PWR Attendances Rise 23% After World Cup Boost

Premiership Women’s Rugby reported a 23% rise in attendances during the 2025-26 season, extending the competition’s audience growth after the World Cup boost to the sport.

The increase came in a campaign that ended with Saracens defeating first-time finalists Trailfinders to claim the 2025-26 PWR title. The league said the numbers were aided by the heightened interest generated around rugby at Twickenham in September 2025, while its digital and broadcast reach also grew substantially.

It is a significant marker for the nine-team competition, which is preparing to begin its 2026-27 season in November following the rebrand from the Premier 15s. PWR’s latest figures point to growth across match-going crowds, social media, audience data and video consumption.

Digital audience and live coverage expand

PWR said its social media following increased by 132% over the season. The league’s database grew by 310%, while content across YouTube, Meta and TikTok generated more than 111 million views.

That total represented a 174% increase in viewing figures, according to the league. The 2025-26 season was also the first in which every PWR match was broadcast live, with coverage available across TNT Sports, BBC Sport and YouTube.

The combination of live access and expanding digital distribution forms a central part of the league’s reported growth. With every match available across broadcast and online platforms, supporters had more ways to follow teams and players throughout the season.

The figures were released after a year in which PWR had already experienced a major spike in attention during the 2024-25 campaign. United States player Ilona Maher brought unprecedented attention to the league during her time at Bristol Bears and is the most followed rugby union player in the world on social media.

Maher has since departed Bristol Bears, but PWR executive chair Genevieve Shore said the league’s ability to continue growing after that period made the latest results particularly encouraging.

“Ilona’s impact was extraordinary,” Shore said. “It brought a huge amount of attention to our league and to our players, and we should absolutely celebrate that.

“So when you look at the fact that we have continued to grow from there, post-World Cup and after that incredible spike in interest, I think that is particularly encouraging.

“We can see growth across so many different areas of the business, and that gives us confidence that the work we’re doing is truly connecting with fans.”

What the figures mean for the next PWR season

The attendance rise gives PWR a stronger platform heading into 2026-27, when the rebranded competition is scheduled to return in November. The league will again operate with nine teams.

Saracens enter that period as reigning champions after their win over Trailfinders, who reached the final for the first time. The closing stages of the 2025-26 season therefore provided a notable competitive backdrop to a year of wider audience growth.

PWR’s reported increases do not rest on one measure alone. Attendances rose by 23%, while the league also recorded sharp gains in its social following, database size and short-form video views. The continuation of live coverage across TNT Sports, BBC Sport and YouTube gives the competition an established distribution base as it moves towards the next campaign.

For PWR, the central takeaway is that interest continued to rise despite the high benchmark created by the previous season and Maher’s departure from Bristol Bears. The next test will be carrying that momentum into November and the start of 2026-27.