CEO Alan Gilpin speaks to Broadcast Sport about the rights deal
World Rugby today, 22 August, announced that the Women’s Rugby World Cup England 2025 will be shown on the BBC.
England are one of the favourites for the tournament, which takes place 22 August - 27 September 2025, and the hopes are that it will build on the success of the rugby 7s at the Paris 2024 Olympics as well as big moments for women’s sport in the UK such as the recent football World Cup and Lionesses winning the Euros.
Broadcast Sport spoke to World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin about why the organisation went with the BBC, after reports of several bids from different broadcasters in the build up to the announcement.
ITV has been the home men’s Rugby World Cup since 1991, plus aired the 2021 Women’s Rugby World Cup, and Gilpin noted, “ITV has been a fantastic partner for a long time, and will be in the future,” but that the BBC had an, “incredibly compelling proposition.”
Key to the BBC winning out was that it’s a, “big advocate of women’s sport,” and promises, “significant linear free to air coverage.” Gilpin said that a paywall was never an option for the tournament, “because of the significance of the event, nationwide free-to-air coverage was vital.”
The exact parameters of what will be shown on linear and what will be on iPlayer is yet to be confirmed, with Wales, Scotland and Ireland yet to qualify for the tournament. The trio will be part of the WXV competition next month, which the BBC will also show, where the final six World Cup teams will qualify.
For now, the next steps for the BBC and World Rugby will be to, “discuss how to use their platform, reaching into their non-sport and entertainment audiences as well as sport.” Using the BBC’s broadcast platform is key to Gilpin and World Rugby, who says the organisation, “wants people to have the maximum opportunity to watch the tournament.”
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