World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont has heaped praise upon Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017, calling it a “special and ground-breaking” event.
New Zealand won the title after an epic final, which brought an end to a record breaking event.
Ireland 2017 saw viewership and social engagement records were smashed. Players and teams also raised their game to deliver sensational performances. This was made clear after World Rugby analysis proved that on average the ball was in play 10 per cent longer than in men’s matches.
Beaumont announced: “This tournament will be remembered as a very special and ground-breaking rugby event. It raised the bar. Compelling action, huge fan interaction and a strong family feel characterised an event that captured hearts and minds beyond the traditional rugby community.
“The level of global coverage and excitement is testament to the performances of the world’s top teams and reflects the surge in interest around the world. Off the field, our friends from the IRFU did an exceptional job at hosting the event, while the volunteers and fans were simply brilliant.
“But most of all, it is the teams who deserve the praise. There is no doubt that they have inspired a new generation of girls and boys to get into rugby and while only one team can be crowned champions, all the teams were fantastic on and off the field – rugby has certainly been the winner.”
Ireland 2017 broke attendance records, with a total attendance of 45,412, while Ireland, France, the UK and USA all reported record breaking viewing figures for this event.
A new tournament record of 3.2 million people watched France 2 for the France v England semi-final while 2.65 million watched ITV in the UK to see the final. This was the largest single audience for a Women’s Rugby World Cup final.
Irish Rugby Football Union President Philip Orr said: “Hosting the Women’s Rugby World Cup has been a tremendous honour for Ireland and one which has been embraced enthusiastically by the Irish public.
“It has been tremendously rewarding for the IRFU to witness the level of co-operation North and South at government level, from tourism authorities, state agencies, the volunteers and of course from World Rugby who have been so committed to making this a tournament like no other. Our heartfelt thanks go to all.”
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