World Rugby has launched a new ‘Women in Rugby’ brand identity which is set to promote women’s participation and engagement with the sport while also aiming to reach a wider audience.
The new brand identity will seek to increase the number of female players while also promoting the number of women on the team’s executive boards. It aims to boost women’s rugby’s current global fan-base as well as attracting future investment.
World Rugby chief executive Brett Gosper commented: “By launching this unique brand identity and proposition today we are demonstrating our unwavering commitment to growing participation and exposure for women’s rugby around the globe, a core strand of the women in rugby action plan.”
“We firmly believe that the development of women in rugby is the single greatest opportunity for our sport to grow in the next decade, which is why we are proud to share our exciting new brand identity,” said World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont.
“Not only is women’s rugby experiencing unprecedented growth around the world, but we are well on the way to realising our vision of a more equitable game for all through the implementation of our ambitious strategic women’s action plan, which is having a transformational effect on all areas of the game.
“From the highest levels of the sport’s governance to grassroots participation, we are wholly committed to driving gender-balance and ensuring that women have equal opportunities both on and off the field, driving increased involvement and engagement in the women’s game from fans, audiences, players and investors.”
The ‘Women in Rugby’ initiative has been launched alongside the ‘Try and Stop Us’ campaign, which displays 15 women and girls from across the world who have overcome obstacles to participating in rugby union throughout their sporting careers.
The Try and Stop Us campaign has been fronted by Women’s Six Nations stars Maelle Filopon and Leah Lyons, alongside 13 other brand ambassadors.
Katie Sadleir, World Rugby’s general manager of women’s rugby, added: “Through the dedicated work of the Women’s Advisory Committee and across all aspects of the organisation, World Rugby is making swift progress towards the objective of gender balance and equal opportunities throughout the sport, both on and off the field of play.”
Women’s rugby has grown in popularity over recent years, now boasting over 2.7 million participants. World Rugby has noted a 28 per cent growth in the number of registered female participants since it set out its strategic plan to develop the women’s sport from 2017-2025.
For the second year running, more girls have become engaged with rugby in comparison to boys: over 40 per cent of the sport’s 400 million global fans are female.
While World Rugby’s 2017-launched campaign has seen a shift in the female participation on the World Rugby Council board, with 17 of the members female, representing the largest ever contingent in the body.
