Leigh BoobyerBristol and
Alistair DurdenBristol
BBCMore than 100 red roses crocheted by volunteers are being put up around a city’s stadium ahead of hosting the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
The roses will be tied to lampposts around Ashton Gate in Bristol, where England will play Scotland in the tournament’s quarter-final on Sunday at 16:00 BST.
The project is part of a national push by England Rugby to inspire more women to take up the sport.
Bath Rugby Ladies player Trish Brown, who has been running the crochet café in St George’s Bristol, said it has been “a really lovely activity”.
“We’ve had a range of people come along, it’s been the perfect intergenerational activity with lots of young people and lots of slightly more mature people,” she said.
Ms Brown, who is operations director at St George’s Bristol, said England Rugby have supported the café by providing free yarn.
“People who wouldn’t necessarily be into rugby have gone ‘well I know about crocheting, culture and art, what’s this to do with it?’,” she said.
“So we’re making connections between new audiences and people.”
The roses will later be handed to and schools and parts of the Bristol Bears Community foundation, she added.
England’s Tatyana Heard and Abby Dow have previously told BBC Sport about their love for crochet and how it helps them during the world cup.
