London will lead on women's sports in 2025 - mayor

The Women's Rugby World Cup looks set to break attendance records at Twickenham

London is set to host a series of major women's sports events in 2025.

The capital will see competitions across sports including rugby, tennis, cricket, football, athletics, netball and basketball.

Twickenham Stadium will host the Women's Rugby World Cup final on 27 September, with the match expected to set a new world record for attendance at a women's rugby event.

London mayor Sadiq Khan said the capital will be the "undisputed global capital for women's sport in 2025".

Over 220,000 tickets have already been sold for the women's rugby World Cup, making it the best-attended in history, a City Hall spokesperson said.

The final in London is expected to exceed the previous attendance record set when England beat France at Twickenham in 2023 in front of 58,498 spectators.

Thousands of women's rugby fans filled the stands in England's match against New Zealand in September

Sarah Massey, the Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 managing director, said the competition will "capture hearts and headlines globally".

"We've seen unprecedented demand for tickets across the tournament and now the iconic Twickenham Stadium hosting the final," she added.

Another event will be the return of women's tennis to the Queen's Club after an absence of more than 50 years.

The new Women's WTA 500 event will take place from 9 June, shortly before the Wimbledon Championships.

Cricket fans will see England Women face India in a T20 International at the Oval on 4 July, followed by a one day international at Lord's on 19 July.

The Oval will also host the first ever Vitality Blast Women's Finals Day on 27 July.

The Oval will play host to various women's cricket matches

In football, the England Lionesses, the current European football champions, will play against reigning world champions Spain in a repeat of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup final.

The match will take place at Wembley Stadium on 26 February. The stadium will also play host to the Adobe Women's FA Cup final on 18 May.

An estimated six million people attended sporting events in London last summer, according to City Hall figures.

The London mayor said: "I'm so excited that London is set to be the undisputed global capital for women's sport in 2025, with some of the world's biggest events coming to our city next year.

"I would urge Londoners to take up the opportunity to attend some of these amazing events, cheering on our top athletes and sports women."