Former professional rugby players joined the University of York's women's team to welcome the World Cup to York
Women's rugby is "booming" with more players signing up in anticipation of the World Cup coming to England in 2025, a club president has said.
The University of York squad was invited to a launch event this week ahead of the city hosting six matches during the tournament next summer.
The students joined professional players on a boat trip along the River Ouse to Clifford's Tower.
Speaking as the window for ticket applications opened, the university's women's president Jennifer Cox-Kersley said: “We’ve seen the popularity in our intake this year, just the amount of people excited to try rugby.”
England rugby legend Maggie Alphonsi and Yorkshire’s Jodie Ounsley attended the promotional event
The team were joined by former England international Maggie Alphonsi and Jodie Ounsley, the ex-England Sevens player from Dewsbury who appeared as Fury in the TV show Gladiators.
Miss Alphonsi said: “The enthusiasm has been great today, we finally welcome the World Cup to the city, this iconic city.”
She added: “It’s going to be an exciting tournament and as long as we can grow the game, that’s the main thing, and try to create a legacy and an impact.”
Miss Ounsley said she was “buzzing” about the competition coming to Yorkshire.
“It’s special being in England anyway, but to be up north it is even more special because people get to see how amazing York is.”
Miss Cox-Kersley said the opportunity for female rugby players to attend games locally “is a good thing”.
She added: “I want to keep encouraging girls to start playing and I think what Maggie and Jodie are doing is really important.”
The university's captain, Louise Hamilton, said: “It’s just a very exciting opportunity for us. We’re just really grateful that we got invited.”
Miss Hamilton added that she had already applied for tickets after the ballot opened earlier. Fans have until 19 November to select the matches and price categories they are interested in and they will hear whether they have been successful by 2 December.
The York fixtures will be played at the Community Stadium, York City FC's home ground, which has a capacity of 8,500 spectators.
Sunderland, Brighton, Bristol, Exeter, Northampton and Salford are also hosting matches, with the final to be played at Twickenham, the national rugby union stadium.
England finished as runners-up to New Zealand in the last women's World Cup in 2021.
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