Rugby World Cup brings business boost to West Northamptonshire

22 August 2025

The Women’s Rugby World Cup has brought a welcome boost for local hotels, restaurants and businesses in West Northamptonshire, with thousands of extra visitors flocking to the county.

Four international teams are currently staying in West Northamptonshire, with the county’s hotels benefitting from long-term team stays of up to a month. With Franklin’s Gardens hosting matches for large crowds to enjoy, the tournament has also brought a surge of visitors filling local hotels, booking restaurants and supporting high street businesses. 

As well as the uplift in tourism, the event has created a cultural buzz across the county, with global visitors and local people coming together to celebrate the very best in women’s rugby. West Northamptonshire Council was also pleased to host a business event on Harnessing Sporting Excellence to ensure all local businesses benefited from this largescale opportunity for the local economy.

“We are incredibly proud to welcome the Women’s Rugby World Cup to West Northamptonshire. The tournament will not only deliver world-class sporting moments, but also a major boost for our local businesses and hotels.

“It has been fantastic to see our communities and visitors come together to celebrate, with last weekend’s spectacular welcome ceremony in our historic Guildhall setting the tone for the weeks ahead. We look forward to continuing to showcase everything our area has to offer to a global audience – and hope many of those visiting will return to enjoy West Northamptonshire again in the future.”Cllr Mark Arnull, Leader of West Northamptonshire Council, said:

Local businesses have embraced Rugby World Cup fever, with many employers across the county offering special discounts, offers and competitions such as Willow Lake Water Park and Delapre Abbey. The town centre is also alive with colour, thanks to vibrant city dressing for the tournament, eye-catching yarn bombing by the Northamptonshire Women’s Institute, and shops such as Abraxas Cookshop on St Giles Street in Northampton creating themed window displays to mark the occasion.

“I am happy to say that the Rugby World Cup has been a real boost to us all in the county. August and early September are normally a bit lower on sales once the school holiday period kicks in, so the timing of the rugby has been perfect.

“The uplift has been significant for the hotels hosting teams, with month-long block bookings bringing not just room sales but also high-value food and drink spend, as well as event space hire for storage, physio and media use.

“Culturally, hosting the world’s top women’s teams has been a real treat - our staff and communities have enjoyed welcoming visitors from across the globe, and for some players it’s even been their very first visit to the UK. We’ve had fun sharing simple things - like explaining what porridge is at breakfast! Overall, there has been a real positive vibe around the hotels.

“This largescale activity completely lines with the mission of the Local Visitor Economy Partnership, Discover Northamptonshire, and I’m certain this event will serve as a brilliant advert for the UK as a destination for global sports events and a fantastic showcase for the county, West Northamptonshire Council, and Northampton Saints, who have done a superb job in hosting.”Andrew Hollett, Chair of the Northamptonshire Hotelier’s Forum

Find out more about visiting Northamptonshire including attractions, events and where to stay on the Discover Northamptonshire website.