• Treaty signing rounds off day one of World Rugby’s women’s summit
  • Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 has already broken records on and off the field
  • World Rugby joins IOC and other international federations as signatories

This afternoon World Rugby became the latest signatory to the International Working Group (IWG) on Women and Sport’s Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration.

Signed on day one of World Rugby’s Women Summit, the Declaration is an international treaty that has become a road map to support the ongoing development of a more fair and equitable system of sport and physical activity, fully inclusive of women and girls.

World Rugby adds it’s signature on the back of a hugely successful Women’s Rugby World Cup set to culminate on Saturday where 82,000 people will watch the finals.  Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 has already broken records for participants, tickets sold and broadcast viewers.  

As a signatory, World Rugby is committed to further developing strategies, activities and programmes that support women and girls in 10 principles, covering all elements of sport and physical activity from participation to leadership and from governance to visibility.

World Rugby joins the likes of the International Olympic Committee, FIFA (football), FIA (motorsport) and UCI (cycling) as international federations who are signatories to the treaty.

Signing the treaty on behalf of World Rugby, Chair Brett Robinson said. “It is a huge privilege to add World Rugby’s name to the Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration. This week we reach the crescendo of the record breaking Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 in England, so there is no better time for us to recommit to deliver for women and girls in rugby around the world both on the pitch and off it.”

World Rugby Chief of Women’s Rugby Sally Horrox added “World Rugby and our wider sport knows that the women’s game is our biggest area for growth over the coming years. That is why we’ve put in a place a series of plans and strategies to support women and girls to play rugby wherever they are. In signing the Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration we pledge to continue that work in all aspects of our sport, ensuring that Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 is not the pinnacle of what we can achieve but a great foundation to push on to bigger and better things.”

Lisa O’Keefe MBE said: “I am absolutely delighted that World Rugby has chosen the closing stages of their record-breaking Rugby World Cup 2025 to sign the IWG Brighton plus Helsinki Declaration here in London as part of their Women’s Rugby Global Summit 2025.

“The IWG has enjoyed a long and valued partnership with World Rugby. We regularly showcase their approach to growing the game for women and girls as examples for others to learn from, and I encourage anyone committed to advancing gender equality in and through sport to explore World Rugby’s approach and resources available on their website. I am thrilled that their ongoing commitment to the growth of the women and girls’ game is paying off so spectacularly. 

“I also look forward to welcoming colleagues from World Rugby to the IWG Global Summit on Women Sport in 2026, and I wish them every success for the finals weekend.”