Women's Rugby World Cup hails huge ticket sales
Organisers have announced ticket sales that have totally dwarfed previous tournaments, including an 82,000 Twickenham sellout for the final.
To date 375,000 of the 470,000 available tickets have been sold, organisers said on Tuesday. That is three times the number at the last tournament in New Zealand in 2022 and more than 10 times the 30,000 for the last World Cup held in England in 2010.
The final on September 27 will create a new record for a women's international, currently 58,498 at the same stadium for England v France in the 2023 Six Nations.
"We are very confident the final will be the most attended women's rugby match in history, easily surpassing the 66,000 crowd that in Paris in 2024 (for the Olympic Sevens)," said Gill Whitehead, chair of the 2025 Rugby World Cup.
"I started playing women's rugby 30 years ago, I've absolutely loved it, but the prospect of the girls running out the tunnel and playing to the three tiers of Allianz, packed to the rafters. It's something perhaps I never hoped or thought I would see. It's certainly what girls' dreams are made of."
More than 40,000 will be in Sunderland's Stadium of Light on Friday night (local time) to watch favourites England play United States. Also in Pool A Australia's Wallaroos begin their campaign against Samoa in Manchester on Saturday (2100 AEST).
England have won 57 of their last 58 games - defeat to New Zealand in the final three years ago being the blip. New Zealand, seeking a seventh title, France and Canada look the only teams remotely qualified to challenge them in rthe 16-team event.
World Rugby confirmed on Tuesday that this World Cup's four semi-finalists will qualify automatically for the 2029 edition, joining hosts Australia.
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