World Cup's northern push puts heat on rugby league

The streets of Eccles have given little away on the face of it over the past two Saturdays.

- Aaron Bower

The streets of Eccles have given little away on the face of it over the past two Saturdays. Local residents are going about their business, the nearby canal path is full of walkers and runners, and there is a slumberous Saturday morning feel: until you turn into the Salford Community Stadium.

The Women's Rugby World Cup has made a strong start with decent crowds and good viewing figures. But there was a concerted effort to go beyond familiar territory in this tournament and lay down some roots in the north of England, too. The early signs suggest that may well have been achieved.

Sunderland, Salford and York have all hosted group-stage matches; two of those are more used to staging professional rugby league games, while Sunderland is hardly rugby territory. But if you have been at any of those stadiums over the past two weekends you will have had a sense that rugby union can have some cut-through.

As that northern leg of the tournament wraps up this weekend before the knockouts, it feels like a pertinent moment to ponder what sort of legacy will be left behind. In total, more than 88,000 supporters have attended the nine games in the three northern venues thus far.