The two sides of a Women’s World Cup that could transform rugby

The stories of the first Women’s World Cup in 1991 have been passed down through the rugby generations, told and retold to each and every entrant into a sport that still carries the against-all-odds spirit that inspired that first tournament. Held in Cardiff across eight days, the event was entirely unsanctioned by the International Rugby Board (IRB) and organised by four remarkable women from Richmond Rugby Club, starting a movement that no one else would.

It was an event beset by challenges. Even before it began, Deborah Griffin – one of Richmond’s “founding four” – was being told off by the IRB for having the idea at all, her infant daughter with her as she ignored their censure. England sported shirts featuring a different rose to their male equivalents with their integration into the Rugby Football Union (RFU) still 18 years away; the Russian team bartered for rooms with vodka, the only tradeable commodity to make the trip with them as the Soviet Union did not allow hard currency out of the country; and the entire playing personnel spent a night together on the floor of a function space ahead of the final after a mix-up with the hotel bookings.

They are the tales of a different time and a different sport that are nonetheless worth reflecting on as a transformative tournament begins. Over these next six weeks, women’s rugby will enjoy a spotlight beyond that which it has experienced before, with record ticket sales, a sold-out final and extensive broadcast coverage shining a spotlight on the elite athletes and captivating characters that already make it a game of unrealised riches. In all, more than 400,000 people are expected to attend, while sales of train tickets to Sunderland have spiked by 600 per cent ahead of the opening clash at the Stadium of Light on Friday.

Kicking off the tournament are the Red Roses, a dominant sporting side seeking the ultimate prize that has eluded them in the last two tournaments. Since losing the last World Cup final, John Mitchell’s team have gone unbeaten to again threaten their own record winning streak of 30, set in the run-up to that last tournament. On and off the field, in virtually every way, they are setting the standard for others to follow – England are better resourced, better supported, and better prepared than any other side at this tournament.

But any thought that they will simply strut and saunter to victory would be deeply misplaced. Their recent final record against New Zealand means that any meeting with the defending champions, the Black Ferns, will be fraught with danger and doubts. It is France – marvellous and maddening, often at the same time – and Canada, though, that have given the Red Roses their sternest tests during this cycle, possessing as they do the forward might to match England. If either finds their groove, a first tournament triumph is well within reach.

Beneath the leading four, each side will have their own battles to fight. For some, like the United States and Australia, there will be hopes of a deep run to engage a dormant nation and break into that top group in time; Ireland, Scotland and Wales are all capable of taking a step forward, too. Others will not simply be happy to be here but it is important to recognise how positive their participation is – debutants Brazil, for example, have played fewer than 20 official Tests in their history. The hope is that they, and the rest, will be swept along and lifted by a rising tide of support that lifts all boats.

Those within rugby are split on the impact on this tournament of the Lionesses’ continuing success, the sporting story of the summer perhaps already told, but the way in which Sarina Wiegman’s side have captivated a nation is evidence of how swiftly the landscape can change. Privately within World Rugby, there will be some hope for a home success to make the Red Roses household names throughout England – and drag stars from other nations along with them, too.

Everywhere you look at this World Cup there are stories of perseverance. Take Babalwa Latsha, the prop who rose from meagre beginnings in a South African township to become as articulate a spokesperson for the sport as any, alongside her forceful impacts on the pitch. Closer to home there is Abi Burton, left in a coma for 25 days by encephalitis in 2022 – having learned to walk again, she has timed her run perfectly to bolt into the Red Roses’ squad. Then there is Ilona Maher, a social media phenomenon but first and foremost, as she will underline, a high-class rugby player for the United States.

Yet the backdrop remains murky. While England’s contracts are now of decent value, some other professionals at this tournament are not earning much at all – and they are among the lucky ones at what remains a largely amateur or semi-professional event. A portion of the Scottish squad do not know their employment status beyond this tournament amid messy contract talks. Canada launched a crowdfunding effort at the start of the year to make it to this tournament, while many of Samoa’s players have also appealed for financial support.

Many of those involved have had to take annual leave, quit jobs or pause their studies to make it to England. While women’s rugby is as inclusive a sporting space as any, it was only in February of this year, of course, that Fiji’s director of rugby was sacked for saying that their side has a “gay problem”. Both the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) and the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) have faced, and denied, allegations of sexism in the last few years. Some things change; some, depressingly, don’t.

There will be plenty of time to consider these issues over the coming weeks, but all involved are intent on making this the celebration of rugby it should be. For this event might have importance beyond just the eventual hoisters of the redesigned trophy on 27 September. At a time where male participation numbers in rugby are generally falling in major nations, the other half of the sport provides hope of a brighter future. “It’s an opportunity to empower real change for women and girls around the world,” World Cup director Sarah Massey said this week – let us hope it is the lasting legacy of a tournament that could launch the sport into a new era.