Sunderland is set to take centre stage as it hosts the opening match of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, with a packed weekend of celebrations planned across the city.
00:00Sunderland is set to take centre stage as it hosts the opening match of the Women's Rugby World Cup 2025,
00:07with a packed weekend of celebrations planned across the city.
00:11The action kicks off on Friday 22nd August as England's Red Roses take on the USA at the Stadium of Light
00:18in what's set to be the biggest Women's Rugby World Cup to date.
00:23Pop star Anne-Marie will headline the pre-match show presented by O2,
00:27with a spectacular firework display to follow the game.
00:31Sunderland City Council is transforming the city into a festival hub,
00:35with more than 150 flags and banners, live music, a fan parade and a dedicated fan village at Keele Square,
00:43offering entertainment, food and rugby themed activities from the Thursday afternoon through to match day.
00:50I've caught up with Councillor Beth Jones from Sunderland City Council to learn more.
00:54So for the city, this is a once in a generation opportunity to showcase the city on a global scale.
01:02The World Cup is going to be screened around the world.
01:04It's a really exciting time for the city.
01:06We are undergoing significant generation and redevelopment.
01:10So it is really an opportunity to showcase how fantastic the city is.
01:13So anyone who's been in the city over the last few weeks will have seen flags and banners getting put up on Lamport.
01:20It's really going to be a party festival feel to the city.
01:24So on the Thursday in Keele Square, we have live music, lots of entertainment, really is going to be family friendly.
01:31And then on the Friday again, we have live music, a whole range of events happening in Keele Square.
01:36And then we will have a parade over to the Stadium of Light where the Rugby World Cup is being played.
01:42And then the festivities continue on the Saturday as well.
01:47The World Cup itself is fully accessible and there's a good range of transport links on.
01:52So hopefully people are travelling from either in the city or from around the region or indeed globally will be able to find access to the city really good.
02:01So we are expecting the Rugby World Cup to boost the local economy by about £10 million.
02:10You know, we're going to have about 40,000 people coming to the Stadium of Light, many from the region.
02:15But we also have thousands of people coming over from the United States of America.
02:20Yeah, obviously by increasing footfall into the city centre, it's a real opportunity for local businesses to be showcasing their fine cuisine.
02:29And, you know, making people feel welcome in our wonderful city.
02:34So the Women's Rugby World Cup is absolutely amazing.
02:40It is just growing in momentum.
02:42So this year for the Stadium of Light, it will be a record attendance in comparison with previous World Cups.
02:49But we really want to highlight the importance that women have their place within the sports world,
02:55be it football, rugby, any sporting activity.
