TF1 also showed the delayed 2021 Women’s World Cup which was played last year. (Image: World Rugby)

TF1, the French public-service broadcaster, has acquired exclusive domestic rights to the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup.

The deal, which extends a long-standing partnership between World Rugby, the sport’s global governing body, and TF1, will also see the broadcaster show the inaugural WXV women’s competition.

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TF1 will broadcast live France matches from the top division of WXV 1 hosted in New Zealand. France play the hosts on October 21, Australia on October 28, and Canada on November 4.

The broadcaster also showed the delayed 2021 Women’s World Cup which was played last year.

The 2025 World Cup will be held in England from 22 August to 27 September, featuring 16 teams, including France who secured automatic qualification by finishing third in New Zealand last year.

Julien Millereux, TF1 director of sport, said: “The acquisition of this competition reaffirms our commitment to rugby and, more broadly, to women's sport.

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“We are delighted to offer the French viewers this elite tournament, which we're convinced will be one of the stand-out sporting events of 2025.”

World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin added: “The women’s game is central to our mission to grow rugby globally. By increasing visibility across broadcasters and via digital platforms, we can showcase the very best players in the world, increasing our fanbase and participation more broadly.

“Over a successful and long-standing partnership, TF1 has demonstrated that it shares our vision and therefore we are delighted to be bringing an expanded Rugby World Cup and the debut of WXV, two massive moments for the sport, to viewers in France via TF1’s quality programming and promotion.”

The agreement represents the second major women’s event secured by TF1 in as many weeks after it snapped up rights to soccer’s 2025 UEFA Women’s European Championship.   

WXV is the new three-tiered global competition announced in 2021 to double the annual international fixtures for most competing teams. In this way, it will help to achieve the governing body’s aim for the competition of “increasing the competitiveness, reach, and impact of elite women’s rugby.”

The new competition will be the main element of a new pathway from regional events to the Rugby World Cup, with World Rugby putting the women’s game at the center of its strategy to grow rugby union as a whole.

New Zealand was first announced as the host of the first top-tiered WXV 1 in May.  Cape Town, South Africa, meanwhile, will host the second-tier WXV 2 on the weekends of October 14, 21, and 28.

The WXV 1 inaugural season will kick off at Wellington’s Sky Stadium (October 20 and 21), before heading to Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium Mt Smart (October 27 and 28) and ending in Auckland’s Go Media Stadium (November 3 and 4).

Each venue will host a standalone Friday night test, followed by a Saturday doubleheader.