The British & Irish Lions and Royal London open applications for £10,000 grassroots rugby awards

• The award showcases Royal London’s commitment to supporting the women’s rugby game from grassroots to elite level
• The award follows Royal London’s £3 million 'Levelling the Playing Field' investment through their partnership with The British & Irish Lions 

Royal London, the UK’s largest mutual pensions, protection and investment provider, has launched its 'Championing Women and Girls' Rugby Award' to celebrate outstanding initiatives by local rugby clubs from across the four unions in supporting women’s rugby.

As a founding partner of The British & Irish Lions Women, Royal London is funding a new grant scheme for the grassroots game. The annual 'Championing Women and Girls' Rugby Award' will recognise four clubs per year, one chosen from each nation (England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales), who will receive a trophy plus a £10,000 grant to invest in their women and girls' programmes.

Applications are now open and will be accepted until the closing date of 19 August 2024. Clubs can apply for the grant through the Lions website and every entry will go through a two-stage judging process.  The award judging panel includes the ex-England international Shaunagh Brown, representatives from Royal London and The British & Irish Lions, as well as an independent grant funding expert.

Clubs intending to apply should demonstrate their commitment to growing women and girls’ participation and representation across various aspects of their club. This may include community outreach, access to playing, equality across the club, celebration of success, progression of players, coaches and staff, and leadership at all levels.

Royal London and the Lions will visit each winning club over the course of the season to present them with their trophy and see first-hand the impact of the funding. By celebrating and showcasing these leading clubs, Royal London hopes to inspire others.

Susie Logan, chief marketing officer at Royal London said:

"Developing the community game and levelling the playing field for women is a key part of Royal London’s overall goal for its partnership with The British & Irish Lions. We believe that supporting women and girls’ rugby at the grassroots level is vital for the development of the women’s game, and this award celebrates outstanding initiatives by clubs across the UK and Ireland to support women and girls’ rugby in their local communities."