By Lori Ewing, of Reuters
England's flanker Zoe Aldcroft and England's centre Megan Jones lift the winners trophy following the Women’s Rugby World Cup final between Canada and England at Twickenham, 2025. Photo: AFP
A deafening roar at Twickenham capped a 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup that smashed attendance records, while India's first Women's Cricket World Cup triumph sparked nationwide celebrations.
A'Ja Wilson delivered a jaw-dropping WNBA season to redefine what dominance looks like and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone raced to a jaw-dropping world title at a new distance in the 400 metres.
While the year was full of lasting images of women in sport that reshaped their visibility, it was also marked by new franchises, bigger television audiences and greater advertising impact, sending women's sport into 2026 on a wave of momentum.
England hosted and won a Rugby World Cup that shattered records and redefined the sport's potential.
The more than 440,000 tickets sold was triple the number at the 2021 edition and the crescendo was at Twickenham where 81,885 fans - the biggest crowd to watch a women's rugby match - witnessed England's Red Roses' triumph 33-13 over Canada.
Canada's lock Sophie de Goede receives the player of the tournament trophy after the Women’s Rugby World Cup final between Canada and England at Twickenham, London. Photo: AFP
Sally Horrox, World Rugby's chief of women's rugby, described the spectacle as "something girls' dreams are made of."
More than half the tournament's spectators were female and a huge 50% attended their first-ever women's rugby match.
Defending titleholders New Zealand's Black Ferns claimed the bronze medal with a 42-26 win over France.
The tournament generated a peak TV audience of 5.8 million in the UK. While the US did not get of the pool stage, the spotlight saw American Ilona Maher further cement herself as the world's most followed rugby player -- male or female -- with over nine million followers across Instagram and TikTok.
WNBA soars again
The Women's National Basketball Association in the US soared once more, bolstered by expansion to 13 teams and the electrifying play of MVP Wilson leading the Las Vegas Aces to their third title in four seasons.
The season was marked by record-breaking viewership and attendance, increases in merchandise sales, and substantial new media rights deals.
After welcoming the Golden State Valkyries this year, the league will expand to 15 teams in 2026 with new franchises in Toronto and Portland. Another three franchises in Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia will bring the total to 18 by 2030.
Wilson became the first four-times WNBA MVP, and won her third defensive player of the year award. She also earned Finals MVP and recently graced the cover of Time Magazine, prompting Nike to launch an ad that read: "Only a magazine can cover her."
India's maiden World Cup triumph
India's maiden victory at the Women's Cricket World Cup turned the streets of Mumbai into a carnival as fireworks lit up the night sky, drivers honked their horns and crowds danced.
India's captain Harmanpreet Kaur celebrates with teammates after winning the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 one-day international (ODI) final match between India and South Africa in Mumbai. Photo: PUNIT PARANJPE / AFP
Similar celebrations broke out across the country as people gathered around TVs in tea stalls and homes in what felt like a cultural milestone and saw the brand value of India's top women cricketers go through the roof.
In athletics, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone starred at the World Championships in breathtaking fashion, seamlessly switching from the 400 metres hurdles to win the flat 400 in the fastest time for 40 years.
She clocked a stunning 47.78 seconds, second fastest in history behind East Germany's Marita Koch, which was set during that nation's state-sponsored doping era.
Euros reach new peaks
In football, the European Championship in Switzerland reached new peaks, eclipsing ticket sales for the 2022 tournament with two games still to be played.
Switzerland's dream run to their first quarter-final ignited new interest in the women's game in the Alpine nation better known for producing top skiers and tennis players.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone crosses the finish line to win in the women's 400m final at the world athletics championships in Tokyo, September 18, 2025. Photo: AFP
"We lost the game, but I think we gained a lot," coach Pia Sundhage said after the hosts lost to Spain. "When people shouted my name (after the game), I feel they were shouting for women's football."
European champions Arsenal shattered the women's transfer record by signing Canadian forward Olivia Smith from Liverpool for one million pounds (NZ$2.32 million), making her the first female player to break the seven-figure barrier.
Women's sports extend reach
The year also saw the expansion of women's sports, with the launch of several new leagues.
The Unrivaled 3x3 women's basketball league was co-founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart as a domestic option for players to remain and play in the US during the WNBA off-season. Rose BC, led by Chelsea Gray, won the inaugural title.
Despite being a fledgling league, Unrivaled paid players an average salary of US$220,000 (NZ$382,000), compared to the average of US$120,000 (NZ$208,000) the WNBA pays players per season.
Among its investors are tennis great Serena Williams, NBA players Trae Young, Franz Wagner and Moritz Wagner and football's Alex Morgan. Warner Bros./Discovery, which hold exclusive media rights, recently increased their stake in the league.
Other new leagues that debuted in 2025 were the Women's Professional Baseball League (WPBL), the first US pro women's league in the sport since 1954, League One Volleyball (LOVB), and the Northern Super League (NSL), Canada's first professional women's soccer league.
- Reuters
