The Home Unions Join Forces to Strengthen Women’s Rugby
With less than six months until the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, the energy and momentum behind the women’s game are stronger than ever. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of the RFU, WRU, Scottish Rugby, and IRFU—supported by UK Sport and the transformative Impact ’25 programme—women’s rugby is set to reach new heights.
What is Impact ’25?
Impact ’25 is a legacy programme designed to fuel the growth of women’s rugby in the UK and beyond. Delivered by the Rugby Football Union (RFU) in partnership with the UK Government, Sport England, and UK Sport, the initiative is ensuring long-term investment in the sport. One of its five flagship strands focuses on International Development, ensuring that players, coaches, and match officials have the resources and support they need to thrive at the elite level.
This funding not only supports the hosting costs of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 but is also driving real change by strengthening female performance pathways, increasing coaching opportunities, and fostering collaboration between the four Home Unions.
How Each Union is Using Impact ’25 Funding
Each of the four Home Unions has taken a unique approach to utilizing this funding, ensuring it aligns with their domestic structures and priorities. Here’s how they’re making an impact:
Ireland
The IRFU is using Impact ’25 funding to strengthen both player development and the progression of female coaches and officials. Across the four provinces, the funding has been allocated to:
- Athletic development coaching for players in Connacht.
- Player development initiatives in Munster, including nutrition support and individual analysis.
- Talent identification for new players, coaches, and referees in Connacht.
- Investment in high-quality facilities and game review analysis in Leinster.
Wales
The WRU has placed a strong emphasis on coaching and leadership development:
- Six part-time coaches have been embedded across their Player Development Centre network, ensuring 40% of these roles are filled by women.
- A leadership development programme has been introduced for women targeting high-performance roles.
- A mentoring scheme is in place for coaches involved in the Wales U18 and U20 setups.
- Ten female match officials are receiving support through mentoring, coaching, and referee exchanges.
Scotland
Scottish Rugby has focused on ensuring elite players have access to high-quality daily training environments:
- Funding has gone towards hiring three full-time performance coaches across Regional Training Centres.
- This initiative allows players nationwide to receive elite-level coaching, benefiting approximately 100 players across Scotland.
England
The RFU has prioritized the development of elite female coaches:
- Five high-potential female coaches have received intensive career coaching, with four advancing to more senior roles.
- The ‘Elev8’ Leadership Development programme has been launched to nurture coaching talent across England Rugby’s performance pathways.
- An academic review has been commissioned to explore the most effective ways to provide meaningful secondment opportunities for coaches.
Collaboration for a Brighter Future
Beyond individual efforts, Impact ’25 has created a platform for the four Unions to collaborate, share best practices, and learn from one another. By working together, they are collectively driving change, ensuring women’s rugby continues to grow at an elite level while inspiring the next generation of players, coaches, and officials.
As the countdown to the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 continues, the impact of this investment is already evident. With stronger pathways, better coaching support, and increased opportunities for women in the sport, the future of women’s rugby has never looked brighter.
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