‘What a Rugby World Cup should be’: Women celebrate a defining moment

General view before the start of the final match between England and Canada at the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham in London

And the winner of the Women’s Rugby World Cup was … women’s rugby.

It’s such a cliche but never more true.

Unprecedented numbers of people in stadiums and living rooms followed a tournament which culminated on Saturday with England lifting the trophy and Canada lifting the best player in the game, Sophie de Goede.

The Women’s World Cup opened with a bang, a tournament-record crowd of 42,723, a number that doubled to 81,885 for the final at sold-out Twickenham, the largest audience in women’s rugby history.

“We are witnessing a generational moment,” World Cup managing director Sarah Massey said.

England ultimately sold more than 440,000 tickets of 470,000 available, exceeding organizers’ hopes by 100,000.

That drew mild criticism that organizers missed a chance to pack bigger stadiums. But when England won the hosting rights in 2019, the biggest crowd the Red Roses had pulled was 4,674. The organizers believed they were being bold in picking the venues they did, including two Premier League soccer stadiums.

“They really showed what a Rugby World Cup should look like,” said Siokapesi Palu, the Australia captain and two-time World Cupper.

To be fair, the previous benchmark for Women’s World Cup tickets also was low.

New Zealand’s memorable festival in 2022 sold 140,000 tickets, surpassing hopes despite its geographic isolation and a total population that is half of London’s. That also was a coming out for the Black Ferns to their rugby-obsessed public, who eventually got on the bandwagon to their sixth world title.

Similar success also helped to drive ticket sales this year thanks to the all-conquering Red Roses in a market that supports and rewards women’s sport and welcomes inclusivity.

Inspired by full stadiums and rapid development in the women’s game since 2022, on-field standards excelled. Play-in-ball time — indicating accuracy and fitness — was up by an average two minutes from 2022. That rose another two minutes during the two cracking semifinals. Conversion kicking success was up 10% and the ruck speed was comparable to the men.

“The women’s game has never been in better shape,” World Cup competition director Yvonne Nolan declared.

Spectators looked after

Shifting perceptions also happened off the field. A third of ticket buyers attended their first rugby match and 90% of them wanted to see another, according to surveys.

Other needs were seen to in a World Cup that was female-led, female-organized, female-everythinged. They dedicated space at stadiums for breastfeeding mothers and strollers, and offered free period products. More than 30% of fans brought children.

Inspiring girls and boys was a mantra at the Women’s World Cup. That’s understandable seeing as women are playing catchup in rugby and want to sustain relevancy and build a legacy. There was also gratefulness knowing the background to their showpiece event, a story of defiance, persistence and triumph against patriarchy and misogyny.

It took four fearless women from the Richmond club in London — one of whom became the first female England rugby president last month — to pioneer the first Women’s World Cup in 1991. Players paid their own way and wore men’s jerseys. It was nine days long. Before that year’s final, England bedded in sleeping bags on the floor of a conference room.

The patriarchy almost killed the second tournament in 1994. The women were barred from even calling it a World Cup. Netherlands quit as host just weeks out. Scotland stepped up and added a universities side to even the team numbers. New Zealand couldn’t go and Japan wasn’t allowed to wear its sakura emblem.

World Rugby finally sanctioned a Women’s World Cup in 1998 but didn’t endorse the 1991 and 1994 tournaments until 2009.

Women began playing test rugby 111 years after the men. Twickenham opened in 1909 and rocked on Saturday, but the playing field was for men only until 1987. The Red Roses didn’t play there until 2003.

Showing men the way

Thanks to smart use of social media, fans have been engaged by women who were proud of themselves, promoted strength, beauty and camaraderie, and were authentic and funny.

Lessons were there for the men’s game, World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin said. “Personality doesn’t have to be a performance inhibitor,” he said.

U.S. Olympic silver medalist Ilona Maher brought her nearly nine million followers to her first World Cup and lived up to the hype. But her Eagles missed out on the quarterfinals on points difference.

The World Cup was deliberately expanded to 16 teams for the first time in 23 years to make more teams visible so as to increase investment and commercial support and unlock funding from governments. Expansion brought back Ireland, Spain and Samoa and introduced Brazil, the first qualifier from South America.

Fiji, Japan and Samoa came as amateurs, and No. 2-ranked Canada crowdfunded to make up a Canadian $1 million ($718,000) shortfall in its ground-breaking World Cup preparations.

They provided unforgettable images: Brazil’s 60-meter try against France by Bianca Silva, who was identified from the favelas to play rugby in a charity project; the wholesome reaction to Samoa’s penalty kick against England; and the Samoans dancing with England and the United States.

“Everyone supporting us, it’s very heart-warming,” Samoa captain Sui Tauaua-Pauaraisa said. “It makes us feel like we belong here, and we do belong here.”

“Sleeping giant awakes”

South Africa notched the biggest upset by beating Italy to qualify for a first quarterfinal. Coach Swys de Bruin warned a sleeping giant had awoken and New Zealand forwards coach Dan Cron believed him after their quarterfinal was 10-10 at halftime.

“When they get their program up and running, and some kind of competition, and get half fit, man, they’re going to be a beast in women’s rugby,” Cron told Rugby Pass.

Online abuse was inevitable — the women receive 30% more abuse than the men — and World Rugby set up an online protection scheme, but the women had classy ways of handling it. After criticism of Fiji’s 65-7 loss to Canada, 19-year-old Michella’e Stolz told her team, “I need you to hear me: A scoreboard cannot measure the value of this team. Win or lose, your worth does not change. You’re more than a result.”

When Wales standout Georgia Evans was called out for wearing a pink bow in her hair, she said, “I’m bringing a bit of Barbie to the party. I won’t be changing.” Tournament volunteers handed out 1,000 pink bows at Wales’ next game.

There’s much work ahead. Only three of the 16 teams had a woman head coach and one of them has stepped down. A redesigned WXV will give each team an extra four to six games a year to the 2029 World Cup in Australia and World Rugby hopes it will continue to narrow the wide disparity in development.

The new World Cup champion plans on staying a step ahead. The U.K. government gave England 14.5 million pounds ($19.4 million) in 2022 to invest in 850 community clubs, schools and universities to upgrade facilities and develop female coaches and staff in anticipation of a player boom from the 2025 tournament.

When England won the men’s World Cup in 2003 it wasn’t entirely ready for an extra 5,500 kids aged from 7-13 in the first year, and 9,000 more a year later. But the women hope they’re ready this time for every new girl and boy.

“Anybody,” Nolan said, “who didn’t realize what a special thing we have in women’s rugby, they absolutely know now.” FOSTER NIUMATA, LONDON, MDT/AP