The RFU has published a report showing Impact ’25 Year 3 results, with only 15 days remaining until the Women’s Rugby World Cup kicks off in Sunderland, when the Red Roses take on the USA on 22 August. A full report will be available in the autumn.
The Impact ’25 programme sees over £14.55m of Government funding committed to the sport in England and the home unions up to the end of March 2026, creating more opportunities for women and girls to get involved in rugby.
Impact ’25 is being delivered by the RFU in partnership with UK Government, Sport England and UK Sport. The programme is providing substantial improvements in facilities and greater opportunities for females at all levels of the game in England, with a range of support being offered to clubs across five key pillars: Facilities, Coaching and Officiating, Playing and Volunteering, International Development and Community and Fan Engagement.
You can read the report here, but some key highlights include:
- 37,000+ women and girls reached by Impact ’25 in Year 3
- 500+ clubs, schools and universities supported in Year 3
- 35% increase in registered age grade girls since the start of Impact ’25
- 3,385 new female coaches and match officials engaged in training thanks to Impact ’25
- 77% of targeted funding delivered outside London & South East
This year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 and its legacy programme will be a game-changer for women’s participation across the sport, shaping positive perceptions at all levels of the game and benefitting local communities. The tournament promises to be an era-defining celebration of women’s rugby with unprecedented levels of engagement throughout the country and beyond. The World Cup kicks off later this month in Sunderland on 22 August 2025, with the final being held at the iconic Allianz Stadium in Twickenham to an anticipated capacity crowd.
Impact ’25 funding began in the 2022-23 season and was awarded for four years until 2025-26. The funding is being used to increase access to rugby for women and girls, in line with the RFU’s Every Rose action plan and the tournament’s goal to reach new audiences and inspire a generation of fans. All home nations are benefitting from funding to help develop female coaches and match officials.
Alex Teasdale, RFU Executive Director of the Women’s Game said: “After three years of delivering the Rugby World Cup 2025 legacy programme, Impact ’25, it is important to be able to share the results of all that hard work. We can really see the growth across all five of our key focus areas – from coaching and officiating to playing and volunteering.
“This is a clear demonstration of how investment can directly improve the rugby experiences of women and girls across the country, as well as the positive social impact it’s having on participants’ lives.
“We’re really grateful to UK Government for committing funding to this transformational programme and our partnership with Sport England and UK Sport in its delivery.”
Steve Grainger, RFU Executive Director of Rugby Development said: “It is really encouraging to see the direct impact of this investment in growing our game in clubs, schools, colleges and universities. It comes at an exciting time and complements our ambitious plans to take T1 Rugby, a new non-contact form of the game, into 5,000 schools and colleges over the next 4 years.
“We welcome the recent announcements from government on community facilities and school sport. This investment is key to ensuring the long-term legacy from this tournament and we look forward to working with them to maximise this once in a generation moment.”
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: “To see so many more women and girls getting involved in rugby ahead of the World Cup is fantastic – but this is just the start. We’ve supported the Impact 25 programme with millions of pounds of investment because making sport truly accessible to all is a key part of this Government’s Plan For Change.
“This summer’s tournament promises to be the biggest ever and by investing in the grassroots game now we are setting it up to be a transformative moment for women’s rugby.”
Parent of a 6-12 girls’ programme participant said: “Thank you for all you’ve done, it’s really made my daughter excited about rugby. It’s given her a chance to enjoy a sport she otherwise wouldn’t have tried.”
With thanks to the RFU
