Carney backs Women's Rugby World Cup to emulate Euro 2022 impact

By Paul Martin

Karen Carney swapped a round ball for an oval one as she threw her weight behind the upcoming Women’s Rugby World Cup, which she hopes will have a similar effect to the Euros two summers ago.

The Lionesses legend earned the last of her 144 caps in 2019, three years before Sarina Wiegman’s side memorably earned continental glory capped by victory at a sold-out Wembley in the final.

Twickenham, on the other side of the capital, will host the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup showpiece in what is anticipated to be a record crowd for a women’s rugby fixture while England’s opener will take place at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light on August 22.

The Red Roses are the top ranked side in the world and Carney believes the parallels with the Lionesses’ success are there for all to see.

“I saw the impact of the Euros on women’s football here and to be hosting another major tournament is fantastic,” said Karney, speaking after World Rugby announced an exclusive UK broadcast rights partnership with the BBC for the tournament.

“It’s a great opportunity to be a catalyst, provide a legacy and increase participation.

“The aim is to get 100,000 extra people playing women’s rugby, which is fantastic.

“The tournament is across England, so it’s more accessible, whether it be the Stadium of Light, Exeter, York, Brighton, there are plenty of opportunities for people to see these amazing athletes so I’m really excited for that to happen.

“It will obviously grow women’s rugby but it’s also vital for continuing to grow women’s sport more generally.

“We’ve seen over the course of the last 12-18 months and particularly in the Olympics how incredible female athletes are, so this is really important.”

The Stadium of Light welcomed nearly 42,000 fans when the Lionesses hosted Scotland last September and another memorable atmosphere is expected when the Red Roses head north-east.

The region has produced no shortage of England footballers, including Jill Scott and Lucy Bronze, and Carney is excited to see the impact another global tournament on home soil has on the next generation.

“This is a brilliant area for producing talent and creating atmosphere in stadiums, as we saw the last time the Lionesses were here,” she said.

“I’ve played with a fair few Lionesses from around here who are the fiercest competitors I’ve ever come across.

“On that opening day when the Red Roses are running out, I can’t imagine it will be anything other than spectacular. It will be a very noisy, joyous occasion.”

The former midfielder, who has recently stepped away from her role with Sky Sports, was involved in co-authoring a review into the future of women’s football in 2023 in which she claimed the sport could become a ‘billion-pound industry’.

Women’s rugby may not quite be at the same stage in its development but Carney has witnessed first-hand how hard England’s trailblazers have worked to establish their position as the game’s dominant side and hopes a home World Cup win can act as a launchpad.

“I did a little bit of rugby training, mainly to get stronger in terms of football,” she said.

“I trained with Sarah Hunter, Mo Hunt, Scaz (Emily Scarratt), I’ve trained with a few women’s rugby players and been in awe of them and their journey. I’m incredibly proud of them.

“We used to use the same gym for S&C, they’d come in and Sarah Hunter would be juggling it with a full-time job. To have the success she had while juggling all that is amazing.

“I know how difficult it can be in women’s sport and this is a big part of continuing to change that and moving things in the right direction.”