Countries around the world need to "learn from England" to "narrow the gap", says World Rugby's new director of women Sally Horrox.

"It's amazing to have a country, a union, with best practice to aspire to," Horrox - who took up her post earlier this month - told BBC Sport.

"We have to narrow the gap, we have to learn from England, and from others around the world."

Horrox - a former lawyer, netball player and sports consultant - said change would "take time" and that it needed "planning, partnership and long-term investment".

"Let's not try and lower the benchmark, let's try to raise all our boats," she said. "How wonderful would that be?"

Horrox has replaced Katie Sadleir, who left World Rugby to become chief executive of the Commonwealth Games Federation.

In her first week in post, it was announced England would host the women's World Cup in 2025, with Australia staging the 2029 tournament and the United States following in 2033.

"We're not going to crack it overnight," she told BBC Sport. "We need this golden decade so please bear with me, bear with us and we'll do our very best."

The headline of the Rugby Football Union's bid to stage the 2025 World Cup was the ambition to sell out the 82,000-seat Twickenham stadium for the final.

England's women were watched by a record home crowd of 15,863 for their Six Nations game against Ireland at Welford Road in April - just a week after 14,689 saw them play Wales.

RFU chief financial officer Sue Day said those figures exceeded sales targets and the organisation had a "pathway and strategy" to build towards the final in 2025.

World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin said: "No doubt Covid has had an impact around the world in the women's game but now is the chance for us to come out of that and really push forward.

"Everyone's in love with women's rugby in England right now so 2025 is an amazing opportunity."

Horrox on World Cup ticket sales

Gilpin believes England will have competition at the next World Cup - in New Zealand later this year - from the hosts and France.

However, ticket sales for the tournament - which has been delayed a year because of the coronavirus pandemic - have been slow.

Seven matches across three matchdays will be played at the 50,000-capacity Eden Park, including the final.

"I'm not overly concerned," said Horrox. "It's a late walk-up market.

"They've just lifted the entry requirements [into New Zealand] and we are putting more money into promotion and marketing and driving those ticket sales to make it the best event it can be."

Horrox on WXV launch

Horrox was previously involved in the Women's Super League and Netball Super League.

She will draw on those experiences as she prepares for the launch of WXV - World Rugby's new global women's competition, due to start in 2023.

Describing WXV as a "huge priority for the game", Horrox stressed its aim was "more annual competition to improve competitive balance".

However, there are already concerns about the competition's cut-through, with its current launch window of September-October 2023 clashing with the men's World Cup in France.

Horrox said: "I'm coming into post off the back of a lot of good work and consultation with the unions so I've got real confidence that from a performance perspective and a calendar and scheduling perspective they've done a great job of identifying the right window.

"It's not ideal that it clashes with the men's World Cup, so we're looking at it, but that's where it is at the moment."