Jodie Ounsley is confident that young girls across the country will be swept up by the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 and has urged families to book their spot at the global showpiece.
The rugby star-turned-Gladiator from Dewsbury was speaking in York to celebrate the opening of the ticket application phase for the Women’s Rugby World Cup and to mark the arrival of the sport in the city where six matches will be played next year. 
Beyond the field, the Women’s Rugby World Cup will play a central role in empowering real change and Ounsley believes that includes encouraging more girls from the region to play rugby union.
“I’m absolutely buzzing that the tournament is up north,” said Ounsley. “It’s big enough to have a World Cup in England but then up north, on my home soil, I just think that’s so exciting and if I were a young girl watching, I would be absolutely ecstatic so I think it’s going to be pretty special.
The rugby star-turned-Gladiator from Dewsbury was speaking in York to celebrate the opening of the ticket application phase for the Women’s Rugby World CupThe rugby star-turned-Gladiator from Dewsbury was speaking in York to celebrate the opening of the ticket application phase for the Women’s Rugby World Cup (Image: World Rugby) “I think the impact of having matches in the north is going to be huge. For young girls seeing strong role models in rugby is really powerful but then seeing players coming from your town hits home more and makes it more real, doable and you feel like you can achieve it yourself, so I think we can’t underestimate how powerful that is, so it’s so exciting for young girls to see that.
“I think this is exactly what the north needs. What a great city too in York to have that opportunity and bring out people who don’t even play rugby, it’s great to bring families out and watch incredible rugby and a tournament like this will make huge waves.”
With thrilling match-ups and unforgettable moments guaranteed across the length and breadth of the country, Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 will be the unmissable event of next year.
Among the stars set to take to the stage are Rotherham’s Ellie Kildunne and Scarborough’s Zoe Aldcroft and Ounsley believes it is vitally important that young girls see role models they can fully identify with.
“I think it puts northern girls on the map,” said Ounsley. “It makes young girls see those players and be inspired by that and create a path for them and make it feel possible that they can also follow a similar path and they need to see that.”
The 23-year-old carved out a unique career path, first following her father who was a mixed martial artist when she became British Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion before a spell in rugby union which included selection for the England 7s team.
More recently, she proved a hit as ‘Fury’ in the reboot of the BBC series ‘Gladiators’ and says it’s vitally important that there are more female role models across the sporting landscape.
“I was 15 so I had to come from all different sports and my role models were more in athletics and my family,” she said.
“So when I watched rugby I didn’t remember seeing that but now it’s so apparent and there are so many incredible players out there and platforms and big tournaments like this.
“We’ve seen it with the Lionesses and what the Euros did for them and I think it could be the same for the Rugby World Cup and that’s really exciting.”
Looking ahead to the tournament next summer, the general sale ticket application phase opened today (5 November), offering fans the opportunity to apply for tickets for all matches and Ounsley has urged fans to be a part of history.
“We’ve seen it with the Lionesses and what the Euros did for them and I think it could be the same for the Women’s Rugby World Cup, she added.
 “Just get on it. Tickets are going fast,” she added with over 130,000 tickets already sold.
“It’s going to be such a big tournament and a great day for families so just get those tickets before they’re gone.”
The Women’s Rugby World Cup England 2025 gets underway at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland on Friday 22 August and runs until 27th September. General sale ticket applications for all matches are now open until 11:00 (GMT) 19 November 2024. Visit tickets.rugbyworldcup.co
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