This time next year, the pioneering players will fly out to New Zealand for a series that will see them play five fixtures including three Tests against the Black Ferns. Just as making the Lions squad has long been an unmatchable accolade for men playing for the four Home Unions, women from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland will have been announced in a hugely anticipated fanfare. It’s a huge step change for women’s rugby and will be the dream of many elite female players. Being not just a Lion but one of the first will be special indeed. Former England Red Rose and captain, Jo Yapp, who coached Australia in the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup and who recently became England Rugby’s Head of Women’s Pathway, was announced as the Lions Women’s head coach in May. “The Lions is about picking the best players across all four Unions,” she said. “We can’t shy away from that, it’s really important we do that. If you’re on that Tour, you want to know you deserve to be there because you are the best player.” With so many outstanding players to choose from, selecting a squad will be quite a challenge. And while international players will be focusing on current and upcoming Tests, there will doubtless be unspoken dreams of becoming Lions. Shaunagh Brown, former England player and a member of the Feasability Study Steering Group said: “A Lions Women’s Tour is so exciting even for me as an ex player. Although going to a World Cup as an elite player is an incredible experience, you always want more. When you get to the top you are always going to think: ‘What’s next?’ “It will also make a difference at the grass roots level of women’s and girls’ rugby, being that carrot that says this is the foundation of your rugby career, but one day you could be playing for the British and Irish Lions.” As Founding Partner of the first ever Lions Women's Team, Royal London have been supporting grassroots rugby for women and girls across England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Their Championing Women and Girls’ Rugby Award has been awarding a trophy and a £10,000 grant to a club from each Home Union. The money will enable them to invest in their women and girls' programmes, having shown how they have been helping to grow and develop rugby for women and girls in their local communities. England’s 2025 winners were Lancaster Lionesses and this year’s winners were announced as Keswick RFC in Cumbria. The funding will enable a new indoor Performance and Development Hub to be converted from a tired and under-used squash court. This will give them a year-round facility enabling women and girls in Keswick and the surrounding area to hone their rugby skills, strength and fitness. It will feature sports flooring, specialist training kit and audio-visual equipment for performance reviews. Indoor rugby skills sessions during the winter and strength and conditioning training, female health and nutrition workshops, and coach and referee development programmes will also be provided. This third year of grants took year’s Royal London’s investment in grassroots rugby across the four Home Unions to £120,000. Royal London is also investing £3 million into elite women's rugby across the four home unions through the ‘Levelling the Playing Field Grant’ Shaunagh Brown said: “The opportunity for women and girls to play rugby in their local communities is so important to grow the women’s game to the next level. There is always more to do, but this award from Royal London will have a huge impact for the winning clubs and their communities. “I’ve been part of the judging for the awards every year and it’s so uplifting to hear about the ways clubs and their members are pushing boundaries and breaking down barriers to bring more women and girls into the sport. What could be better than following next year’s Tour? It starts in Whangarei on 4 September and ends with the final Test against the Black Ferns in Christchurch on 25 September. Five cities are involved and alongside Whangarei and Christchurch there will be games in Auckland, Hamilton and Wellington. Funded by Royal London, the 13-strong steering group, led by Ieuan Evans MBE, decided after a feasability study that a women's British & Irish Lions Tour was commercially viable and sustainable, identifying 2027 as the ideal inaugural year. With the growth and excitement surrounding women’s rugby, the atmosphere in the venues will be electric, especially as the New Zealanders determine to make life t ough for the Lions. The challenge on the Black Ferns’ home patch will be a brilliant way to write the opening chapter of a new history.