The Women’s Rugby World Cup will always have a special place in the hearts of rugby fans here in the States. 34 years ago, the Eagles, skippered by 39-year-old Mary Gail Sullivan, shocked the world by lifting the trophy when the tournament was first held in Wales. En route to that 1991 triumph, they knocked out New Zealand in the semis and beat England in the Final.
Unfortunately, the US was eliminated in the group stage of the 2025 Rugby World Cup, after drawing with Australia and losing to England, 69-7. We're into the semi-final stage now with both matches confirmed: England take on France and New Zealand face Canada. France's wait for a first Rugby World Cup semi-final goes on, but they will certainly take pride from their journey. They only had one player with any experience of playing in a Rugby World Cup: Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald. Given they pushed serial semi-finalists France all the way on Sunday will give them a huge boost.
New Zealand may only be currently ranked third in the Women’s World Rankings, but they have been the dominant side when it comes to the World Cup. The Black Ferns have reigned supreme at 6 of the last 7 editions of the tournament, beating England in five of those Finals. However, it’s the 2025 World Cup hosts, England, who are the favourites to lift the trophy for a third time following their title triumphs in 1994 and 2014. Amazingly, the Red Roses haven’t lost a game since their 2022 World Cup Final defeat to New Zealand.
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Meanwhile, Canada are through to their sixth Rugby World Cup semi-final, where they will play against New Zealand in Bristol on Friday. Let GOAL bring you all the vital information about the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, including the full match schedule, and where you can watch or stream all the match action live.
When is the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025?
The Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 kicks off with England vs the United States at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland on Friday, August 22, and ends with the final at Twickenham in London on Saturday, September 27. Check out when the various stages of the tournament are taking place:
| Stage | Dates |
|---|---|
| Group Stage | August 22 - September 7 |
| Quarter-finals | September 13-14 |
| Semi-finals | September 19-20 |
| Final | September 27 |
How to watch the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025
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If you can't travel across the Atlantic Ocean to check out the Women’s Rugby World Cup action in person during August and September, you can always watch or stream the action live at home or on the go.
CBS Sports and Paramount+ are the exclusive home of rugby in the United States until at least 2029, including the next three Rugby World Cups. CBS Sports will provide unprecedented multi-platform rugby coverage across linear and streaming, and Paramount+ will stream every Rugby World Cup match and all the USA Rugby National Team’s World Rugby matches.
Paramount+ offers two subscription plans: Paramount+ Essential with ads for $7.99/month or $59.99/year, and Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, which is ad-free (except for live TV) for $12.99/month or $119.99/year. Both allow you to watch the live rugby action:
- Paramount+ Essential: This plan includes access to a vast library of movies and shows, live sports like NFL on CBS and UEFA Champions League, and 24/7 live news with CBS News. It also includes some ads.
- Paramount+ with SHOWTIME: This plan includes everything in the Essential plan plus the entire SHOWTIME library, ad-free viewing (except for live TV and a few shows), and the ability to download shows to your mobile device.
For fans looking to catch the Women’s Rugby World Cup on CBS Sports and tag it onto a great sports package, Fubo is one of the best streaming services around. Fubo packages start from $79.99 a month, and they offer all-inclusive free 7-day trials before you pay. Fubo’s massive streaming plans carry up to 200+ channels, and you can get even more depending on your location. For avid sports fans, Fubo is the ultimate choice as it also provides access to other popular sports, including NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL & MLS. International soccer fans can also enjoy some of the world’s best leagues, such as the Premier League and La Liga. Most Fubo plans allow you to stream on up to 10 devices simultaneously.
Which teams are playing at the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025?
For the first time since 2002, 16 teams are participating in the Women's Rugby World Cup Finals. They are split into four pools of four as follows:
| Pool | Teams |
|---|---|
| A | United States, England, Australia, Samoa |
| B | Canada, Scotland, Wales, Fiji |
| C | New Zealand, Ireland, Japan, Spain |
| D | France, Italy, South Africa, Brazil |
Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 schedule
Below is the full schedule for the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025:
| Date | Fixture | Kick-off (ET) | Watch | Stream |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri Aug 22 | Pool A - England vs USA | 2:30 pm | CBS | Paramount+/ Fubo |
| Sat Aug 23 | Pool A - Australia vs Samoa | 7 am | CBS | Paramount+/ Fubo |
| Sat Aug 23 | Pool B - Scotland vs Wales | 9:45 am | CBS | Paramount+/ Fubo |
| Sat Aug 23 | Pool B - Canada vs Fiji | 12:30 pm | CBS | Paramount+/ Fubo |
| Sat Aug 23 | Pool D - France vs Italy | 3:15 pm | CBS | Paramount+/ Fubo |
| Sun Aug 24 | Pool C - Ireland vs Japan | 7 am | CBS | Paramount+/ Fubo |
| Sun Aug 24 | Pool D - South Africa vs Brazil | 9:45 am | CBS | Paramount+/ Fubo |
| Sun Aug 24 | Pool C - New Zealand vs Spain | 12:30 pm | CBS | Paramount+/ Fubo |
| Sat Aug 30 | Pool B – Canada vs Wales | 7 am | CBS | Paramount+/ Fubo |
| Sat Aug 30 | Pool B – Scotland vs Fiji | 9:45 am | CBS | Paramount+/ Fubo |
| Sat Aug 30 | Pool A – England vs Samoa | 12:00 pm | CBS | Paramount+/ Fubo |
| Sat Aug 30 | Pool A – USA vs Australia | 2:30 pm | CBS | Paramount+/ Fubo |
| Sat Aug 30 | Pool A – USA vs Australia | 2:30 pm | CBS | Paramount+/ Fubo |
| Sun Aug 31 | Pool C – Ireland vs Spain | 7 am | CBS | Paramount+/ Fubo |
| Sun Aug 31 | Pool C – New Zealand vs Japan | 9 am | CBS | Paramount+/ Fubo |
| Sun Aug 31 | Pool D – Italy vs South Africa | 10:30 am | CBS | Paramount+/ Fubo |
| Sun Aug 31 | Pool D – France vs Brazil | 11:45 am | CBS | Paramount+/ Fubo |
| Sat Sep 6 | Pool B – Canada vs Scotland | 7 am | CBS | Paramount+/ Fubo |
| Sat Sep 6 | Pool A – USA vs Samoa | 8:30 am | CBS | Paramount+/ Fubo |
| Sat Sep 6 | Pool B – Wales vs Fiji | 9:45 am | CBS | Paramount+/ Fubo |
| Sat Sep 6 | Pool A – England vs Australia | 12:00 pm | CBS | Paramount+/ Fubo |
| Sun Sep 7 | Pool C – Japan vs Spain | 7 am | CBS | Paramount+/ Fubo |
| Sun Sep 7 | Pool D – Italy vs Brazil | 9 am | CBS | Paramount+/ Fubo |
| Sun Sep 7 | Pool C – New Zealand vs Ireland | 9:45 am | CBS | Paramount+/ Fubo |
| Sun Sep 7 | Pool D – France vs South Africa | 11:45 am | CBS | Paramount+/ Fubo |
| Sat Sep 13 | Q/F – Pool C (1st) vs Pool D (2nd) | 8 am | CBS | Paramount+/ Fubo |
| Sat Sep 13 | Q/F – Pool B (1st) vs Pool A (2nd) | 11 am | CBS | Paramount+/ Fubo |
| Sun Sep 14 | Q/F – Pool D (1st) vs Pool C (2nd) | 8 am | CBS | Paramount+/ Fubo |
| Sun Sep 14 | Q/F – Pool A (1st) vs Pool B (2nd) | 11 am | CBS | Paramount+/ Fubo |
| Fri Sep 19 | S/F – New Zealand vs Canada | 2 pm | CBS | Paramount+/ Fubo |
| Sat Sep 20 | S/F – France vs England | 10:30 am | CBS | Paramount+/ Fubo |
| Sat Sep 27 | Bronze Final – Semi-Final losers | 7:30 am | CBS | Paramount+/ Fubo |
| Sat Sep 27 | Final – Semi-Final winners | 11 am | CBS | Paramount+/ Fubo |