Championing Women and Girls’ Rugby Award

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Entries are open!

Entries are now open for our 2026 Championing Women and Girls' Rugby Award!
Apply now here!
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What is the 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.

Entries are open!

Entries are now open for our 2026 Championing Women and Girls' Rugby Award!
Apply now here!

2024 and 2025 Winners

We had over 250 applicants for the 2025 Award, up from 127 in 2024, which showcased some fantastic clubs across the UK and Ireland. All of our 2025 entries were taken through a two-stage judging process with a panel consisting of Royal London, Lions, and independent representatives, plus Royal London’s four rugby ambassadors (Shaunagh Brown, Aoibheann Reilly, Rhona Lloyd and Siwan Lillicrap).

The following clubs have been selected as Award winners so far:

Guisborough RUFC

England

In just two years, Guisborough RUFC has built its women and girls’ section to become a cornerstone in the local community. A small but mighty club with strong values of education, respect and community, and a ‘one team’ ethos, the club goes above and beyond to create a safe and inclusive environment to help more women to discover a love of rugby.

Lancaster Lionesses

ENGLAND

Built in partnership with the successful Lancaster University Women’s Rugby Club, Lancaster Lionesses showed entrepreneurial spirit to set-up as a female only rugby club in 2023. They have created a community rugby experience that starts with women and girls, and are focused on removing the financial and social barriers to playing rugby in their local area.

Cooke RFC

Ireland

Cooke RFC has a truly well-rounded offering and pathway for women and girls, including opportunities for every age and ability, which include minis, touch, sevens, mums-only, through to a senior team competing in The All-Ireland League. The club’s dedication to its women’s programme and strong female participation and leadership translates throughout the club from players to coaches, referees and the executive committee.

Buccaneers RFC

Ireland

The team at Buccaneers RFC is committed to ensuring that women and girls of all ages and backgrounds feel welcomed, supported, and inspired to play rugby. Although only recently formed, they actively promote the game through outreach to schools and community groups, and cross pollinate with other sports, through inclusive ‘give rugby a try’ sessions, which is important as they are in an area where rugby isn’t the main sport.

East Kilbride RFC

Scotland

East Kilbride RFC has seen significant growth since 2022, particularly due to its outreach, onboarding, education and social programmes, including special support of parents. The club works hard to develop female coaches and referees, with significant female representation in these roles as well as on the committee.

Greenock Wanderers RFC

Scotland

Girls as young as seven and women in their forties now play for Greenock Wanderers, with mothers and daughters sharing the pitch. Having increased their membership from less than 40 to more than 150 women and girls in just three years, they support people from underprivileged areas into rugby through a Scholarship Programme and encourage new mums to stay in the sport for longer through their Maternity Policy for players.

Clwb Rygbi Caernarfon

Wales

Clwb Rygbi Caernarfon has created a strong club culture over the last 25 years for players but also coaches, volunteers, parents and spectators. The club is dedicated to promoting rugby for women and girls of all backgrounds within its community, supported by outreach, access initiatives and welcoming culture. Its Môr Ladron female hub, re-established last season, has grown into a strong community support in North Wales supporting player pathways for girls throughout their teens.

Ynysddu BG RFC

Wales

A small club in a deprived area of the Valleys, Ynysddu is proud to have 41 active players aged 21 to 42, including seven who have represented the Welsh Deaf Squad at the World Cup. The club is encouraging members in to get involved in all aspects of rugby with by running camps for both touch and contact rugby, as well as offering coaching opportunities for women and girls.