World Rugby rebrands World Cup competitions in bid to tackle gender bias in sport
World Rugby is to drop gender from the title of its 15s and sevens Rugby World Cup competitions in a bid to tackle gender bias in sport.
The Women's Rugby World Cup 2021, to be held in New Zealand, will be the first competition to be rebranded, and will be referred to as the Rugby World Cup 2021.
World Rugby are hoping that the decision will ensure the competitions are given equal billing from a brand perspective.
The announcement comes shortly after the release of the organisation's Women in Rugby campaign, launched in May and titled "Try and Stop Us", which was aimed at increasing growth and investment in the women's game.
The decision to omit gender from the competition titles is partly to elevate the profile of the women's game as well as avoiding any perceived bias towards the men's competitions which traditionally don't carry gender in the titles.
World Rugby's announcement comes following a recommendation by the Rugby World Cup Limited (RWCL) board.