World Rugby has published findings showing that female rugby players are 69% more likely to experience abuse on social media than their male counterparts, with misogyny, gender identity, sexuality and body-shaming among the most common forms. The governing body has referred eight cases to law enforcement and platforms for action, framing the research as part of a wider stand against online hate that it launched at the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup. The findings add to growing concern about the online treatment of female athletes, echoing experiences shared by figures such as tennis player Katie Boulter and Wales number eight Georgia Evans.

Of the 440,000 posts analysed, 1,189 met the threshold for unlawful content, and the offenders in the eight referred cases were located in Belgium, France, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and the United States. High-profile players including Ilona Maher, the world's most followed rugby player, have described online abuse as "constant", while Evans spoke during the World Cup of negative comments about her appearance. The report comes amid heightened attention on the women's game, which drew record audiences in 2025: 81,885 fans attended England's World Cup final win over Canada, a peak of 5.8 million watched on the BBC, and UK supporter numbers rose from 7.94 million to 13.21 million after the tournament.