Eighty female Communist Party cadres in Guangzhou’s Zengcheng Municipality have officially formed rugby teams in a bid to make Zengcheng a pioneer of the sport in China, Southern Metropolis Daily reports.

On March 8, training officially started with the formation of a red team and a blue team. All female cadres from junior level up are required to compete, according to the paper.

China has never qualified for the rugby world cup and currently ranks 69th in the world.

In 2006, Peter Wheeler, executive director of top English rugby union team Leicester Tigers said China hosting a rugby world cup within a couple of decades was a realistic prospect.