Royal London Launches 2025 Grassroots Rugby Award for Women and Girls

Royal London, founding partner of the British & Irish Lions Women’s Rugby Team, has announced the return of its annual Championing Women and Girls’ Grassroots Rugby Award. Designed to support and celebrate grassroots efforts in women’s rugby, the award is now open for applications until 1 August 2025 via the official Lions website.

Each year, four clubs—one from each of the Home Nations (England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales)—will be selected for their outstanding contributions to promoting participation, inclusion, and equality in the sport. The winning clubs will each receive a trophy and a £10,000 grant to invest in their women and girls’ rugby programmes.

The initiative is part of Royal London’s wider commitment to nurturing the long-term development of women’s rugby across the UK and Ireland. The award seeks to spotlight clubs that are not just growing the game but making it more accessible and inclusive, especially at the community level.

To be considered, clubs must demonstrate efforts in:

• Expanding access to playing opportunities through community outreach
• Promoting gender equality in all club operations
• Celebrating the achievements of women and girls in rugby
• Supporting progression across all levels, from players and coaches to staff and leadership roles

Last year’s inaugural award attracted more than 120 entries, with standout winners including Guisborough RUFC (England), Cooke RFC (Ireland), East Kilbride RFC (Scotland), and Clwb Rygbi Caernarfon (Wales).

Despite growing momentum, challenges remain. Royal London’s recent research revealed that just 15% of women were offered rugby at school, compared to 44% of men. Netball and athletics were far more common options for girls, offered to 63% and 60% respectively. Still, interest in rugby among women is strong—12% of women say they’ve never played but would like to, a figure that jumps to 24% among those aged 18–24.

Encouragingly, access to traditionally male-dominated sports is improving. For instance, 63% of women aged 18–24 reported being offered football at school, compared to only 15% of women aged 55–64. Regional disparities in rugby access persist, with 34% of people in Wales having played the sport, compared to 29% in England, 27% in Scotland, and 19% in Ireland.

Susie Logan, Royal London’s Group Chief Marketing Officer, emphasised the importance of starting from the ground up:

“Royal London is dedicated to levelling the playing field for women. We want to unlock the potential of women and girls through rugby — empowering them to lead, succeed, and thrive both on and off the field. Meaningful change begins at the grassroots level, and we’re proud to spotlight the brilliant work clubs are doing to grow the game.”

Royal London ambassador Shaunagh Brown, a former international player turned coach, echoed the sentiment:

“Grassroots rugby is the backbone of the game. I see first hand the positive impact it has. There’s still a long way to go in making rugby accessible for all women and girls, but this award and the grants will have a real impact—not just for the winning clubs but as an inspiration to others.”

With applications now open, Royal London is inviting clubs from every corner of the rugby community to come forward, share their stories, and be part of shaping a more inclusive future for the sport.

Entries are open until 1st August 2025. Find out more here.