MANAGING director of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 Sarah Massey believes next year’s tournament will showcase an increase in standards both on and off the pitch.

The 2025 World Cup is set to be staged in England at eight different venues across the country and the Red Roses will open the tournament at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light.

England previously hosted the competition in 2010 but Massey believes next year will provide a different spectacle.

She said: “I think we’ll see something very different. We know what’s happened with women’s sport, not just women’s rugby, in terms of crowds, facilities and services, so I think we’ll see something very different, particularly across packing our stands.

“There’ll be packed stands, there’ll be engaged fans, there’ll be a much greater fan experience that we will create both in the cities and across each of the regions.

“The fact we’re going across to eight different locations is already something incredibly different from previous World Cups — 95 per cent of the population will be within a two-hour travel time of a venue.

“We’re going to see a huge increase in the standards both on and off the pitch for the teams; the provision of services we’re providing them, the standards that we’re providing them in terms of their preparation and then when they’re actually here.”

One of the changes next year’s competition will provide is the allocation of individual team bases, as well as an improvement in the overall standards for players.

“A big change we’ve put in place from the New Zealand tournament was that teams will have individual team bases,” Massey added.

“We’re also looking at a lot of the facilities and services that are provided to teams, upgrading those, especially around the welfare aspect of the tournament.

“Just generally looking at how we can make sure we’re providing that platform for the players, those are really the two key things that we are making sure standards are being raised.”

The first phase of World Cup tickets went on sale on Tuesday for the opening game and the final at Twickenham.

So far 10 teams have qualified for the World Cup, but six spots are still up for grabs between nine teams, including Australia, Scotland and Wales, at this year’s WXV tournament, which takes place this week.

Once those places are confirmed, the World Cup draw will take place in October.