'Greatest World Cup' - 2025 Rugby World Cup CEO on Impact 25 Legacy Programme

It’s 500 days until the Women’s Rugby World Cup commences at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland. With England currently number one in the world and on course for yet another Six Nations Grand Slam this spring, all eyes are on whether they can recreate their 2014 success and lift the highest prize in the sport on home soil. 

However, England’s successes will be far from the only ambitions of the Rugby Football Union as they seek to significantly increase investment and participation in the sport. Launched in 2022, the RFU has today been celebrating ‘Impact 25’, a programme delivered by the Rugby Football Union (RFU) in partnership with UK Government, Sport England and UK Sport. 

As such, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport have committed £12.13 million to the programme which is designed to “supercharge” the growth of women’s and girls’ rugby throughout England and the home nations. One of the biggest objectives of the programme is to see 100,000 female players by 2027 - there are around 40,000 now.

Speaking exclusively to NationalWorld at one of their celebratory events in Bristol today, Managing Director of the Women’s World Cup 2025 Sarah Massey praised the ongoing efforts the Impact 25’ Legacy Programme is having on the development of grassroots rugby while also appreciating the necessity to keep this growth at a sustainable level. 

“I think lots of women’s sports are trying to come to terms with (sustainability of growth)”, Massey said. “We want to keep growing, we want to get bigger and we want to keep it different from the men’s. We want to take the real USPs and why (fans) engage with it because it is so different and it's about making sure we keep hold of that. 

“We’ve done a real intentional step up of standards. The boardroom hasn’t gone ‘Let’s increase everything’. It’s gone ‘right, for this event, we’re going to do this.’ For example, it was really important from a player standards and facilities point of view that they had individual team bases. In New Zealand they were sharing facilities so it was really important that they (would be) individual (in 2025).

“We’ve been intentional about which standards we’re going to step up”, Massed added. “And for Australia, this is what we’re going to do. It’s not about building it all right now, it’s about building it in incremental steps because if it's not sustainable then World Rugby won’t be able to continue to invest in it.”

Following such great women’s sporting successes of the T20 Cricket World Cup in 2017 as well as the European Championships in 2022, Massey is well aware of the weight hanging over the shoulders of the competition but has spoken of her excitement at Women’s Rugby being the ‘voice’ of female sport in this country for the next 18 months at least. 

“What’s brilliant about women’s sport is that they help each other” Massey praised.  “Women’s Football;  Women’s cricket; has laid the groundwork for what we’re able to do in women’s rugby. “Everyone’s very keen to help, sending us all of their insight and research in women’s sport. 

“They know that what we do in 2025 will help the growth of the next sport. It’s a real old cliche that ‘All Ships rise’ but it's really true. The amount of support that the FA has given us, in terms of sitting down, talking to us, (selling) tickets - they’re really happy to share their learnings so we can improve and enhance what they did. We also now have several meetings coming up with the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) ahead of T20 World Cup 2026.”

“Our biggest mission is that this is going to be the greatest Rugby World Cup. We are now the leading voice for the next 18 months in terms of championing gender equality. We need to, and do, take that really seriously”.