The agreement between Eurosport, France Television and World Rugby means fans in France will be able to watch the key matches of the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup live, including on a free-to-air basis, those featuring the French national team.

France Télévisions and Eurosport, who were partners of World Rugby and the French Rugby Union for the 2014 Women’s Rugby World Cup in France, already have a deep-rooted heritage in women’s rugby with both having the rights to show France’s domestic “TOP 8” competition.

Taking place between 9-26 August in Ireland, the tournament will feature the best 12 women’s rugby XVs teams on the planet including current holders England, 2014 runners-up Canada, the perennially dangerous New Zealand, and the French team.

Eurosport CEO Peter Hutton said: “We’re delighted to have the opportunity to broadcast the Women’s Rugby World Cup in France, thus highlighting Eurosport’s commitment to women’s sport. Eurosport already shows some of the best events featuring the best women’s athletes including tennis, athletics, cycling and swimming and adding rugby to this growing list will rightly give women’s sport even greater exposure to our viewers.”

In 2017, Eurosport will broadcast the UEFA Women’s Euro 2017 Championships as well as the Women’s Champions League finals and will showcase the very best of women’s sport at each of the four Grand Slams, the World Athletics Championships and at all winter sports events throughout the season.

Eurosport adds the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017 to its growing rugby portfolio with the broadcaster already showing the Six Nations and Aviva Premiership in Asia as well as the autumn internationals featuring the men’s French national team across Europe and the Asia-Pacific regions.

Eurosport will show 14 matches during the tournament, including every match featuring France as well as the semi-finals and the Final.

In addition to broadcasting, on its free-to-air channels, all matches involving France throughout the tournament, France Télévisions will also show the Final live, with or without the French team. Involved in women’s rugby since 2012 in particular with the Women’s Six Nations Tournament, the test-matches of the French team and the 2014 World Cup, France Télévisions will also cover the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017 in its various magazine shows and via its “francetvsport” website and appt.

France’s passion for women’s rugby was highlighted in 2014 when 2.2 million viewers tuned in to watch the Women’s Rugby World Cup semi-final between France and Canada on France Televisions’ channel France 4.

ENDS.