The British and Irish Lions Unions Receive £3M Grant to Boost Women’s Rugby Ahead of Historic 2027 Tour
Published: BBC Sport Rugby Union
In a significant boost for the women’s game, the four unions that make up the British and Irish Lions will benefit from a £3 million “Levelling the Playing Field” grant to support the development of players and coaches ahead of the first-ever women’s Lions tour in 2027.
The landmark tour, confirmed in January, will see the Lions take on the world champion Black Ferns of New Zealand in a three-Test series. Founding partner Royal London, who funded a feasibility study for the concept, has now announced the funding allocation to the respective unions of England, Ireland, Wales, and Scotland.
“Supporting the growth of the women’s game is a key strategic priority for The British & Irish Lions as it is for each of our constituent unions,” said Ben Calveley, chief executive of the British and Irish Lions. “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.”
The unions will utilize the funds in various ways to strengthen their women’s pathways:
- England’s RFU will enhance their “Player Development Groups”
- The WRU will expand its women’s pathway coaching staff
- The IRFU will host additional camps and matches at the under-18 and under-20 levels, as well as create a program to accelerate coach progression
- The SRU plans to hire two new “Performance Pipeline” coaches
The 2027 women’s Lions tour will precede the men’s World Cup, which begins later that autumn, and the team will play a series of pre-Test fixtures in New Zealand ahead of the three-match series against the dominant Black Ferns, who have won six of the nine women’s Rugby World Cups.
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