’S RUGBY ON SOCIAL

By Elise Hamersley

Before it even began, this summer was charged with being the summer of women’s sport.

With the weight of that pressure, it lived up to the billing as both England’s Lionesses and Red Roses triumphed in their respective tournaments.

The Women's Rugby World Cup proved to be a coming of age of women's rugby, and the Red Roses were at the forefront of that charge.

With record viewership and attendance figures, their victory on home soil was a cultural moment that many hope will supercharge the sport in England for years to come.

But the battle ground for this moment took place not only on the pitch, but in the success of its online reach and reception.

Through Ten Toes' work with England Rugby, we were able to see first-hand how the tournament took the women’s game into new feeds and spaces.

The Red Roses’ dedicated Instagram account grew by nearly 70,000 followers during the duration of the tournament, and was second only to England men’s football for UK NGB video views in September.

Red Roses content proved popular across England Rugby channels too, generating 120 million views and eight million engagements across the Rugby World Cup period.

The tournament accounts also boasted over one billion social impressions, and the BBC noted the average broadcast audience for the 2025 edition of the tournament had grown by +399% compared to 2022.

So, aside from the talent on display, what inspired this growth on social media?

Personality, sportsmanship and community

We know that for women’s sports, personality and authenticity are key to driving connections between fans, athletes and brands.

Throughout this World Cup, athletes once again led the way in the promotion of their sport.

Key players like the USA’s Ilona Maher, England’s Sarah Bern and Ireland’s Anna McGann saw significant growth on their channels, offering unique insight into their preparations and team dynamics.

These athletes are not afraid to show who they are as individuals, but as the tournament developed a key content strand emerged that showcased the very best of women’s rugby.

The community of the sport and the players’ connections to each other as female athletes rose above any rivalry, and this was no more so apparent than in Abby Dow’s crochet creations.

England’s star wing has been known to crochet roses for her team-mates’ debuts, but she took this to the next level at the World Cup, crocheting mini shirt keyrings for her opposite number every game, mini whistles for the refs, and even a red rose bouquet for HRH the Princess of Wales.

The behind the scenes clips of her presenting these gifts drew significant attention and became some of the Red Roses’ most-engaged videos from the tournament.

Aside from being excellent human-led pieces of content, the success of Abby’s crochet points to the ability of women’s sports content to rise above traditional rivalries and connect players as ambassadors of a growing sport.

Their competition is fierce and you can look no further than Le Crunch to see that tempers still flare, but women’s sports fans love to see authentic connections between the players away from the pitch.

Allyship became amplification

Women’s sports fans have also shown their unique appreciation for the broader push for equity and advancement over the summer, presenting a key opportunity for the cross-pollination of audiences.

When the Lionesses lifted their second consecutive UEFA Women’s EURO trophy, the Red Roses had already posted several pieces of content watching and supporting their England compatriots at key moments.

Following the Lionesses’ victory parade in London, Leah Williamson returned the favour by filming a good luck message outside the home of England Rugby.

From there, the partnership between the teams continued with Chloe Kelly and other Lionesses all attending Red Roses games.

The accounts even collaborated on a split-screen graphic of the two teams lifting their respective trophies, elevating their successes to being a part of the women’s sports movement as a whole.

Allyship proved to be key throughout the summer and demonstrated that women’s sports fans unionise in a way other sports fandoms don’t.

The latest Women’s Sports Trust Visibility report showed that 13.8 million people watched both the Women’s Euros and the Women’s Rugby World Cup.

Lifting the lid on the game

One of rugby’s biggest hurdles in attracting new audiences is the complicated nature of the game and its laws.

Throughout the World Cup, content that demystified elements of the sport and highlighted medical advancements performed strongly.

A video of Dr Lindsay Starling explaining why the players’ mouthguards flash during the games pulled in 1.2 million views for World Rugby and helped introduce a new system of concussion management and player protection to a wider audience.

The Red Roses’ reel of Rosie Galligan educating viewers on why locks wear lifting blocks and how they strap them also received positive sentiment.

Recent research has shown that while 800 million people worldwide have an interest in rugby union, only 24 million are considered fully engaged “superfans” of the professional club game.

If the sport is to continue expanding, educational content strands such as these will be key in attracting new audiences to rugby, and converting casual interest into loyal fandom.

So, where does women’s rugby go from here – and how do we maintain momentum?

With a plethora of new eyes on the sport, players, nations, clubs and brands must ensure the imagination captured by the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 continues to develop, and that initial interest is converted into dedicated attendance and engagement.

It is clear that women’s rugby has cultivated its own unique fanbase through this game-changing tournament. The sport should be unafraid to stand on its own two feet as its own brand of entertainment, connected to but distinct from the men’s game.

At Ten Toes, we are excited to continue this momentum by supporting England Rugby in telling the story of the Red Roses and amplifying women’s rugby at this pivotal moment in its journey.