£3m Grant to Develop British & Irish Lions Women’s Team and Level Playing Field Across Home Nations

In a groundbreaking move, a £3m grant has been announced to ensure that the first British & Irish Lions women’s team truly represents all the home nations and is not dominated by England. The grant aims to level the playing field and develop players and coaches in Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, in addition to England.

With England’s impressive record of winning 17 of the last 25 Five or Six Nations titles, there are concerns over the potential imbalance of the squad. The Lions sponsors have stepped in to provide funding to address this issue and support the growth of women’s rugby across all the nations.

Wales, who have never won the Six Nations and are currently at the bottom of this year’s table, will benefit from the new funding provided by Royal London. The Welsh Rugby Union plans to invest in coaching staff and talent identification programs to strengthen their women’s pathway.

Similarly, Scotland and Ireland will use the grant to recruit coaches, deliver additional training camps, and identify playing talent. The Irish Rugby Football Union will also work with universities to develop a coaching scholarship program.

The Rugby Football Union will further develop its current programs, including skill work, to ensure that all the home nations are well-represented in the upcoming women’s Lions team.

Lions chief executive Ben Calveley described the grant as a “significant investment” in the growth of the women’s game across the nations. The tour to New Zealand in September 2027 will include three Tests against the world champions, the Black Ferns, showcasing the progress and development of women’s rugby in the British & Irish Lions team.