🔗 Share this article

England's rugby governing body has pledged to sustaining progress by launching a five-year blueprint designed to build on the achievement of the national women's team's championship.

Key Goals of the Initiative

Named Our Time: Every Rose, the plan outlines numerous ambitious objectives, including becoming the inaugural English team to secure consecutive global tournament wins.

An additional primary goal is to increase engagement to one hundred thousand women and girls taking part in rugby across the UK by 2030, rising from the current total of sixty thousand.

Financial and Audience Targets

English rugby’s governing body is also aiming to increase twofold its earnings from the women’s game to sixty million pounds, enabling increased funding in local rugby.

Additionally, the strategy sets out a goal of gaining three million loyal supporters.

“The pressures have never been higher,” commented a senior official, responsible for women's rugby. “The chance has never been bigger, but inaction is not an option because the movement are now underway.”

Building a Future for the Women's Game

She emphasized that the women's game has progressed significantly since her beginning at the governing body in the year 2011, when there were only 12,500 participants.

The director noted that in some clubs, although women could technically play, they were not encouraged either.

Despite the advancements made, she asserted that more work is required to strengthen the game, even during a cost of living crisis.

Historic Milestone and Future Goals

“Recently, we saw an remarkable achievement as eighty-two thousand supporters flooded through the venue at the stadium to see our national team secure the global championship,” she remarked.

“Moving forward to 2030, we want to keep this drive going.”

Obstacles and Opportunities

The director explained that the organization operates in an context where funds are scarce, which can lead to tough discussions.

“Ambitious strategies, especially for the female rugby, typically disrupt the existing norms,” she commented. “Yet the reality is obvious: the future of rugby depends on the women’s game.”

Audience Growth and Ongoing Dedication

Additionally, the head of the rugby union, Bill Sweeney, noted that of the four hundred thousand attendees who attended the championship, thirty percent had never attended a fixture before.

“Maybe the figure that really motivates us is that ninety percent indicated they want to return and repeat the experience,” he remarked. “But we can’t be satisfied. We need to maintain momentum.”