Red Roses victory described as ‘watershed moment’ for women’s rugby sponsorship

History was made at the Allianz Stadium on Saturday (27 September) as England’s Red Roses took home the World Cup trophy, beating Canada 13-33, to the sport’s largest-ever audience of 81,885 for the women’s game.  

A record-breaking peak audience of 5.8 million tuned into the BBC to watch the game, making it not just the most-watched women’s rugby union match of all time in the UK, but the most-watched rugby match of the year across both women’s and men’s games.

Across the tournament, it reached a TV audience of 12 million people, with 10.5 million streams on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport’s digital platforms.  

Investment from brands has been significantly more prominent than in recent years.  

Asahi invested £2m behind its ‘Rugby Like Never Before’ campaign, which included an on-pack promotion and activations with Kettle Chips in supermarkets, while O2 put out its biggest women’s rugby campaign to date, the business said, investing the same amount in the women’s team as the men’s team for the first time following many years of aiming for the goal.

Brands have seen a significant ripple effect from their sponsorship. According to adtech firm Quantcast, Mastercard experienced a 45% uplift in online engagement, while Emirates saw a 50% boost and Mitsubishi Electric 60%.

Watershed moment

“Women’s sport has never been so successful,” says Laura Weston, cofounder of women’s sport agency See You at Jeanie’s.  

However, she emphasises, what’s “crucial” now is that success internationally translates into the domestic leagues.  

There will be a “significant impact” on how brands invest their marketing budgets in the sport, she adds.  

When England won the Euros in 2022, investment and interest in women’s sport grew, which was dubbed the ‘Lioness Effect’. It’s expected that women’s rugby will experience a similar trend.   

“What is different is that rugby has had the chance to learn from those other sports about the importance of capitalising on these zeitgeist moments and have been planning for this,” adds Jules Hilson, cofounder of See You at Jeanie’s, who notes many agencies have been “selling in rugby partnerships of the football success” because of how well it stands up as a case study.  

What is different is that rugby has had the chance to learn from those other sports about the importance of capitalising on these zeitgeist moments and have been planning for this.

Laura Weston, See You at Jeanie’s

One brand that puts its marketing budget behind grassroots rugby off the back of England’s first Euros win is Clinique, which started supporting grassroots women’s rugby in late 2022 with its ‘Game Face’ campaign.  

The campaign was initially fronted by Holly Aitchison and created with sports creative agency Matta, which has worked with Clinique ever since. This year, the brand took it to the “next level” by partnering with England Rugby and the Red Roses, said Karen Ehrlich, vice-president and general manager of skincare at Clinique-owner, the Estée Lauder Company, speaking to Marketing Week at the start of the tournament.  

Tom Allwood, cofounder of Matta, says there’s been “several unexpected” brands partnering with the Red Roses and women’s rugby, including Clinique but also Barbie and The Spice Girls, and traditional partners like O2, who have a long-term commitment.  

“It is undoubtedly a watershed moment for women’s rugby – just look at the numbers. But I think the biggest factor isn’t because the Red Roses won, but because of the way they did it,” he adds. “It was the most joyful celebration of a sport you could hope for – and I think it rejuvenated a lot of people’s love for rugby in general.  

Like Weston and Hilson, he encourages brands to invest in the Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) league. The stars of the tournament will all be there. “These athletes aren’t overly media-trained, bland carbon copies of each other. Find out what they stand for and get involved in one of the most diverse, growing, modern sports you could partner with,” he urges brands.  

A clear opportunity for growth

“The players will become stars and the opportunity to recruit brand ambassadors is clear,” says Weston, who adds that female athletes are “really starting to understand” how to grow and engage their audiences.  

Almost a third (30%) of consumers think more positively of brands that support women’s sport through sponsorship, compared with 20% for men’s sport, according to the Women’s Sport Trust. The research surveyed a nationally representative sample of 2,080 UK adults and tracked 40 different partnerships.   

“The Women’s Rugby World Cup proved the cultural and commercial strength of women’s sport – record crowds, TV audiences, engaged fans, and stories that resonated far beyond rugby. These international moments are essential for capturing global attention, but the real opportunity now lies in what comes next,” says Tammy Parlour, CEO of the Women’s Sport Trust.  

“Vibrant domestic competitions are where players are developed, fans are built, and communities are engaged. Brands have an opportunity to lead the growth of the game at every level, creating deeper connections with audiences while also helping to turn breakthrough moments like the Red Roses victory into lasting success.”