DUBLIN, May 21 -- World Rugby launched a global campaign at a press conference here on Tuesday with the aim of encouraging more people to engage in women's rugby.
The "Try And Stop Us" global campaign draws inspiration from stories of 15 women and girls involved in rugby from various countries and regions and levels of the game, aiming to send a message to every female that playing rugby has the power to make them feel unstoppable.
Xu Xiaojing (Phoenix), a female rugby referee from China, is among 15 global ambassadors appointed by World Rugby. Xu did not attend Tuesday's event, but her image was included in a manifesto video.
Addressing attendees at the press conference, World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said that the development of women in rugby was the single greatest opportunity to grow the sport in the next decade, adding that women's rugby is experiencing record growth with participation levels at an all-time high.
Beaumont noted that there are currently 2.7 million female rugby players around the world, accounting for more than a quarter of the total global playing population, adding that over 40 percent of rugby's 400 million fans are female.