Royal London announce Ireland rugby player Aoibheann Reilly as Brand Ambassador ahead of inaugural Women’s Lions Tour

Following the announcement of the first-ever Lions Women’s tour, set to take place in 2027 in New Zealand, Royal London has announced Aoibheann Reilly as the organisation’s new brand ambassador.

The Ballinasloe native currently plays for Blackrock RFC and is one of the three players who played a role in winning Ireland women’s 7s first-ever World Series title in Perth earlier this year. Aoibheann is currently part of the Ireland team competing in this year’s Women’s Guinness Six Nations Championship.

This partnership is a further testament to Royal London’s commitment to championing and supporting women’s rugby, and to making a difference by helping to level the playing field for this and future generations.

Speaking of her new role as brand ambassador Aoibheann said,

“I’m delighted to announce that I’ve become an ambassador for Royal London and Royal London Ireland. Royal London is a Founding Partner of the first-ever Lions Women’s team, they funded the feasibility study to see if a women’s tour was possible, and they are investing in elite player development and grassroots rugby in the UK and Ireland in the build-up ahead of the tour in 2027.  From my experience playing at club level, and now international level, I know firsthand the investment needed in the women’s game to nurture and develop talent, and it’s fantastic to see Royal London stepping up and supporting its long-term growth across the four nations.”

Susie Logan, Group Chief Marketing Officer at Royal London commented,

“We’re so proud to be a founding partner of the first ever Lions Women’s rugby team and investing into the rugby programmes that will turn the dial even further at a grassroots level across the UK and Ireland. We are aiming to encourage more girls to participate in rugby by presenting more opportunities for them to get involved in a sport that they might not otherwise have considered.”

- ENDS –

Notes to editor:

About Aoibheann Reilly

Aoibheann feels strongly about the importance of sport starting at home and at school. She played underage Gaelic football for Roscommon, and both herself and her brother play scrum half for Connacht. Her father was a coach when she played rugby in school, and her school team was essentially the club, so her father’s involvement in coaching played a role in keeping her engaged with the sport.

Aoibheann credits her peer group and friends in Ballinasloe with driving her ambitions to play sport competitively. Remarkably, four girls from the school went on to play competitive women’s sports – Aoibheann, Beibhinn Parsons, Meabh Deely, and also Heather Payne who plays for the women’s national football team. Aoibheann has experienced first-hand the positive impact of women playing sport together and driving each other to be the best they can be. 

Aoibheann’s passion for sport is also reflected in her ambitions off the pitch as she studied performance science in UCD and currently works at Output Sports.

Royal London as founding partner of the Lions Women’s team

Following the success of the 2023 Royal London funded feasibility study into a Lions Women’s tour, Royal London has recently been announced as founding partner of the Lions Women’s team. The partnership will also see Royal London invest in player development in each of The British & Irish Lions constituent Unions through the delivery of a special Pathways Funding grant. The grants will support the women’s player and coach pathways in Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and England, to help Unions develop more players and coaches capable of being selected for the inaugural Lions Women’s Tour. In addition, Royal London will also be investing in women’s and girls’ grassroots rugby across the UK and Ireland in the run-up to the Tour.