British & Irish Lions women’s tour ‘possible in the future’ following positive results of study into possible women’s tour | Rugby Union News

Former England worldwide Shaunagh Brown: “Why would not we would like a Lions tour for girls? In males’s soccer it is the final word honour… We all know how vital ladies’s soccer is, however what about we won’t develop on the identical tempo in rugby? The potential is limitless.”

A primary ladies’s tour of the British and Irish Lions is wanting more and more possible following “first constructive findings” from a feasibility research into the chance.

The Lions males’s crew is a check crew made up of gamers from England, Wales, Scotland and Eire which rotates each 4 years, alternating between South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.

The lads’s crew accomplished their closing tour of South Africa in 2021, shedding 2-1 to the reigning world champions within the three-Check sequence. They are going to make their subsequent tour of Australia in 2025.

Lions chief government Ben Calveley stated on Tuesday: “It’s massively constructive {that a} ladies’s tour of the British and Irish Lions is feasible sooner or later.

“Whereas there may be a lot to contemplate, we’re dedicated to taking the findings of this feasibility research and dealing carefully with our unions, in addition to different stakeholders within the months forward.

“I wish to thank World Rugby and our 4 unions of England, Eire, Scotland and Wales for his or her continued assist.

“There was a robust degree of collaboration because the starting of this course of, and we’re all united to completely discover this mission.”

A 13-member steering group, chaired by former Lions and Wales wing Ieuan Evans, additionally included Calveley, the Rugby Soccer Union’s director of operations and finance Sue Day, the efficiency director of the ‘Irish Rugby Union David Nucifora, in addition to World Rugby Excessive Efficiency Director Nicky Ponsford.

Evans stated: “We’re actually inspired by the preliminary outcomes of this feasibility research.

“We all know that the idea of making a Lions ladies’s crew has robust assist, and this is a vital step to discover the way it can turn into a actuality.

“Nice progress has been made to this point, and there may be nonetheless plenty of work to do.”

The research checked out key points of making a ladies’s Lions tour, exploring rugby, branding, business, monetary, attendance, logistics and scheduling concerns.

Work will proceed on areas resembling a possible tour construction and schedule earlier than a closing resolution is made.

Brown: The potential of ladies’s rugby is limitless

Former England worldwide Shaunagh Brown believes the research outcomes have supplied a “large inexperienced mild” for the continued development of ladies’s rugby on the world stage, describing the game’s potential as “limitless”.

Shaunagh Brown (left) retired from Check rugby following England’s World Cup marketing campaign in New Zealand final 12 months

“Why would not we would like a Lions tour for girls?” Brown advised the press affiliation. “In males’s soccer, it is the final word honour.

“For me, as an elite athlete, you all the time need extra. We have been given this large inexperienced mild and there is one thing to goal for.

“Each mission has to begin someplace. If and when a Lions ladies’s tour takes place, all gamers have nice potential to show skilled. We can be a drive to be reckoned with.”

Brown added: “We all know how vital ladies’s soccer is, however what does it imply we won’t develop on the identical price in rugby? The potential is limitless.

“Folks across the recreation who make choices have related ambitions. We would like individuals who have our ambition as gamers to be accountable for our recreation.

“What’s thrilling is how far we are able to go. It is a good time to get entangled and hold getting concerned and it is about welcoming new folks, new concepts.

England had been crushed by New Zealand for the fifth time in a World Cup closing in Auckland in November

“I wish to [women’s Lions tour] it is going to occur. It is thrilling for all of sport, whether or not it is tomorrow or 10 years from now.

“The prepare is shifting ahead and hopefully it will not decelerate anytime quickly.”

Brown has received 30 England caps and pulled out of the Check area final 12 months after the 34-31 World Cup closing loss to New Zealand in Auckland, which was watched by a crowd of 42,500 folks in Eden Park.

A Lions ladies’s facet would possible be dominated by gamers from England, who’ve reached the final six Ladies’s World Cup finals, profitable the 2014 version beating Canada however shedding the opposite 5 to New Zealand.