Rugby’s biggest tournaments are entering a stacked stretch, with a historic women’s champion already crowned and a landmark men’s edition on the horizon in Australia.
England’s Red Roses Reign Supreme
England won the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup on home soil, beating Canada 33-13 in front of a record women’s rugby crowd of 81,885 at Twickenham. It was England’s third Women’s Rugby World Cup title and capped a tournament that generated a 336 percent increase in global viewing hours compared with the previous edition.
- Sadia Kabeya was named player of the match in the final
- The tournament expanded to 16 teams, up from 12 in previous editions
- England extended their winning streak to a record 33 consecutive matches
Australia to Host the Men in 2027
The Men’s Rugby World Cup heads to Australia from October 1 to November 13, 2027, marking the country’s third time hosting the tournament after 1987 and 2003. It will be the first edition to feature 24 teams, up from 20, with the final scheduled for Accor Stadium in Sydney.
South Africa enters as the two-time defending men’s champion, having won the last two tournaments, and Australia will also host the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2029, giving the country back-to-back showpiece events.
How It Connects to the Rest of Rugby
The World Cup sits above rugby’s annual championships in the sport’s hierarchy, but tournaments like the Six Nations remain the proving ground where many World Cup squads are built and tested year to year. Fans who follow the full range of the sport’s showcase events may also enjoy our roundup of the best sporting events happening around the world in 2026.
The Bottom Line
With England’s women setting attendance and viewership records and Australia gearing up for a historic third men’s tournament, rugby’s biggest events are entering one of their most significant stretches in years. Fans on both sides of the equator have plenty to look forward to before the decade is out.