UK public service broadcaster the BBC broke viewership records for its coverage of the Women’s Rugby World Cup (WRWC) final between England and Canada.
The match over the weekend (September 27), which ended with host nation England lifting the trophy after an emphatic 33-13 win over Canada, saw a record-breaking 5.8 million tune into the BBC’s coverage across its linear channels and streaming platform.
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The figure makes the match not only the UK television’s most-watched women’s rugby union match ever, but also the most-watched rugby match of the year.
The match also broke attendance records, with 81,885 fans filling Allianz Stadium in Twickenham.
BBC Sport director Alex Kay-Jelski said: “This record-breaking tournament is a landmark moment for women’s rugby, and we’re incredibly proud to have brought every moment to audiences across the UK.
“The response from fans from packed stadiums to millions watching and engaging across BBC digital platforms shows the huge appetite for world-class women’s sport.”
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By GlobalDataThe new viewership figure comes only a week after the BBC announced a record 3.3 million watched its coverage of the WRWC semi-final between England and France.
Across the full tournament, the broadcaster said a total of 12 million watched via its linear channels, while 10.5 million streamed WRWC action on its iPlayer and BBC Sport digital platforms.
BBC Sport’s social media clips during the tournament drew 51 million views, while its live reporting pages recorded 18.3 million views.
Beyond its coverage of this year’s WRWC, the BBC holds domestic rights to Premiership Women’s Rugby, which will see it air one match per week, plus one semi-final and final, for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons. It also has rights to show European rugby union’s Women’s Six Nations tournament.
