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Our Partnerships

Our Lions Women's rugby partnership

Royal London Group are proud to be the Founding Partner of the first ever British & Irish Lions Women's Team.​

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. The team will play five matches in total, including a three-Test series against the Black Ferns:

  • Saturday 4 September​, 2027 
    Black Ferns XV v Lions (Whangārei, Semenoff Stadium)​
  • Saturday 11 September​, 2027 
    1st Test: Black Ferns v Lions (Auckland, Go Media Mt Smart Stadium)​
  • Tuesday 14 September​, 2027
    Invitational XV v Lions (Hamilton, FMG Stadium Waikato)​
  • Saturday 18 September, 2027​
    2nd Test: Black Ferns v Lions (Wellington, Sky Stadium)​
  • Saturday 25 September​, 2027
    3rd Test: Black Ferns v Lions (Christchurch, One NZ Stadium)

Four unions. One jersey. Herstory in the making.

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£3 million Levelling the Playing Field Grant​

As part of our British & Irish Lions Women’s Team partnership, we’re investing £3 million in elite player development pathways across England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The purpose of this grant is to help develop more elite players and coaches across the four Home Unions to create a more balanced Lions Women's Team when they head to New Zealand in 2027.​

 

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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, known as Engagement Day. Ahead of the formation of the first ever Lions Women's Team in 2027, these events are opportunities for prospective Lions players from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales to help build, shape and define the Lions Women’s programme.​

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Championing Women and Girl's Rugby Awards

Through our Group partnership, we willl be investing in women and girls' grassroots rugby across Ireland and the UK in the run up to the 2027 tour. Royal London is 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's and girls' rugby within local communities.

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Our Lions Women's story


In 2021, we funded a Feasibility 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 Team​.

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Our ambassadors

Aoibheann Reilly

Aoibheann Reilly is an Ireland XV and Sevens International and qualified sports scientist who shares our passion for women's sport. Aoibheann has rugby in her blood and plays domestically as scrum half for Connacht. Her Ireland debut came in the senior women's starting XV in 2022. She started every game in the Guinness Women's Six Nations in 2024, playing a key role in securing Ireland's qualification for the 2025 World Cup.

Shaunagh Brown

Shaunagh has been a Royal London ambassador since 2021, when she was a member of the Lions Women's Feasibility Study steering group. She was one of the first full time professional rugby players, playing for Harlequins and has 30 caps for England. Now having retired from playing, Shaunagh is using her growing media profile to promote women’s sport and and as a champion of resilience and inclusion.

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.

Lions Women's Team FAQs

The Lions Women's Team will be an international rugby team made up of the best women's rugby players from each of the four Home Unions (England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales). The first ever Lions Women's Team will form in 2027. For context, in men's rugby, there has been a Lions Men's Team since 1888 that comes together every four years for a summer tour.

The Lions Women's Team's first ever tour will take place from 4 to 25 September 2027 in New Zealand. The tour will see the Lions Women's Team play matches across both North Island and South Island of New Zealand, in Whangārei, Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch.

The Lions Women's Team will play five matches in New Zealand, including a three-Test series against the Black Ferns who are New Zealand's national women's rugby team. The tour will also see the Lions play in two non-Test fixtures against a Black Ferns XV and an Invitational XV. The fixtures are as follows:​

  • Saturday 4 September​
    Black Ferns XV v Lions (Whangārei, Semenoff Stadium)​
  • Saturday 11 September​
    1st Test: Black Ferns v Lions (Auckland, Go Media Mt Smart Stadium)​
  • Tuesday 14 September​
    Invitational XV v Lions (Hamilton, FMG Stadium Waikato)​
  • Saturday 18 September​
    2nd Test: Black Ferns v Lions (Wellington, Sky Stadium)​
  • Saturday 25 September​
    3rd Test: Black Ferns v Lions (Christchurch, One NZ Stadium)

With the tour not starting until September 2027, the team won't be selected until some point in 2027.

Jo Yapp has been appointed as the Head Coach of the British & Irish Lions Women’s Team for the inaugural 2027 Tour to New Zealand.

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