Bristol Bears Women want to inspire a new generation of women and girls to get involved in rugby – and this weekend you can have a go
Millie David of Bristol Bears Women runs with the ball as Bristol Bears Women play Harlequins Women in a Premiership Women’s Rugby fixture on November 1, 2024 at the Dings Crusaders RFC, England. (Photo by Will Cooper/Bristol Flyers)(Image: Bristol Post)
Bristol’s Ashton Gate Stadium is hosting the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 this September – and excitement is already building.
In advance, the new trophy is coming to Bristol today (Friday, May 23) and will stay in the city until Saturday (May 24) as the countdown to the games begins.
With less than 100 days to go until the games, World Rugby has unveiled a new trophy to symbolise the global rise of women’s rugby.
This September, two of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 quarter finals – and both semi-finals – will take place in Ashton Gate Stadium in Bristol.
Local fans have the chance to celebrate the countdown to the games by having their photograph taken with the new Women’s Rugby World Cup trophy. Enthusiasts or beginners can also try a non-contact version of rugby with stars from Bristol Bears Women.
Visitors and locals can experience the new trophy in Bristol’s Millennium Square from midday until 6pm today.
Anyone can pop down to Millennium Square on Friday afternoon to see the new Women’s Rugby World Cup trophy – and take their picture with this piece of women’s sporting history.
Crafted in sterling silver and plated with 24-carat gold, the newly designed trophy is a modern expression of excellence and ambition.
It fuses history and future by retaining the iconic twin handles of the original prize while introducing a sleek, oval silhouette, with names of past champions engraved on its base, acknowledging the trailblazers who have shaped the game.
World Rugby Chief of Women’s Rugby, Sally Horrox, said: “This trophy represents far more than a tournament; it reflects a movement. A movement fuelled by passion, shaped by trailblazers, and driven by the next generation of women and girls stepping into the game around the world.”
Then on Saturday, May 24 from midday until 3pm you can have a go at rugby with the Bristol Bears Women at College Green. Women and girls are encouraged to join stars from the Bristol Bears Women’s team on College Green and have a go at a non-contact game of rugby.
Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 is designed not only to deliver a world-class tournament, but to create a lasting, positive impact for women and girls in sport and inspire more to take up the game.
Managing director at Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, Sarah Massey, said: “Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 promises to be a landmark tournament for the sport and the trophy tour to our host locations provides a brilliant opportunity to ignite excitement across England.
“We look forward to celebrating with fans, encouraging even more people to be a part of this unforgettable tournament.”
As the countdown towards the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 continues, people across Bristol can all look forward to what is shaping up to be an era-defining tournament – right here in the city.