Bristol’s iconic station was renamed this week in honour of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 coming to the city.

Bristol Temple Meads became ‘Bristol Temple Maul’ to celebrate the tournament’s arrival and to bring intrigue and buzz to the city that is set to host two quarter finals and both semi-final matches in the tournament next year.

Ashton Gate Stadium will be front and centre for four knockout games and Bristol Bears and England Red Rose Abbie Ward is relishing the opportunity.

She said: “To have a World Cup on your doorstep is pretty special and to showcase Bristol to the rest of the world is very exciting. We love our club, we love our city and we love our game so I can’t wait to welcome everyone to Bristol next year.

“Our aim is definitely to come away with the biggest prize but the other part of a home World Cup is the legacy. The game has grown phenomenally since I’ve been playing but there’s so much more room to grow.

"That comes down to getting people picking up a ball at their local club, perhaps picking a ball back up again if it’s been a while, and inspiring people to come and watch.”

And this support is evident in the record demand seen so far. Since going on sale in October, over 130,000 tickets have been sold for the tournament via pre-sale and more than 100,000 tickets requested in just the first week of the application phase, on track to match World Rugby's ambitions of the biggest celebration of women's rugby there has ever been.

Sarah Massey, Managing Director of the tournament, is thrilled to see the appetite and believes that leaning into the rugby heritage of the city will only benefit the growth of the game and welcome a new wave of fans to the sport.

"There's a great rugby hive here in Bristol but what we're trying to do is really bring in some new fans and generate a much wider audience," she said.

"By renaming the station and bringing Maggie [Alphonsi] and Abbie [Ward] down here, it just creates a little bit of excitement and is a creative and innovative idea that can attract some new fans. With so many different nations playing across the cities, it gives the public a great opportunity to get behind the game.

"We're really hoping that the nation gets behind the home team and it's a really big driver in terms of the excitement and awareness that women and girls are having for rugby in the UK. They see the Red Roses and see the incredible stories they have to tell and so want to watch them."

Councillor Heather Mack, Deputy Leader of Bristol City Council, added: "Bristol is proud to be hosting two quarter-finals and both semi-finals of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025. It is a brilliant opportunity to have some of the world’s best athletes in our city and show them the warm welcome of a Bristol crowd. We hope these games

encourage women of all ages in Bristol to find a rugby club or trial session and have a go themselves. Let’s inspire some home-grown talent."

General sale ticket applications for Women’s Rugby World Cup England 2025 are available until 11am on November 19, 2024. Visit tickets.rugbyworldcup.com.