Jonny Manning
BBC News, North East and Cumbria
Washington Rugby Club
Washington Rugby Club holds touch rugby sessions for women who want to keep fit and have fun
Rugby clubs are hoping the Women’s World Cup will inspire new players to “dip their toe in” and try the sport.
Friday’s opening match saw England take on the USA at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland and rugby teams across north-east England hope those inspired by the game will join their clubs.
Washington Rugby Club runs touch rugby sessions for female players, but is considering starting its own contact team if it can find enough interested people.
The club’s director of rugby, David Addison, said high-profile stars coming to Sunderland was “huge” because it brought attention to the sport.
He said players such as the USA’s Ilona Maher, who has 5.2 million followers on Instagram, could help bring the sport to a new audience.
“She’s the most followed rugby player in the world, including all the men,” he said.
“That might generate a little bit of influx, so people want to stick their toe in the water.
“Then we can start building our numbers up and find people who want to look at the contact side of things.”
Washington Rugby Club
Washington Rugby Club said it will start a contact women’s team if enough wanted to play
Blaydon Rugby Club in Gateshead has a strong women’s division with two teams, but is always on the look out for new members.
Hayley Hope met her partner at the club but said one of the attractions of the sport was that she could play it with her five daughters.
Speaking to BBC’s Woman’s Hour, she said: “There’s not many sports where you can go and play with your daughter or your sister.
“We all came and got fit together. Then [my daughters] started playing first and I watched and thought: ‘oh my goodness, I have to do this’.”
Blaydon Red Kite’s captain Kirsty “KP” Paterson said the club had developed a culture where its female players felt they belonged.
“Everybody who comes into the team, we try and nurture them – it’s all about retaining those players,” she said.
“You get a lot of girls who fluctuate in and out of sport but if we can show them what we are all about, the community and the sense of belonging we all feel, then we seem to retain them really well.”
PA Media
Former England captain Sarah Hunter said the key to getting kids hooked on rugby was making sessions fun
Culture is an important part of the sport for former England captain Sarah Hunter, who returned to her home region as part of the national squad’s coaching team.
She told BBC Radio Newcastle a coach’s goal should be to create moments of children having fun and making memories.
“Then we’ve got them hooked and then our game grows,” she said.
“Then the grassroots end of the game is booming and they’re the future generation of the England national team.
“That’s the exciting part of what this rugby world cup can do – alongside hopefully the Red Roses winning it.”