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Our partnerships

We support partnerships aligned to our values as a purpose-driven, modern mutual.

We form powerful partnerships in sport to create opportunities and accelerate change at local community to high-performance level. Our aim is to level the playing field for current participants and for the next generation, helping to protect today and invest in tomorrow.

Together we're making Herstory​

After 137 years of the Lions Men’s Team, history is being made with the first Lions Women’s Team taking to the pitch in New Zealand in 2027. ​
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Four unions. One jersey. Herstory in the making. ​

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£3 million Levelling the Playing Field Grant

As part of our Lions Women’s partnership, we’re investing £1 million per year in player development pathways in each of The British & Irish Lions four constituent unions. The purpose of this grant is to help develop more players and coaches capable of being selected, and a more balanced team, for the inaugural Lions Women’s Tour.

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Royal London Lions Women Engagement Day

We’re investing in an annual gathering of current and future star players and coaches from across the four Home Unions and asking them to help build and define the Lions Women’s programme, something that has not been done before.

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Championing Women and Girls’ Rugby Award

We're also investing in women and girls’ grassroots rugby across the UK and Ireland in the run up to the 2027 Tour. We're providing an award and funding to four clubs per year to reward the good work being done and help fund development initiatives, to support women and girls’ rugby within local communities.

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Investing in tomorrow through the Lions Women’s Feasibility Study

In 2021, we collaborated with the Lions to fund a study to investigate if a British & Irish Lions Women’s team could be formed. Excitingly, the study concluded with positive findings which led to the creation of the historic inaugural Lions Women’s Tour.

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Our ambassadors

Shaunagh Brown

Shaunagh Brown has been a Royal London ambassador since 2021, when she was a member of the Lions Women’s Feasibility Study steering group. A former gas engineer, firefighter and commercial diver, Shaunagh represented England as a hammer thrower at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow before taking up rugby when she was 25 years old. She joined Harlequins in 2017 and made her England debut later that year against Canada. In 2019, she received a full time rugby contract from the Rugby Football Union and went on to earn 30 caps for the Red Roses, including playing in the final of the 2021 Rugby World Cup against New Zealand. Following her retirement from playing, Shaunagh is using her growing media profile to promote women’s sport and is a champion of resilience and inclusion.

Aoibheann Reilly

An Ireland rugby international across both XVs and Sevens, Aoibheann Reilly is a qualified sports scientist who shares our passion for women’s sport. A scrum half, Aoibheann has rugby in her blood and has played domestically for Celtic Challenge side Wolfhounds, and for Connacht. Following her Ireland XVs debut in the 2022 Women's Six Nations against Wales, she represented Ireland at the 2022 Rugby Sevens World Cup before returning to XVs and starting every game in the 2024 Women’s Six Nations. Having played a key role in helping Ireland qualify for the 2025 Rugby World Cup, Aoibheann was selected in Ireland's World Cup squad. She made three appearances in the tournament, against France, New Zealand and Japan, as Ireland reached the quarter finals. 

Rhona Lloyd

Current Scotland international winger Rhona Lloyd has earned more than 60 caps for her country, scoring more than 25 tries. She played a key role in Scotland’s journey to the quarter finals of Rugby World Cup 2025, scoring twice in Scotland’s win against Fiji and once against both England and Canada, the two eventual finalists. Rhona has also represented Great Britain in Sevens and recently signed with Sale Sharks for the 2025/26 Premiership Women’s Rugby season. Outside of rugby, she’s a passionate advocate for mental health and body image in sport and is a co-host of the Women Who Sport podcast which aims to inspire and empower the next generation.

Siwan Lillicrap

Swansea-born Siwan Lillicrap is a former Wales rugby captain. Having made her Wales debut in the 2016 Six Nations, Siwan was appointed captain in 2019 and went on to earn 51 caps for her country during her career.  She led Wales at multiple major tournaments including the 2021 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand and was the first female rugby player to receive a professional contract from the Welsh Rugby Union. Siwan now plays a key role in developing the next generation of talent as Head of the WRU’s Women’s Performance Pathway. In 2025, she was awarded an honorary degree by Swansea University for her outstanding contributions to Welsh rugby.

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