Semis, Streaks & Storylines
- Sera Naiqama
- Sep 16
- 3 min read
4 things we’ve learned so far from the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup.
The opening month of the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup has delivered it all: drama, power, flair and a tournament that refuses to be ignored.
Quarter-finals have reduced the tournament from eight teams to just four. The Female Athlete Project takes a moment to reflect on four things we’ve learned (and loved) so far.
The Big Four
England, Canada, New Zealand, and France have established themselves as among the world’s best. All are unbeaten, setting up a blockbuster weekend of semi-final rugby, but the spotlight is firmly on Canada and France.
The Red Roses and Black Ferns are proven finals specialists, but Canada and France have travelled very different paths. Canada made history by reaching the 2014 World Cup Final, while Les Bleues carry one of rugby’s most bittersweet records: ten Rugby World Cup semi-finals, ten defeats.
Last weekend, France was the only side of the Big Four not to crack 40 points. Their gritty win over Ireland impressed, but facing an in-form England on a 31-match winning streak is a far greater challenge.
What’s certain is this: these four sides are the benchmark of the women’s game and are now one step closer to lifting the World Cup.
It would be remiss not to acknowledge the grit and competitiveness of Australia, South Africa, Ireland, and Scotland. Their effort could never be faulted, and each leaves the tournament with a campaign to be immensely proud of.
Red Roses are re-writing the numbers
England aren’t just winning on the field, their fans are showing up in huge numbers off it.
Every time England play, the stands are full. Over their last four games, 112,076 people have turned up. That’s an average of 28,000 a match. And the Cup Final at Twickenham? Already sold out, with 82,000 tickets gone before the semi-finals even started.
TV audiences are just as strong. The BBC reported over the pool stages 7 million viewers tuned in with 4.6 million from the opening weekend alone. For comparison, the entire 2022 Rugby World Cup reached 3.7 million across the whole tournament. With three games still to go, that number will climb.
So the next time someone says “no one watches women’s rugby,” smirk and show them the receipts.
Take a Dow
But this World Cup isn’t just about full stadiums and big TV numbers. It’s also about the personalities lighting it up off the field.
Personalities have never shone brighter. Inspired by Ilona Maher’s trailblazing presence, players are bringing fans closer than ever, from day-in-the-life vlogs to weekly photo dumps, and we are here for it.
One player stealing the spotlight off the field is England winger Abby Dow, whose love of crochet has become a signature of this World Cup. She has turned her hobby into heartfelt gestures — gifting a bouquet of roses to the Princess of Wales, crocheting whistles for the referees in England’s quarter-final against Scotland, and stitching a number 14 jersey for every opposing winger she has faced.
It’s quirky, crafty, and the kind of content that makes you smile. Double-tap it, share it, spread it.
It’s a New Era
For some players, this World Cup is the final chapter. Going out on your own terms is the dream of every athlete, and this tournament was the last act for legends like Fijiana lock Asinate Serevi, the Springbok Women’s longest-serving captain Nolusindiso “Cindy” Booi, and Scotland’s 74-capped veteran Jade Konkel.
But as one generation bows out, another rises.
The emergence of new Test stars this month has been one of the standout stories. The Black Ferns’ 18-year-old superstar Braxton Sorensen-McGee, Wallaroos flyer Desiree Miller, and Eagles back-rower Freda Tafuna have all announced themselves on the world stage in their debut World Cup.
The common thread? Each has a knack for adding points to the scoreboard, and as of now, all three sit among the tournament’s top point scorers.
If this is what one World Cup cycle can uncover, just imagine the stars we are yet to meet.
To wrap it up...
It all comes down to this: New Zealand vs Canada. England vs France. Eighty minutes to decide who earns the right to play for the ultimate prize. The pressure is immense, the stakes higher than ever, but one truth remains: fortune favours the brave.
Let the semi-finals begin!
Written by Sera Naiqama
Wallaroo, Super Rugby Women's player and pundit.
The [female] athlete project is Australia's fastest growing women's sports platform, spotlighting the stories and achievements of women in sport. Listen to the weekly podcast the wrap on apple or spotify, or sign up to our weekly newsletter here.
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