Petersfield Rugby Club will host its first women’s match in more than 20 years when Petersfield take on Littlehampton on pitch one at Penns Place on October 19 at 2pm.

Littlehampton are in their first season and play in the NC3 South East league. The fixture is intended to give both teams valuable match experience.

Following England’s 33-13 win over Canada in the Women’s Rugby World Cup final at Twickenham on September 27, interest in the women’s game is at an all-time high.

A spokesperson for Petersfield Rugby Club said: “The growth we have seen locally reflects that momentum and we are always keen to welcome new players of all experience levels to join our squad.

“The rise of women’s rugby at Petersfield has been nothing short of remarkable. In just six weeks our numbers have grown from two committed players to more than 30 training regularly.

“The energy, enthusiasm and determination shown by this new group has been inspirational, proving that there is a real appetite for women’s rugby in our community.”

The women’s team has moved its weekly training session from Sunday to Thursday evening, bringing it in line with the men’s session so players from both squads can enjoy a shared team dinner in the clubhouse afterwards. The first of these produced the club’s largest ever Thursday dinner turnout.

More matches will be announced soon and the squad aims to join a league next year.

The players will host the University of Portsmouth women’s rugby team on October 17 for a joint training session and development match.

The spokesperson added: “We would love to see the whole club community - players, families, supporters and friends - down at Penns Place to cheer on the team and celebrate the start of this exciting new chapter.”

James Barden