Sell-Out Twickenham Final Highlights Women’s Rugby Growth

The 2025 World Rugby Awards will be presented during the Women’s Rugby World Cup final at Twickenham, where a sell-out England vs Canada final capped a tournament that drew more than 440,000 attendees — roughly triple the 2021 total. World Rugby reported that about 30% of attendees were first-time rugby spectators, and rising youth engagement and new audiences are being credited with accelerating professionalisation and creating a long-term legacy for women’s sport in the UK. Some players still follow varied pathways into elite rugby — for example, England’s Amy Cokayne balances international rugby with RAF service under an Elite Athlete Scheme. The Women’s 15s Player of the Year nominees include England’s Megan Jones, Canada’s Sophie de Goede and New Zealand’s Jorja Miller. Braxton Sorensen-McGee and Jorja Miller are also nominated in the Women’s 15s Breakthrough category, with Sorensen-McGee having scored 12 tries in eight tests, including two World Cup hat-tricks. The awards will honour excellence in playing, coaching and officiating amid record crowds and heightened global attention.