Ireland will host the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017, with World Rugby awarding the Irish Rugby Union (IRFU) the tournament yesterday.Dublin will host the pool stages, with the rest of the tournament to be staged in Belfast.

“Women’s Rugby World Cup continues to go from strength to strength, proving a hit with fans, broadcasters and sponsors around the globe, with its compelling, competitive action and global profile,” World Rugby chair Bernard Lapasset said.

“With impressive results on and off the field, the IRFU is a leader in driving forward the promotion and development of women’s rugby and the union’s passion, dedication and expertise in women’s rugby was reflected in an impressive and forward think.

“The awarding of Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017 to Ireland is great news for teams and fans as the sport continues to reach out and inspire new participants in our great game. I am sure that Dublin and Belfast will prove to be popular destinations.”

England won the World Cup last year in France, the tournament setting new records for both attendances and television audiences — 3 million viewers in France alone at one point in August.

Ireland have enjoyed a lot of recent success, winning the Six Nations Grand Slam in 2013 and the Six Nations title earlier this year. At last year’s World Cup, they caused a major upset when they defeated four-time defending champions New Zealand in the pool stages. They went on to record their best ever finish of fourth place. IRFU chief executive Philip Browne said: “We are delighted with today’s announcement that Irish Rugby will host the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup. Interest and participation in women’s rugby continues to grow and building on this momentum we believe Ireland can deliver the best Women’s Rugby World Cup to date.

“We hope that the growing interest in women’s rugby in Ireland, world-leading facilities at University College Dublin, Queen’s University Sport, Kingspan Stadium and our internationally recognised reputation for being one of the world’s most welcoming nations will make an exceptional event for the entire country.

“We would like to thank World Rugby for the opportunity to host this prestigious event and look forward to working closely with them to bring the tournament to these shores.”

More than 1.7 million women and girls currently play the sport, which is an increase of 20 per cent on 2014.