Lions Women

Jo Yapp announcement

Be Part of History

The Lions Women's team will play their first ever match against France in the Howden Lions Women's Cup on 27 August 2027 at 19:30.

The iconic match will be followed by the inaugural Howden British & Irish Lions Women’s Series which will take place in New Zealand with the Lions Women’s team playing three Tests against the Black Ferns alongside pre-Test fixtures.

Fans will have the chance to experience everything New Zealand has to offer, with the 2027 Tour starting in Whangārei on 4 September, and ending with the final Test against the Black Ferns in the new One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch on 25 September. Five cities have been chosen to showcase this historic rugby event, and alongside Whangārei and Christchurch, games will also be played in Auckland, Hamilton and Wellington.

Lions Women’s Principal Partners

  • Royal London – Founding Partner and Front of Jersey Sponsor for the Official Lions Women’s Team Jersey

  • Howden – Series Title Partner

  • Nike - Official Sports Apparel Partner

Royal London will also oversee player and coach development through an elite players’ and coaches Pathways Funding grant which will support the elite women’s player and coach pathways in Scotland, Wales, Ireland and England.

Find Out More

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Feasibility Study

A feasibility study funded by Lions Founding Partner Royal London investigated all key aspects of creating a Lions Women’s Tour with a consultation process exploring brand, commercial, financial, spectator, logistical, and scheduling considerations. After a three-part process with positive findings, including that the Tour was projected to be commercially sustainable for all stakeholders, the Lions Women Inaugural 2027 tour was announced.

The feasibility study also concluded that the optimum time for the Tour is 2027 and it was then followed by a Tour host selection process with New Zealand emerging as the preferred Tour destination.

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Championing Women and Girls’ Rugby Award

Founding Partner of the Lions Women’s Team, Royal London, have created the Championing Women and Girls’ Rugby Award which celebrates outstanding initiatives by grassroots clubs to support women’s rugby in their local community.

Each year, one club from each Home Union will be rewarded with a special trophy, plus a £10,000 grant to further invest in their women and girls’ programmes.

The successful clubs will have demonstrated they’re committed to growing women’s participation and representation within all aspects of the club. This includes community outreach, access to playing, equality across the club, celebration of women’s success, progression of players and coaches and staff and leadership at all levels.

Find out more about the award