Rugby: Steve Hansen backs New Zealand's bid for 2021 women's World Cup

The Black Ferns celebrate winning the World Cup at the final whistle. Photo / Photosport

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen says hosting the 2021 women's World Cup in New Zealand will take the game to a new level here.

New Zealand is one of six nations to bid for the tournament. Australia, England, France, Portugal and Wales are the others.

New Zealand have won five of the eight women's tournaments, including last year's in Ireland, but have never hosted it.

World Rugby will announce the successful bidder on November 14.

Not surprisingly, Hansen who has coached the All Blacks to two World Cup victories, was supportive of the women's bid.

"It's exciting, isn't it," Hansen said.

"The Black Ferns don't get that great an opportunity to play at home in front of big crowds and [against] a lot of different opposition. To have a World Cup, regardless of who's playing in it [and] whether it's an under-20 [tournament], the Black Ferns or the All Blacks themselves, it's always an exciting time for rugby in New Zealand.

"The women's team have been great ambassadors for our game. They're leading the way in their sport and they're challenging all of us to look at it differently. I think it would be great, I wouldn't have any problem supporting it."

One of the biggest factors will come down to what sort of money the tournament could make in New Zealand. It was a question that the organisers of New Zealand's bid before the 2011 men's World Cup confronted head on by talking about a "stadium of four million", and this latest bid could follow a similar sentiment.

"What you're committing to, I think, if you say 'look we want to host it' is that you're going to provide stadia that are world class and you're going to provide an environment where the tournament's going to get thoroughly supported by people coming out and watching it," Hansen added.

"You've only got to look at the last one. Ireland did a tremendous job in supporting that and they're all things that we can do really well.

"I think the New Zealand public would really buy into it and it could give the women's game a real shake along and that would be good.''