World Rugby has announced that the 10th edition of the women's tournament will be held from August 22 to September 27 in 2025.

It will feature four more nations than the 2021 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, expanding from 12 to 16 teams and staged countrywide over the five-week period in a bid to accelerate the growth of the women’s game.

Among the venues selected include Ashton Gate in Bristol, Franklin’s Gardens in Northampton, Sandy Park in Exeter and the Salford Community Stadium in Manchester - which are already host to English domestic rugby teams.

The other venues chosen are the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, the York Community Stadium in York and the Brighton and Hove Albion Stadium in Brighton and Hove.

Twickenham Stadium, the home of England’s national teams, will be the centrepiece to the event after holding a world record-breaking crowd of 58,498 at the Women’s Six Nations title decider between England and France in April.

The 2021 Rugby World Cup broke a series of records as it attracted more than 150,000 fans while an average of 1.8 million viewers tuned in to watch the tournament in England and hosts New Zealand.

World Rugby chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said the 2021 edition "built an incredibly strong foundation" but vowed to "take the game to the next level as the biggest celebration of women’s rugby with fans and players very much at its heart".

"We look forward to continuing to collaborate with all our partners as we strive to deliver a world-class and historic event that will leave a lasting legacy, both in England and around the world as we aim to inspire millions of new players and fans and continue to grow the game we love," added Sir Bill.

Sarah Massey, the managing director for Rugby World Cup 2025 Organising Committee, said she was looking forward to taking the game to different parts of the country.

"It shows the growth of women’s rugby, and it shows the ambition that we have as an operating company," said Massey.

"I think that’s one of the things that demonstrates how we’re growing the game is to move it around the country and to bigger venues, so we expose this incredible sport to more audiences and engage more fans.

"Everything we want to do around this Rugby World Cup is about raising the standards from previous women’s tournaments, both on and off the pitch and this is just one way we see that come to life."

Massey said she had also been encouraged by record attendance and broadcast figures in other sports including football, netball and cricket.

"I think the beauty of what we’re doing now is that it doesn’t matter what sport it is, the groundswell of interest in women’s sport is becoming really clear and it’s not just a one-off," added Massey.

"For me, it’s about the fact that all these women’s sports are helping each other to grow and gain visibility, credibility, authenticity.

"Alongside this we are seeing so many more women being appointed to leadership positions and heading up major sporting events across the globe.

"That brings role models, it brings credibility and ultimately brings real change."