Exeter’s iconic station was renamed this week in honour of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 coming to the city.

Exeter St David’s became ‘ExeTRY St David’s’ to celebrate the tournament’s arrival and to bring intrigue and buzz to the city that is set to host nine different nations and two quarter final matches in the tournament next year.

Sandy Park will play host to a total of seven matches in August and September and it’s a venue that former Red Rose Shaunagh Brown knows well.

The two-time Six Nations winner, whose last international game was the 2021 Rugby World Cup final, said: “I played against France at Sandy Park and I have so many fond memories of the stadium and of the city of Exeter. They’re such a proud rugby city and when you see pictures of yourselves on lampposts, you truly feel like you’re part of something special. I want the people of Exeter to get involved and be part of the hype. Ticket applications are now open so don’t miss your chance.”

And this support is evident in the record demand seen so far. Since going on sale in October, over 130,000 tickets have been sold for the tournament via pre-sale and more than 100,000 tickets requested in just the first week of the application phase, on track to match World Rugby's ambitions of the biggest celebration of women's rugby there has ever been.

Sarah Massey, Managing Director of the tournament, is thrilled to see the appetite and believes that leaning into the rugby heritage of the city will only benefit the growth of the game and welcome a new wave of fans to the sport.

"There's a great rugby hive here in Exeter but what we're trying to do is really bring in some new fans and generate a much wider audience," she said.

"By renaming the station and bringing Maggie [Alphonsi] and Shaunagh [Brown] down here, it just creates a little bit of excitement and is a creative and innovative idea that can attract some new fans. Exeter are so used to holding rugby matches with the men's Rugby World Cup matches in 2015, the Red Roses having played here before and the Premiership Women’s Rugby final being here earlier this year. With so many different nations playing across the host cities, and Exeter having nine different countries, it gives the public a great opportunity to get behind the game."

Cllr Duncan Wood, Lead Councillor for Leisure Services and Healthy Living, added: “The Women’s Rugby Cup will have a major impact on Exeter and will put the city in the global spotlight. It will encourage more participation in physical activity, particularly among women and girls, and we can’t wait for the matches at Sandy Park next year. It was great to see the trophy in Exeter today, tickets are now on sale and the countdown to this historic event is well and truly on.”

General sale ticket applications for Women’s Rugby World Cup England 2025 are available until 11:00 on 19 November 2024. Visit tickets.rugbyworldcup.com.