Women's Rugby World Cup 2025: How to watch for free on TV

The Women's Rugby World Cup has come a long way since the inaugural version in 1991. Back then, 12 amateur teams gathered in Wales and were split into three groups of four, with the USA eventually crowned the overall winners.

Not that many rugby fans knew about it, given the lack of publicity and coverage around the tournament. These days, it's a different matter entirely, with 16 sides in England for what is set to be the biggest global event yet for the female game. The Red Roses go in to their opening game tonight desperate to make amends for their final defeat to New Zealand four years ago.

Express Sport explains how you can watch the tournament free of charge...

How can I watch for free on TV?

Starting with the tournament opener between England and the USA (7.30pm kick off) tonight, selected games will be shown live on BBC 1 or BBC 2. The Beeb will also be showing Scotland v Wales (2.45pm) on Saturday, and will round off its opening weekend coverage with Ireland v Japan (12pm) on Sunday.

What about the games now on BBC 1 or BBC 2?

Fear not. All 32 tournament games, including the group stages, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final, can be streamed for free on BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and app.

The BBC iPlayer is free to use, although viewers will need an up-to-date TV Licence to stream live in the UK. You'll also need to complete a simple registration to access the service. Wales, Scotland, and Ireland fans can also watch their country's matches live on the BBC's linear broadcast channels.

What if I'm abroad during the tournament?

Even fans on holiday can still follow the action live. However, it will require a VPN (Virtual Private Network) as the BBC website and app will not work overseas.

A VPN works by changing a device's IP address, allowing the owner's laptop, smartphone or tablet to appear to be back home. This allows people to enjoy TV subscriptions from anywhere, ideal during big sporting events.

How to follow while travelling?

Even if driving, you can still tune in to coverage of some games. BBC Radio 5 Live, Sports Extra and BBC Sounds will have live commentary of every home nation match, plus both semi-finals and the final.