Ireland has been selected to host the Women's Rugby World Cup in 2017.
The tournament will take place between Dublin and Belfast, with pool games hosted at University College Dublin and the knockout stages played at Queen's University and Kingspan Stadium.
World Rugby made the announcement this afternoon, with Chairman Bernard Lapasset saying that the awarding of the tournament to Ireland "is great news for teams and fans", and saying the IRFU's commitment to the women's game in Ireland had been a factor in the decision. "With impressive results on and off the field, the IRFU is a leader in driving forward the promotion and development of women’s rugby and the union’s passion, dedication and expertise in women’s rugby was reflected in an impressive and forward think," he said.
The Irish women's side are current Six Nations champions and last year reached the semi-finals of the World Cup, having en route defeated New Zealand in one of the biggest shocks in the tournament's history. The results are the latest in something of a golden era for women's rugby in Ireland, as in 2013 the team won the Six Nations Grand Slam for the first time.
The past two Women's World Cups, in France in 2014 and England in 2010, attracted capacity crowds and record broadcasting figures, as the women's game continues to expand its audience.
IRFU Chief Executive Philip Browne said: "We are delighted with today’s announcement that Irish Rugby will host the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup. Interest and participation in women's rugby continues to grow and building on this momentum we believe Ireland can deliver the best Women's Rugby World Cup to-date.
"We hope that the growing interest in women's rugby in Ireland, world leading facilities at UCD, Queen's University Sport, Kingspan Stadium and our internationally recognised reputation for being one of the world's most welcoming nations will make an exceptional event for the entire country.
"We would like to thank World Rugby for the opportunity to host this prestigious event and look forward to working closely with them to bring the tournament to these shores."
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
