Royal London has announced a £3m ‘Levelling the Playing Field’ fund that will aid the British and Irish Lions in investing in elite women’s player and coach pathways.
The deal comes ahead of the first ever Women’s Lions tour to New Zealand, which is scheduled for 2027.
The grant will support all four unions despite England’s rugby dominance, with each union having a plan for the use of their cash funding.
Ireland will use the funds for pathways projects while England will use them for their player development groups.
Scotland are set to recruit new coaches with their funding while Wales will also add to their pathway coaching.
Ben Calveley, chief of the British and Irish Lions, said: “Supporting the growth of the women’s game is a key strategic priority for The British and Irish Lions as it is for each of our constituent Unions.
“Royal London’s ‘Levelling the Playing Field’ grant represents a significant investment into the women’s game in the four Unions and will make a positive impact on women’s rugby.
“Royal London are an outstanding partner to The British and Irish Lions and a consistent advocate both for the Lions Women’s Tour and for the women’s game. We look forward to working closely with them over the coming years as we build towards this historic Tour in 2027.”
British and Irish Lions levelling up
Susie Logan, group chief marketing officer at Royal London, said: “Our aim as the Founding Partner of the Women’s Lions Team is to play an integral part in levelling the playing field for women’s rugby.
“The ‘Levelling the Playing Field’ grants we are announcing today further demonstrate our commitment to breaking down barriers and ensuring we’re able to support the development of women’s rugby at all levels.
“It’s been incredibly important to us that all Unions are actively involved and empowered to develop their own plans, ensuring optimal use of the funding across each nation.
“We’re looking forward to continuing our work in partnership with the Unions to ensure it makes a difference for the current and future generations.”