“You heard today that every successive Women’s Rugby World Cup is better than the last,” said IRFU Chief Executive Philip Browne. “We have to make damn sure that this is going to be the best Women’s Rugby World Cup ever.”

Ireland captain Niamh Briggs was there for the launch, along with teammates Sophie Spence, Clare McLaughlin and Seve Naoupa.

Briggs told the Irish Examiner playing on home turf would only drive the ambition of the team.

“Ultimately, the girls all want to be playing in a home World Cup,” she said. “It’s just going to bolster everybody, and it’s going to create competition within the squad, which is what we need.

“We all want to win every game we play.

“I’m not going turn around and tell you that I’d be happy to get to a semi-final again. We’re driven, and that doesn’t change.”

The @WorldRugby #wrwc2017 is coming to Ireland. #BringIt pic.twitter.com/bOGfHNxfwQ

— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) May 12, 2016

Irish Rugby hopes that a successful tournament will also assist their bid for the men’s event in 2023.

“The fact that we’ll be hosting a World Rugby tournament in August of next year and decisions around Rugby World Cup 2023 are going to be made in September, October next year,” Browne said. “So we are very aware that this has to be a really well-run tournament in 2017.

“It will have a substantial impact. We have to be able to show that we can run an international tournament across the island of Ireland involving both governments, making sure that the logistics are right and making sure that the quality of what we do is right up there.”