Record-breaking World Cup, so why no title sponsor for domestic league?

Premiership Women's Rugby executive chair Genevieve Shore says she is "very disappointed" the league remains unable to secure a title sponsor.

England won a home World Cup in front of 81,885 spectators at Twickenham in September and the league has enjoyed a boost in attendances and TV viewers since then.

A title sponsor for the English top flight would support the league's growth, bringing more money, stability and credibility.

As Premiership Women's Rugby (PWR) returns on Friday following a winter break, Shore finds 90% of her time is spent on seeking such a backer, saying: "I will be more than disappointed if we go into the fourth season without a title partner."

Why does a title sponsor remain elusive for PWR? And what might help?

The key challenge for the league is convincing brands that it is worth investing in.

Despite growth in the popularity of women's rugby since the World Cup, PWR may be missing out on additional investment because of "tough economic conditions", according to Lisa Parfitt, the co-founder of a sports marketing agency.

In women's football, Barclays has been the title sponsor of the Women's Super League since 2019 and in 2024 agreed a new three-year deal worth £45m.

In cricket, Vitality and Metro Bank are title sponsors of the women's T20 Blast and One-Day Cup, in shared deals with the men's tournaments.

Parfitt says the current women's sport sponsorship landscape is "healthy but selective".

She adds that, while women's rugby offers investors a "long-term, culturally relevant opportunity", businesses are focused on short-term certainty that PWR may not yet be able to offer.

The league is moving in the right direction. According to PWR, average attendance at games this season is 92% higher than last term, while audiences on broadcaster TNT Sports have increased 275% compared to this stage in the 2024-25 campaign. The BBC iPlayer viewership has almost doubled since last season.

Shore says the league has to create events that brands "want to participate in".

She adds: "You want them to be full crowds, full stadia, and so we have to create an atmosphere at our clubs that allows us to have bigger audiences, bigger attendances that look more consistent.

"It feels a bit chicken and egg, because we need more investment in order to spend more money generating those new habits and building those fanbases."

Individual personalities are helping to grow the game too.

American Ilona Maher, with more than nine million social media followers, brought plenty of viewers to the World Cup.

During the tournament, England's Ellie Kildunne emerged as a star, with even the Princess of Wales getting involved in Kildunne's now famous cowboy try celebration.

After the tournament, Kildunne was runner-up behind golfer Rory McIlroy at BBC Sports Personality of the Year and was appointed an MBE in the New Year Honours.

Shore recognises the impact the Harlequins full-back can have on the league, saying she has "broken through into the public consciousness", describing Kildunne as "an incredible human and an incredible athlete".

While it is tight at the top in PWR, with Saracens and Gloucester-Hartpury both on 35 points at the halfway stage, the composition of the league still does not seem quite right.

Leicester Tigers are struggling without a win this season and have a points difference of -350 after seven games.

Fandom might also be increased by a more even geographic spread of clubs - Sale are currently the only northern representatives.

Shore says the league is considering whether to expand from the 2027-28 season.

She adds that there have been talks with Newcastle, where the men's side are recruiting heavily after being taken over by energy drink company Red Bull in 2025, and that Bath are also a "viable option".

The World Cup changed many people's perceptions of women's rugby, but there is work to be done to keep up the momentum.