Women's Rugby World Cup 2025: The National Lottery's Summer of Sport
As part of our Summer of Sports campaign, we're celebrating how National Lottery funding has developed women and girls' rugby from grassroots through to elite level. As England prepares to host the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, the spotlight is not only on the world-class players, but also the grassroots journeys that brought them here.
Long before women's sport enjoyed the recognition it has today, The National Lottery was already investing in its future. For over 30 years, National Lottery players have raised millions for Good Causes every week, helping to change the game for women and girls rugby.
A landmark moment for rugby
This will be the most accessible Women’s Rugby World Cup yet, with matches taking place across eight cities in England and 16 teams competing to be crowned world champions. The tournament is set to be a landmark moment for the sport. It will not only showcase elite talent, but also inspire new fans, players and communities across the country and beyond.
30 years of changing the game
The National Lottery has backed women and girls sport at every level, helping create more chances for women to play, lead, coach and compete. Since 1994, £6.8 billion has been invested in over 90,000 grassroots sports projects across the UK, changing the game for women and girls' rugby. This funding has helped expand access to coaching, grow school and community sessions, support female coaches and leaders, improve and develop facilities, and build the foundations to keep more women and girls in the game.
This support spans the entire UK - In Wales, a three-phase development programme means no girl is more than an hour from quality rugby coaching. In Scotland, women’s and girls’ initiatives are backed by grassroots rugby funding, whilst Scottish Rugby’s Women and Girls’ Strategy is powered by National Lottery investment.
In Northern Ireland, funding is helping build the next generation of sporting heroines through women’s and girls’ rugby development. In England, this summer’s World Cup host, programmes are expanding access to coaching, growing school and community sessions, and supporting female coaches and leaders to shape the sport’s future.
From iconic venues like Cardiff’s Principality Stadium (£46 million investment) to grassroots clubs across the UK, this support has opened up opportunities for women and girls to discover the game they love, develop skills, build friendships, and experience the unique spirit of rugby. For 30 years, the National Lottery has been a consistent supporter of women’s and girls’ sport in the UK.
The Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 isn’t just about elite sport; it’s about the thousands of girls who picked up a ball for the first time and found the confidence and community that rugby brings.
Behind every medal and every try: many journeys in women and girls' rugby have been powered by National Lottery players.
From Grassroots to Greatness: The National Lottery's Rugby Revolution
As England hosts the Women's Rugby World Cup this summer, we're witnessing the culmination of three decades of National Lottery support that has transformed women and girls' rugby in all the home nations - from the grassroots up.
Over the last 30 years, by investing over £6 billion into more than 90,000 grassroots clubs and organisations, The National Lottery has been game-changing for women and girls' sport across the UK.
Read the full story.
Gwylliaid Meirionnydd - From Near-Collapse to Thriving Success
When Tirion Thomas stepped up to coach her under-18s team at just 18 years old, she prevented the girls' section from collapsing.
Her intervention, supported by National Lottery funding through Sport Wales, sparked a transformation at Gwylliaid Meirionnydd Female Hub that has seen it explode from a single team to six full girls' teams ranging from under-8s to under-18s.
From Talgarth Fields to International Glory: Wales's Newest Rugby Star
When 19-year-old Tilly Vucaj made her Wales debut in Brisbane last month, scoring a stunning 21-12 victory over Australia, her journey had begun thousands of miles away on the fields of Gwernyfed RFC in Talgarth, where she first picked up a rugby ball aged seven.
Vucaj's rise from grassroots rugby to international stardom demonstrates the transformational impact of National Lottery investment that has revolutionised women's sport across Britain. Her story begins at a club that has benefited from £38,624 in National Lottery funding since 2013 - part of more than £170 million invested across nearly 4,000 rugby projects throughout the UK.
Four Sisters from One Welsh Club Make Rugby World Cup History
A remarkable achievement in North Wales has seen four sisters from the same small rugby club being selected in the Wales squad for the 2025 Rugby World Cup – a feat that demonstrates the power of National Lottery investment in grassroots women's sport.
Ceirw Nant Rugby Club in Llanrwst has established itself as an unprecedented production line for Welsh women's international talent, with sisters Gwenllian and Alaw Pyrs joining Nel and Branwen Metcalfe in Wales' World Cup squad.
Ballymena RFC - Breaking Barriers, Building Dreams
In the heart of County Antrim, a rugby revolution is taking place. Ballymena RFC, founded in 1887 and home to legends like Willie-John McBride and Syd Millar, is proving that its legacy of producing five British & Irish Lions was just the beginning.
Today, thanks to sustained National Lottery investment, this historic club is writing an entirely new chapter - one where women and girls are the stars of the show.
Valkyries Rugby Hub - Revolution Takes Flight
Valkyries Rugby Hub has transformed women’s rugby in North East Wales, growing from a handful of players in 2019 to nearly 250 girls today.
Backed by £3,000 of National Lottery funding, the hub has inspired cup finalists, national representatives and award-winning volunteers, becoming a true beacon of grassroots rugby.
Enniskillen RFC: Where International Dreams Begin
Enniskillen RFC has become a powerhouse for women’s rugby in Northern Ireland, developing players like Claire Boles, India Daley and Sophie Barrett into international stars.
Backed by National Lottery support, the club provides a clear pathway from grassroots to elite, inspiring the next generation of players.
Four Female Stars, One Vision: How Cambuslang's Women's Rugby Programme Stunned Scotland
Cambuslang RFC's women's and girls' rugby programme has achieved something extraordinary that has captured Scottish rugby's attention – producing four Scotland U18 Women's squad members simultaneously.
Erin Bothwell, Gemma Gordon, Lucy Symon, and Ellen Wood's selections demonstrate how National Lottery investment in female rugby development transforms entire communities.
Sheffield Tigers - Forging Excellence in the Steel City
With nearly £700,000 of crucial support from National Lottery funding through Sport England over more than two decades, the club has forged ahead with developing women's rugby.
Since 1998, Sheffield Tigers RUFC has been awarded seven grants totalling £693,531, demonstrating sustained investment that has transformed grassroots rugby.
127 Years to Women's Rugby Glory: How Historic Legacy Created Modern Female International Success
Dalkeith RFC's extraordinary growth into a women's rugby regional powerhouse exemplifies how historic clubs are embracing female sport development.
Their comprehensive approach to women's and girls' rugby - spanning across all ages - now represents one of Scotland's most inclusive female rugby development models.
Ivybridge RFC: Championing Women's Rugby in Devon's South Hams
In the heart of Devon's South Hams, Ivybridge Rugby Football Club is spearheading remarkable growth in women's rugby.
Since their women's section relocated from Plymouth Albion in 2019, the club has blossomed into a beacon for female rugby players across the region, supported by National Lottery funding from Sport England.
Fylde Rugby Community Foundation: Award-Winning Rugby Pioneers in North West England's Football Heartland
Based at Woodlands Memorial Ground in Lytham St Annes, their mission is to improve access to Rugby Union on the Fylde Coast and beyond by offering community pathways for participation and appreciation of the sport – regardless of age, sex, religion or background.
With particular focus on developing women's and girls' rugby, they're diversifying the sporting landscape in this corner of North West England as the country prepares to host the Women's Rugby World Cup this summer.
South Pembrokeshire Sharks: Building Champions on the Coast
Along Pembrokeshire's dramatic coastline, South Pembrokeshire Sharks are creating waves in women's and girls' rugby development.
The hub, hosted by Tenby RFC and formed in 2018, exemplifies how National Lottery investment transforms grassroots women's rugby.
In January 2018, Bishopton RFC launched their women's section with a simple yet effective philosophy: every woman deserves the opportunity to discover rugby excellence, regardless of experience.
As the Women's Rugby World Cup demonstrates the global growth of women's rugby, this Renfrewshire club proves that inclusive approaches and competitive success flourish together.
How Seven Girls Became a Women's Rugby Dynasty
The club's growth represents the success of strategic investment in female rugby participation. Named after England player Sonia "Sonic" Green, the Sonics embody how National Lottery funding creates opportunities for girls and women in rugby, with direct connections to the professional Saracens women's team that has produced England internationals.
The 'Maa Maas' Making History During England's World Cup
Reading Abbey Rugby Club in Berkshire is revolutionising women's rugby by creating dedicated pathways for mothers returning to sport after having children. The club's groundbreaking "Maa Maas" team - composed entirely of mothers - showcases how National Lottery investment removes barriers and creates sustainable opportunities for women in rugby.
The club has received £15,000 of National Lottery funding through Sport England to build dedicated women's and girls' changing facilities, currently under development. This investment represents the practical infrastructure changes that enable women to participate fully in rugby, addressing fundamental barriers that have historically limited female participation.