The 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup delivered more than a win for England’s Red Roses - Bristol has a win of its own, too. A new report commissioned by World Rugby says a record £47.7million was generated for Bristol’s local economy by hosting the matches, the highest total impact of any host city outside of London.
The impact report analyses spend across several key local economy sectors including food and drink, shopping, flights, transport, accommodation and entertainment to obtain the total economic impact figure of £47.7million for Bristol – £10.9million more than the average total economic impact across the host cities.
More than 92,000 fans from the UK and overseas flocked to Bristol for the two quarter-final and both semi-final matches at Ashton Gate Stadium last September, many extending their stay to enjoy the city’s hotels, restaurants, shops, heritage and cultural attractions and the buzzing Fan Zone.
Larger visitor numbers and higher proportions of non-local attendees for the matches in Bristol account for the highest spend of any of the other six host cities outside of London. Bristol Hoteliers Association reported 90% occupancy and a 30% increase in revenue over the two match weekends and visitor spending delivered a significant uplift for the region, cementing Bristol’s position as a world-class host city for major sporting events.
Kathryn Davis, CEO of Visit West, the Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) for Bristol, Bath and the region said: “Hosting the Women’s Rugby World Cup in Bristol last year was a major milestone. It showed what we can achieve by working together locally across Visit West’s LVEP and Bristol Business Improvement District, Ashton Gate Stadium, Bristol City Council, and the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority to deliver a major international tournament, with the Women’s Rugby World Cup team. This is why we bid for these events – opportunities for local people and the visitor impact.
“The impact report from World Rugby is hugely encouraging and reinforces what we already believe; that Bristol is a fantastic host city for international sport which delivers substantial economic benefits for the city and region. We look forward to hosting the ICC T20 Women’s Cricket World Cup this summer – Bristol (alongside London and Manchester) is one of three destinations to host two world cups in two consecutive years.”
Ashton Gate Ltd Chief Operating Officer Ross Wormald said: “The findings in this impact report is fantastic news for Bristol and the South West and shows what a great collective city-wide effort it was to host the Women’s Rugby World Cup. From a stadium point of view, it demonstrates Ashton Gate’s growing importance not only as a sporting venue but as a driver of regional economic growth and tourism.”
Councillor Heather Mack, Deputy Leader of Bristol City Council, said: “The Women’s Rugby World Cup showcased to the world the power of women’s sport to unite communities and ability to inspire a new generation of women and girls in our city to get involved in the game. The success of the Red Roses and Bristol as a host city is driving unprecedented involvement in women’s rugby and has showcased our city as a place that can host and deliver on the biggest stage. This was a tournament that tapped into the sporting passion that is part of our Bristol identity, and Bristolians showed up in their thousands.”
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