The captains gather in London on the eve of the 2010 Women's Rugby World Cup © Getty Images

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The 2010 Women's Rugby World Cup kicks-off on Friday and event organisers are confident that the global showcase will elevate the game to all-new levels.

The 17-day tournament features the world's best women players following a first ever global qualification process. Six teams qualified automatically, with three-time defending champions New Zealand, 2006 runners-up England, France, Canada and the USA all securing a place by virtue of their finishing position in 2006. Kazakhstan, Australia, Wales, Ireland, Scotland and Sweden join them having successfully negotiated the 16 match qualification process.

The Twickenham Stoop will host the semi finals and final on Wednesday, September 1 and Sunday 5 respectively with the pool matches and play-off games staged at the multi-million pound high performance centre, Surrey Sports Park in Guildford.

"Women's Rugby World Cup has redefined the boundaries of Women's Rugby over the years, producing memorable encounters, outstanding Rugby and positioning the Women's Game in front of global audiences," said IRB Vice-Chairman Bill Beaumont speaking at the official launch in City Hall, London. "Through an irresistible platform of record TV coverage, highly-competitive matches, unprecedented media interest and strong public support, I am sure that Women's Rugby World Cup 2010 will take the Women's Game to new levels, attracting new audiences in the UK and around the world."

Beaumont was joined at the launch by Hugh Robertson MP, UK Government Minister for Sport and RFUW President Gill Burns underlining the high level of support for a tournament that will usher in a decade of world class sporting events in the UK, including Rugby World Cup 2015.

"I am delighted that England is hosting the Women's Rugby World Cup. This will showcase the sport at the highest level and I hope encourage many more young women and girls' to get involved in the game. I wish the IRB and the RFU the best of luck in putting on a successful tournament", said Robertson.

Rosie Williams, managing director of the RFUW, added, "The Women's Rugby World Cup 2010 is a marvellous opportunity to raise the profile of the women's game in England. Women's rugby is a rapidly growing sport but to have the showcase event on English soil will undoubtedly help raise the profile of the sport and get more people into the game, and we have a range of legacy programmes designed to achieve just that."