The draw for the Women’s Rugby World Cup next August took place amid the grandeur of Belfast City Hall yesterday and pitched hosts Ireland into a group containing France and Australia.
Last time out Captain Fiona Coghlan was one of those conducting the draw alongside Dame Mary Peters, Maggie Alphonsi and Chairman of World Rugby Bill Beaumont.
It was a big production with the investment heralding what is likely to be a similar input from the organisers in staging what will be the highest profile international Women’s sports tournament ever to be held on the island.
Fáilte Ireland, Tourism NI, Belfast City Council, Dublin City Council and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council are on board as backers from within the public sector for the event which will shine a spotlight on Ireland’s ability to host major events.
There is strong commercial support already lined up as well with Tournament Director Garret Tubridy revealing to us last night that Aon, Aldi, Heineken and Land Rover are already confirmed as commercial partners.
eir Sport will be the host broadcasters in the Republic of Ireland, echoing a similar partnership they have with World Rugby for the 2019 Men’s Rugby World Cup in Japan.
Sport for Business will have an interview with Tubridy in the coming weeks looking at the logistics effort that has and will go in to organising the tournament taking place between August 9th and 26th next year. The group stages will take place at University College Dublin’s Belfield Campus with the knock out stages moving to Queens University in Belfast and the World Cup Final taking place at Ulster Rugby’s Kingspan Stadium.
Ireland take on England at UCD in the first of the November Internationals at UCD on Sunday.
Places are filling fast for Teaming up for Women’s Sport on November 30th. Join Minister of State Patrick O’Donovan, Sally Hancock, Lidl and Niamh Briggs and be one of 100 voices gathered to map a future for Women’s Sport in Ireland in Dublin’s Griffith College on November 30th.
