Sports and science experts in anti-doping advocate for a clean and fair Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025

Rugby Union

On the eve of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 (22 August - 27 September) anti-doping experts line up for a photocall at Allianz Stadium Twickenham to champion the importance of fair play.

The image shows a photo of four people pitch side at Allianz Twickenham stadium. Pictured from left to right is Mike Earl, Director of Anti-Doping and Game Equipment at World Rugby, Jane Rumble, UKAD Chief Executive, Professor Kim Wolff, Director of King’s Forensics and Head of the Drug Control Centre, and Aimee Bywater-Lutman, Head of Women’s Rugby World Cup Business Operations

  • The photograph shows (from left to right): Mike Earl, Director of Anti-Doping and Game Equipment at World Rugby, Jane Rumble, UKAD Chief Executive, Professor Kim Wolff, Director of King’s Forensics and Head of the Drug Control Centre, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accredited laboratory at King’s College London, and Aimee Bywater-Lutman, Head of Women’s Rugby World Cup Business Operations
  • UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) is delivering the testing programme for World Rugby with an all-female team of Doping Control Personnel, under the leadership of Jane Rumble, UKAD’s Chief Executive
  • Stephanie Peacock, Minister for Sport, Media, Civil Society and Youth notes how the tournament also further supports and demonstrates the British Government’s commitment to boosting participation of women and girls in sport in an environment that is clean and fair 

Jane Rumble, Chief Executive of UKAD, said: 

“It is wonderful to see the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 on England turf in stadiums across the country. We are delighted to be delivering the testing programme at this prestigious international event. The public needs and wants to know that the players we admire and support are competing clean – 100% authentic, playing with integrity and pride. We wish all the teams well for a fair and well-fought tournament. 

“It is also fitting that our team of testing Doping Control Personnel working for the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 are all women. Our colleagues and partners will be out and about on a collective mission to protect, inform, educate and empower the clean player.” 

Mike Earl, Director of Anti-Doping and Game Equipment at World Rugby, said: 

“I’m delighted that World Rugby will be working in partnership with UKAD for delivery of the anti-doping programme during the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 tournament.  The testing programme is the most extensive ever delivered at a women’s world cup, and helps us to support clean players and protect the integrity of the tournament.  Our Keep Rugby Clean weekend falls on 6th and 7th September and will see players and teams showing their support in promoting a unifying message to champion fair play across the game.  

“Keep Rugby Clean weekend is the perfect opportunity for everyone involved in elite rugby to show how much playing clean matters to our sport”  

Professor Kim Wolff, Director of King’s Forensics and head of the Drug Control Centre, at King’s College London, added: 

“My team at the Drug Control Centre will be working hard in the run up and all through the tournament to analyse the samples collected by UKAD’s Doping Control Personnel. It is rightly a less public aspect to the tournament but one that is critical to the credibility of the sport. I am proud of the dedicated hard work of my expert analytical scientists and support staff and of a WADA Lab that is internationally lauded for the high standards and quality of its work. All the best to all the players for a terrific tournament.” 

Stephanie Peacock, Minister for Sport, Media, Civil Society and Youth, said: 

“This tournament is another beacon of light in the sporting landscape that is seeing a remarkable growth in women’s sport. In addition to the huge growth in audiences and associated economic benefits, there is also the profound and positive impact events like this will have for women and girls across the country and the wider world.  

“The Government is committed to supporting sport for women and girls across our communities and high-profile events like this help inspire the next generation of rugby stars. To create inspirational role models, as these women rugby players are, we need to know that they are competing with integrity. I commend the work of UK Anti-Doping, World Rugby’s anti-doping programmes, and the good work of King’s Drug Control Centre. Together we can endeavour to champion a Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 event that is clean and true, and to protect the goal of sporting stars competing fairly and with integrity.”