INTERVIEW: RFU’s Steve Grainger chats Impact ’25
We sat down for an interview with Steve Grainger, RFU Executive Director of Rugby Development, the focus is on Impact ’25 and its ambitious goals. With a significant government commitment of £12 million, Grainger outlines the program’s main objectives, including facility upgrades and increasing female participation in coaching and refereeing. We discuss plans to expand women’s rugby from 30,000 to 100,000 players by 2027, along with preparations for the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2025.
FYB – Steve, tell us about Impact ’25 and what it is hoping to achieve.
Steve Grainger – We are announcing today is the £12 million government have committed to date to this programme.
It’s going into four main strands. The facility’s, basic sanitary facilities and changing room improvements. There is a big element on trying to get more females into coaching and refereeing. The aspiration of getting 1200 more female coaches and officials as well as a real focus on obviously participation. Our big focus on universities and under 12’s. And then the final strands really about just engage more women in the life of rugby clubs trying to get more female involvement whether it’s participating on and off the field in the life of a club.
FYB – The launch video suggested that the RFU are aiming to go from 30,000 players in the women’s game to 100,000 by 2027. How do you plan on going about that?
Steve – The university is just trying to get more women involved in rugby at universities and more importantly as well more people volunteering in their local clubs. With the under 12’s space and just a genuine focus on trying to help clubs develop more female participants in the in the mini and junior sections.
FYB – What can clubs begin to do in order to be ready when the Women’s Rugby World Cup comes around in 2025?
Steve – I think there’s a couple of things that clubs can do. There are many of our clubs offering opportunities for women and girls, but maybe thinking a bit more laterally you know we’ve got them playing but thinking about finding some people to get into coaching and much officiating you know, we know that on a Sunday morning many of our clubs are really full of many juniors but for a young girl rocking up there it can be quite intimidating, it’s still largely boys and most of the coaches that will be males.
I think clubs starting to think about that and starting to really think about other facilities are female friendly, getting the basics right including toilets and changing rooms are absolutely critical.
Obviously during the World Cup itself we want people to be whilst the games are spread around the country and we’re hoping that loads of people are going to go and see them. We also want rugby clubs to be to be screening them and building parties and getting people down there so making sure that social facilities are right and appropriate.
FYB – Just talk about where we are today at North Bristol RFC and the work they have done in building their girls sections.
Steve – It’s fantastic to see you know all these girls out here in North Bristol RFC have done an amazing job developing this, this girl section. Hopefully they’ll go even further from strength to strength and with Bristol being one of the eight cities that are going to be hosting Rugby World Cup. This is a solid thing we want to see replicated right throughout the country.
FYB – We’re 500 days out by 500 from Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025. Can you imagine what day zero will feel like?
Steve – 22nd August next year in Sunderland. Great to be taking the opening match to the to the northeast, there is some real excitement up there. And that’s really what this World Cup is about, taking it around the country.
A massive thank you to Steve for his time on what was a very busy day in Bristol.
With each passing day bringing us closer to the historic kickoff in Sunderland, the excitement reverberates across communities, igniting a fervor for rugby that transcends boundaries. You can find out more about the RFU’s Impact ’25 legacy programme here.
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