World Cup 2025 final in line for record crowd

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 The 2025 World Cup final is set to be a world-record attendance for a one-day women's rugby event, with demand outstripping the supply of tickets for the Twickenham showpiece.

While the exact capacity of the 82,000-seater Allianz Stadium for the fixture has not yet confirmed, the attendance is expected to comfortably top both the 58,498 who watched England beat France at the same venue in 2023 and the 66,000 at the Stade de France for the women's Olympic sevens at Paris 2024.

Organisers are using a ballot system to allocate tickets for high-demand matches such as the 27 September final and England's pool matches.

In total, more than 220,000 tickets have been sold for the tournament, ensuring it will be the best attended in history.

Organisers said 50% more tickets have been already been sold for the 2025 edition than were bought for the previous tournament in New Zealand in 2022.

Fans can enter the ballot for tickets again in February when the next phase of ticketing begins.

"The response to Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 has been remarkable," said tournament managing director Sarah Massey.

"England has a proud rugby heritage and a huge appetite for women's sport, and this has been reflected in the demand for tickets so early on."

The tournament begins with hosts England taking on the United States at Sunderland's Stadium of Light on 22 August, with both semi-finals staged at the 27,000-capacity Ashton Gate in Bristol.

The quarter-finals will be shared between Ashton Gate and Exeter's Sandy Park, with Brighton, Manchester, Northampton and York hosting games during the pool stages.

Runaway world number ones England are hoping to lift the trophy for the first time since 2014 after being beaten by New Zealand in the past two finals.