Lionesses have boosted women's rugby, says coach

Sally Russo played rugby for England until 2015

A former England rugby international said the success of the Lionesses on the football pitch had inspired women to take up her sport.

Sally Russo said she hoped the Women's Rugby World Cup - which kicked off on Friday - would further increase interest in the sport.

Sally Russo earned 15 England caps and is head coach of the men's side at Burnham-on-Crouch Rugby Club in Essex.

"The Lionesses did an amazing job in getting women's sport out there and I hope the world cup gets the same message out there for us," said Russo, who played for the Red Roses until 2015.

"This tournament has got the potential to really empower some real change in the growth of women's rugby."

Russo also said her own club in Burnham was developing its women's team.

The Lionesses retained their European title in July

Danielle Hall, 29, played rugby as a youngster and took up the sport again two years ago when she joined Bury St Edmunds Rugby Club in Suffolk.

She agreed attitudes towards women in sport had improved in recent years.

"People have more questions now. We've seen more people come to our matches and there's just a lot more respect for women playing sport in general," she told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"When I was younger, I got told I shouldn't be playing contact sports.

"It's really great to see that girls have the choice to play what they want to play, where they want to play it."

Sophie Revett, Ella Alderton and Mini Nowlan play for Chelmsford Ladies

Ella Alderton, captain of Chelmsford Ladies - known as the Bluebirds - said the Lionesses' success helped women find the confidence to try something new.

"We've got a lot of new players coming up through the local uni and we're really excited to get the next generation of girls playing," the 30-year-old said.

She said she had noticed how England's women's rugby and football players had publicly supported each other.

"They're shouting each other out on social media and it seems to be boosting the interest in both sports," she added.

Her teammate Sophie Revett, 37, is going into her fifth season with the Bluebirds: "Being on that pitch alongside the other women is empowering."

Mini Nowlan said it was a "great time for the sport".

She travelled to Sunderland to watch the first game of the world cup on Friday - when England met the United States.

"I think it's so amazing to have a world cup on home turf when we're so strong and rugby in this country, for women especially, has grown exponentially over the last 10 years," the 42-year-old teacher said.

"It's so nice for our younger generations to be able to go and see these amazingly strong women on a local platform."