Rugby records
England got their roses when they beat Canada to lift the Rugby World Cup in front of a packed Twickenham in September. Nothing is sweeter than winning a home World Cup but sealing victory in front of 81,885 people — a record for women’s rugby — is priceless. To think there were only 13,253 spectators for the final when England last hosted the World Cup in 2014. "The most important thing is realising not that we’ve won a medal today, but that we’ve won for women’s sport and for women’s rugby," Red Roses winger Abby Dow said. "It’s here to stay and it’s such a privilege for me to be part of it." Across the board, 444,465 tickets were sold and 5.8 million people tuned in across the BBC to watch the final, making it the most-watched women’s rugby game in the United Kingdom in history.
England fullback Ellie Kildunne celebrates winning the Rugby World Cup in front of a record crowd at Twickenham.
Howzat
India created history when they beat South Africa by 52 runs on home soil to lift the Cricket World Cup in November. That was a special moment for the team, and the 45,000 fans who packed the stands in Mumbai, but off the field was even sweeter. Players cashed in the US$13.88 million prize money, a monumental rise from the $3.5m on offer at the New Zealand edition in 2022. Proof that women are worth the investment.
Netball saga
One of the biggest stories of the year was the sensational standing down of Silver Ferns coach Noeline Taurua. Taurua was reinstated "effective immediately" ahead of the third test against Australia — but will not actually take over until 2026. The saga sparked a public outcry for the beloved coach and has led to many calling for a leadership cull of the Netball New Zealand board. This story is far from over.
Taking ownership
More women than ever have snapped up a stake of ownership in the NFL in 2025. Twelve of the 32 NFL teams — the Colts, 49ers, Chiefs, Raiders, Browns, Bills, Buccaneers, Titans, Saints, Seahawks, Lions and Broncos — have women as "controlling or significant active owners". But Colts principal owner and chief executive Carlie Irsay-Gordon — who took over, alongside her sisters Casey Foyt and Kalen Jackson, after their father’s death — has shown leadership comes in all different forms. Irsay-Gordon has become a cult favourite since taking over the reins, spotted sideline wearing a headset with a play sheet — something she started doing 12 years ago — to learn more about the operations of the team. Staff and players noted her hands-on approach, interacting with every organisation member while holding high standards. "There’s a comfortability because we’re so familiar," linebacker Zaire Franklin said about Irsay-Gordon. "But, make no mistake, she’s in charge."
Horsing around
South Australian jockey Jamie Melham proved women belong in the saddle when she became the first female jockey to complete the Caulfield-Melbourne Cups double. In October she became the first female jockey to win the Caulfield Cup riding Half Yours and the following month became the second woman to win the Melbourne Cup — with the same horse. Melham’s victory came 10 years after Michelle Payne — who was on hand providing television analysis — won the prestigious race.
Good times never seemed so good
Sweet Caroline rang out across England once again when the Lionesses bagged back-to-back Euros titles in July. They beat Spain 3-1 on penalties and Chloe Kelly’s winning 110kmh penalty was more powerful than any men’s Premier League goal last season. About 16.2 million English fans tuned in to watch their Lionesses rewrite history.
Birdie
Thai golfer Jeeno Thitikul has had some year on the green. She is ranked No 1 in the world, won her seventh career title last month and recorded the lowest scoring average in the LPGA history at 68.68. She was named player of the year for the first time and collected her second Vare Trophy.
Whistle happy
Scottish referee Hollie Davidson has been a trailblazer with the whistle, but 2025 her career broke new ground. Davidson became the first female referee to control two Rugby World Cup finals when she was in the middle of the field during England v Canada final at Twickenham in September. She was named World Rugby’s referee of the year and became the first female referee inducted into the Scottish Rugby Hall of Fame. She rounded out the year by becoming the first woman to referee the All Blacks last month, when she controlled their game against Wales in Cardiff. Refereeing the All Blacks was a "dream come true". Davidson, who became the first woman to referee the Springboks last year, has controlled 46 tests, more than a quarter of which have been men’s games.
Ballin’
On the slopes
Wanaka snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott made history when she landed the world’s first triple cork in a women’s slopestyle competition on her way to winning gold at the Aspen X Games. It was a brilliant return to the slopes for Sadowski-Synnott, whose other accolades included bronze in the snowboard big air and the X Games, winning the big air world cup title, and winning her first FIS snowboard slopestyle Crystal Globe.
