Beacon Of Light Hosts Preview To Women’s Rugby World Cup Ahead Of Stadium Of Light Opener
Written by Harvey Allen on 13th March 2025
The Women’s Rugby World Cup took part in a Beacon of Light takeover on March 8th, ahead of their Stadium of Light opener on August 22nd.
There was a chance to see the World Cup trophy, alongside plenty of rugby activities to take part in, including: walking and tag rugby, children’s activities and skill demonstrations from local clubs.
Attendees were also given more information on local rugby clubs, how to get involved as well as ticket information for the game in August.
The Red Roses sing God Save The King before fixture between England and Australia in Wellington, New Zealand (Credit Image: ©James Foy/Alamy Live News)
Lara Bayliss-Binks, president of University of Sunderland’s Women’s Rugby team, is hoping that the event, and the big fixture, can make a huge change for the sport in the region: “The Women’s Rugby World Cup coming to Sunderland is a huge moment for rugby, especially for female players like me.
“It’s not just about displaying top-level rugby but also it’s about inspiring the next generation of young girls to take up the sport and encouraging girls to start from grassroots rugby.
“The Women’s World Cup coming to the North East and Sunderland specifically is really great to see as I think exposure creates more opportunities and funding for women’s teams. As I am from the South originally I can see the importance of this promotion as playing club rugby for Reading, I got the opportunity to train with rugby stars such as Ellie Kildunne, Maud Muir, and Alex Mathews and hope girls in the north east get the same opportunities.
“I think it’s great to see the impact key players such as Ilona Maher and Ellie Kildunne are making for women’s rugby and I hope the World Cup inspires more girls and gets more people talking about all women in sport as I believe women’s sports deserves the same recognition as the men’s.”
University of Sunderland’s Women’s Rugby Team with the Women’s Rugby World Cup trophy
The event saw attendees of the Sunderland vs Cardiff City football match come to visit and try their hand at rugby, as well as plenty of local clubs. Houghton RFC Under-14s girls took to the Stadium of Light pitch at half time for a skills demonstration, as well as the World Cup trophy making an appearance on the sidelines.
Beacon of Light’s Jemma Dowson stated that “It was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the role women play in sport and in our community. We’re proud to provide a space where people can come together, have fun, and feel inspired.”
“The celebration builds on previous successful Fan Zone events at the Beacon of Light, including special match day experiences for Sunderland’s LGBTQ+ community, grassroots football teams, World Mental Health Day and Show Racism the Red Card, all promoting inclusivity and bringing the community together.”
