England were typically dominant in an 11-try thrashing of the USA - but a record World Cup crowd showed how women’s rugby has grown

Linda Djougang tells BBC Sport about her rugby journey, from travelling from Cameroon to Ireland aged nine, to playing for her adopted country in a World Cup.

The Women's Rugby World Cup got underway on Friday with England's 69-7 drubbing of the United States. Few gave the United States a chance to win the opener, let alone to even keep things close against the host country.

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - OCTOBER 01: Elinor Snowsill poses for a portrait during the Wales for the 2021 Rugby World Cup headshots session at Rydges Hotel on October 01, 2022 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Phil Walter - World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)

Brazil will make their Rugby World Cup debut on Sunday against South Africa after only playing 16 Tests in their history.

For all the record-breaking ticket sales and social media hype that has accompanied the opening weekend of the Women’s Rugby World Cup, you do not have to look far to see the precarious landscape in which women’s rugby continues to operate.

Only 6% of girls aged 8 to 25 currently play rugby, 86% have never tried it and 36% say they would be more likely to play if they saw more girls taking part, the study claims.

Reaction after the Red Roses open their campaign with an 11-try win over the United States at Sunderland's Stadium of Light.