The organisers of the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand are confident the tournament will leave a lasting legacy for the sport and the women's game.
Photo: © World Rugby 2022
After years of preparation, the event kicks off with a triple-header at Eden Park on Saturday, concluding with the Black Ferns much-anticipated opener against trans-Tasman rivals Australia.
The 2022 edition of the tournament was making history as the first edition to be held in the Southern hemisphere.
But officials were optimistic it would eventually be seen as historic for other reasons, too.
World Rugby wanted the event to vehicle to kick-start their push to grow the women's game in all areas.
Chief executive Alan Gilpin said there was a clear "if you can see it, you can be it" element to the tournament.
"This Rugby World Cup, and the manner in which it will be played, will provide an unprecedented visibility at a time when women's sport is growing exponentially around the world.
"This tournament will really be the fuse for what will be a golden decade of opportunity, of certainty and of growth for women's test rugby."
Part of the reason for that belief was the momentum that had been generated in other sports.
The tournament came in the wake of several significant moments, most notably the huge popularity of the England women's football team on the back of their win at the European Championships.
Women's Rugby World Cup 2021 (played in 2022) Captains - Scotland, Rachel Malcolm - Japan, Saki Minami - Australia, Shannon Perry - Wales, Siwan Lillicrap - France, Gaelle Hermet - England Sarah Hunter - New Zealand, Kennedy Simon - Fiji, Sereima Leweniqila - South Africa, Nolusindiso Booi - USA, Kate Zackary - Canada, Sophie de Goede - Italy, Elisa Giordano. Photo: Brett Phibbs/www.photosport.nz
World Rugby director of women's rugby Sally Horrox said the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand presented a chance to capitalise on the surge being experienced in other codes.
"There's a buzz, energy and momentum around the development of women's sport.
"So the opportunity for us to kick on beyond what we see over the next six weeks is tremendous.
"I'm sure it will be well worth the wait."
As well as making women's rugby more visible and popular on a global scale, there was confidence the tournament would drive further growth in the younger age brackets.
Tournament director Michelle Hooper felt it would inspire more young girls everywhere to give the game a go.
"I've got a six-year-old daughter and she loves playing rugby.
"She's played for two seasons. All of her friends play rugby and our club has a player registration that's about 46 per cent female.
"It's changing at a grassroots level here in New Zealand already and [the tournament] will inspire generations of children, not just here in New Zealand but globally.
"Rugby plays such a powerful role in inspiring future generations."