Women’s Rugby is just getting started. Anyone looking to get in on the ground floor of one of the fastest growing team sports in the world should act fast.

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The rise of women’s rugby is one of the most compelling growth stories in the global sports landscape. Once a niche sport, women’s rugby is now entering a new era. With professional leagues forming, cultural stars breaking through, and global tournaments setting attendance and revenue records, the momentum is undeniable. 

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For brands and investors, it’s a market on the brink of mainstream success, with untapped commercial potential. Here’s a look at why women’s rugby is poised for major growth, and how the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup is the ultimate showcase of the sport’s momentum.

Until recently, women’s rugby lacked the professional structure that propelled men’s rugby into the global mainstream. Today, however, leagues across the globe are not only providing athletes with opportunities to develop but also creating sustainable pathways for the sport’s growth. With the launch of Women’s Elite Rugby in the U.S., alongside established competitions like Premiership Women’s Rugby in England, France’s Elite 1 Féminine, and Super Rugby Women in Australia, women’s rugby is gaining visibility, building competitive balance, and offering young athletes tangible role models to follow. These leagues are laying the foundation for a fully professional ecosystem that can attract fans, media partners, and sponsors year-round.

Every breakout sport needs a star, and women’s rugby has Ilona Maher. Equal parts world-class athlete and social media phenom, Maher has become one of the most recognizable faces in global sport. In addition to her TikTok videos have racked up millions of views, she’s an ESPY winner, and was even featured in season 33 of Dancing With the Stars.

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Maher’s influence extends well beyond the rugby pitch, but her mainstream fandom has helped propel women’s rugby into the global spotlight. Maher is the most-followed rugby player in the world (men’s or women’s) with 5.2 million followers on Instagram and 3.6 million on TikTok. For brands, this represents a high-ROI marketing opportunity. As her star power continues to grow, it will bring women’s rugby along with it.

Money talks, and women’s rugby is starting to attract serious investment. Michele Kang, who is already a trailblazer in women’s sports ownership, recently invested $4 million in USA Women’s Rugby following the team’s bronze medal performance at the Paris Olympics.

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This kind of backing matters. Investors like Kang are betting that rugby is not just a cultural movement but also a commercial one.

Perhaps the most exciting trend is the surge of new fans. According to recent data from World Rugby, nearly half (49%) of women’s rugby fans have only started following the sport in the last two years. That kind of momentum is rare in the sports world, and it shows rugby is breaking through to new audiences at record speed.

All of these trends – professionalization, cultural visibility, investor confidence, and audience growth – have come to life on the biggest stage of all: the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup.

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With expanded teams, record-breaking ticket sales, major broadcast commitments, and sold-out stadiums, the World Cup is more than a tournament. It’s a global demonstration of just how far women’s rugby has come, and how much further it can go.

Caroline Fitzgerald is a contributing writer for TOGETHXR.com and a leading expert in women’s sports business and gender equity. A Sports Business Journal "2024 Power Player in Women's Sports," she covers the forces shaping the industry’s next era of growth.

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Follow Caroline on TikTok and Instagram.