London has been chosen as host city for the 2010 IRB Women's Rugby World Cup.
The Rugby Football Union for Women (RFUW) and the Rugby Football Union (RFU) announced the decision on 23 September. The RFUW and RFU fought off stiff competition from Germany, South Africa and Kazakhstan to host the 2010 event.
The tournament, which was last held in Edmonton, Canada in 2006, will be staged across West London and will showcase the top 12 international teams in women's world rugby.
Since the first tournament in 1991 the Women's Rugby World Cup has been the catalyst for the tremendous growth in the women's game world wide. In England, as of the 2007/08 season, there were 567 affiliated clubs playing rugby (senior and youth) and 12,302 women and girls playing the game.
Top opportunity for London as a global sporting capital
Visit London worked closely on the bid process with the RFU and RFUW. David Hornby, Visit London Commercial Director said of the win: "Visit London is delighted to have been part of the successful bid for London to host the Women's Rugby World Cup in 2010. This is a fantastic opportunity for London as a global sporting capital and for South London to be recognised as a modern and accessible sports destination.
"This is also an incredibly inspirational event for Londoners and the rest of the UK who will be able to view these outstanding female athletes playing world-class sports. This is a truly golden moment for sporting events in London."
Mayor of London Boris Johnson added: "Women's rugby has been growing over the last few years, so it's splendid news that London is to host the Women's Rugby World Cup in 2010. There is strong support for the women's game in London, and England are a triple Grand Slam winning team, so here's to a successful as well as exciting tournament in two years' time."
Rosie Williams, Managing Director of the RFUW, said: "We are delighted to have been selected to host this great event. Hosting an international rugby tournament in London will be great for the growth and profile of women's rugby. We have had some great support from UK Sport and Visit London and this has helped strengthen our bid. The infrastructure is in place at the RFU and we will host a world class tournament for players and spectators alike."
