The Women's Rugby World Cup is off to a roaring start, smashing viewing records and proving that women's sport is a force to be reckoned with! The opening weekend saw a massive 4.6 million viewers tuning in to live coverage across the BBC, dwarfing the entire reach of the 2021 World Cup (played in 2022), which attracted 3.7 million viewers overall.
Record-Breaking Numbers
England's dominant victory over the United States drew a peak audience of 2.4 million on BBC One and an additional 600,000 on iPlayer. But the excitement didn't stop there! Scotland's win against Wales attracted 1.2 million viewers, and Ireland's victory over Japan pulled in a peak audience of 534,000.
Digital Domination
The digital numbers are just as impressive. Over the weekend, the tournament generated 2.1 million streams across BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app. During the opening week, a staggering 3.2 million unique visitors accessed World Cup content on the BBC Sport website and app, with 1.2 million engaging with the live text pages during the matches.
- Peak Audience (England vs. USA): 2.4 million (BBC One) + 600,000 (iPlayer)
- Total Streams (Weekend): 2.1 million
- Total Viewers (Weekend): 4.6 million
A Historic Summer for Women's Sport
BBC Director of Sport Alex Kay-Jelski highlighted the significance of these numbers, stating, "It's been a historical summer for women's sport and BBC Sport is proud to have been at the heart of it. These record-breaking figures for the opening weekend of the Rugby World Cup show the growing passion and interest of fans across the UK."
The attendance record was also broken on the opening night with 42,723 fans watching England triumph over the American Eagles. With all four home nations competing, the tournament promises even more excitement and compelling stories from these inspiring female athletes. Ruby Tui, a New Zealand international, believes investing in women's rugby is the wisest decision right now.