AUCKLAND: Women's rugby stepped into a bright new spotlight Saturday when the opening matches of the ninth Women's Rugby World Cup were played in front of a world-record audience at Auckland's Eden Park.
France beat South Africa 40-5 in the first match of the tournament which includes 26 matches played over 35 days.
More than 35,000 tickets were pre-sold, already exceeding the record crowd for a women's rugby international of 20,000 which saw the final of the 2014 World Cup between England and Canada in Paris.
With late walk-ups, the peak attendance is expected to exceed 40,000. All of the top title contenders were also due to appear on opening day.
Later Saturday, two-time champion and top-ranked England were to face Fiji and five-time winner New Zealand, ranked No.2, meets Australia.
The world tournament comes at a time at which the increasing popularity of rugby among women is leading global growth in the sport.
While player salaries continue to lag behind men, increasing investment by World Rugby and national rugby unions is slowly levelling the playing field.
The 12 teams at this World Cup are divided into three groups of four with England and France on course to clash in Group C.
France 40, South Africa 5
Scrumhalf Laur Sansus scored the first try of the World Cup after only two minutes, offering an early glimpse of the challenge France intends to bring to tournament favourites England and New Zealand.
While France is ranked No.4 in the world, its star-studded lineup is expected to outperform that ranking.
Sansus is one of those stars, the player of the championship in this season's Six Nations tournament.
Inside centre Gabrielle Vernier scored the second try and Emilie Boulard the third, giving France a 19-0 lead over 11th-ranked South Africa in better-than-even time.
Vernier scored off a neat chip kick by flyhalf Caroline Drouine and Boulard went almost the length of the field from an intercept.
The score remained 19-0 at halftime as South Africa's performance was lifted by a strong scrum.
That revival continued when South African winger Nomawethu Mabenge scored the first try of the second half.
France had become sluggish and had to find new gear.
That they did so efficiently again was impressive Sansus scored her second try in the 68th minute, attacking quickly from a tapped penalty.
Drouin scored three minutes later and France's lead expanded to 33-5. Joanna Grisez added the final try after the full-time siren.