Women's Sport Trust

"Women’s Sports Trust (WST) found that just 6 per cent of sports programming was dedicated to Women’s Sport in primetime TV broadcast slots in 2024" An important look into the growth of women's football by Marine Saint

Our CEO Tammy will join Theresa McCann, Sarah Massey and Fiona Morgan at the International Sports Convention tomorrow for a panel discussion around the growth of women's sport - a timely conversation after the news that global revenues in women's elite sports are predicted to reach at least $2.35 billion in 2025.

The Guinness Women's Six Nations Rugby kicks off this weekend. With major sporting moments still key to driving mainstream attention, the Women's Six Nations provides a powerful platform to supercharge the growth and visibility of women's rugby.   Women’s Sport Trust visibility research has demonstrated the power of free-to-air coverage in women’s sport. Highlights from our last Women's Six Nations review (June 2024) show how the continued presence on BBC platforms has been a game-changer for the visibility of women’s rugby*:   🏉 Record-Breaking Audience: 8.1 million viewers tuned in for 3 minutes or more – a 33% increase from 2023. 🏉 New Audiences: 2.4 million viewers watched only the Women’s Six Nations in 2024, up from 1.6 million in 2023. 🏉 England's Impact: Average live audiences for England games rose by 42%. 🏉 Thrilling Final: The title-deciding clash between France and England drew 1.3 million average viewers (peaking at 1.9m) on BBC One. WST research also provides evidence of a growing strong player-fan connection in women’s sport, where athletes play a central role in driving visibility and engagement. The Women’s Six Nations offers a significant opportunity to showcase individual player personalities, amplify reach and deepen fan loyalty through player-driven content ahead of a home Women’s Rugby World Cup in August.   WST Trustee and Rugby Broadcaster Ugo Monye said, “The Women’s Six Nations isn’t just a tournament – it’s a catalyst for change. We’re seeing record numbers, deeper fan connections, and incredible momentum. Free-to-air coverage has opened the door to new audiences, and now it’s about telling the stories of these amazing athletes, building legends, and inspiring the next generation as we head towards the World Cup.”   *Source: Visibility Uncovered 2024 Update (Jan-May), A Women’s Sport Trust Report, June 2024.

Last night, we attended the European Sponsorship Association (ESA) Awards with O2. Although we didn't come away with a trophy, it gave us time to reflect on our partnership with the RFU and O2. Through our three-year partnership, we committed to delivering data, insights, and thought leadership to help close rugby’s gender awareness gap and drive meaningful progress for the Red Roses, leading up to the Women’s Rugby World Cup. A lot has happened behind the scenes to push this mission forward, but one creative way the partnership brought it to life (and the reason we attended last night) was The Wearable Report- a five-piece fashion collection designed to share key findings from our research in a bold and engaging way. What made this even more special was how it used Red Rose, Ellie Kildunne’s own clothing range to do so. By tapping into a player’s personal passion, it not only made the data more tangible but also highlighted the personalities of the athletes - something we know is key to growing engagement in women’s sport. To have been shortlisted in three categories is testament to the impact of our partnership, the creativity of our approach, and the dedication of everyone involved in driving change in women's rugby. As we head towards the Women's Rugby World Cup, we look forward to seeing more of these incredible players and the stories they continue to write. Special thanks to Mel Baroni, Marie Houlgate, Sally Sheppard, Frankie Bunting, Alex Teasdale, Gareth Griffiths, Chloe Rainford, Phoebe Tomlinson, Jenny Mitton, Chris Hurst, Tammy Parlour MBE and everyone else driving change.

We’re thrilled to announce that we've been shortlisted for two awards at this year’s Women's Football Awards – Grassroots Initiative Award for Women's Sport Trust and Off The Pitch Award for our CEO Tammy Parlour MBE. A fantastic recognition following public nominations from fans and those working across the game.   The Women's Football Awards is Europe's biggest celebration of women’s football, shining a spotlight on the players, businesses, and grassroots initiatives driving the sport forward.   Being shortlisted is a true achievement, and we’re proud to stand alongside others making an impact in the game.   A huge thank you to everyone who nominated us and Tammy – knowing that you stand with us affirms that we are truly making a positive impact. We look forward to celebrating with the incredible people shaping the future of women's football at the awards ceremony on May 1st.

Following our IWD post, this Forbes article highlights why women’s sport is not just growing, it’s proving its value to investors, brands and society.

This International Women's Day, let's talk about impact. The audience is here, the returns are real. The question is: are you maximising the opportunity? #IWD25 #WomensSport #InternationalWomensDay #AccelerateAction

📢 Speaker Announcement 📢 ➡️ Scroll below to see our fantastic line-up of speakers joining us for our Women's Sport Symposium on 13 March in our London office! 💡 Our annual event provides a platform for fresh ideas and perspectives. It reflects on key developments from the past 12 months and interrogates the challenges to progressing and sustaining growth. 🤝 Interested in attending? We welcome senior stakeholders and decision-makers from across the sports ecosystem, including athletes, governing bodies and leagues, clubs and teams, broadcasters and media companies, agencies, sponsors and investors to register their interest. We will then be in touch to confirm availability. ➡️ https://ow.ly/MpmY50V7sEm 🗣️ Lucy Webster | Katie Smith #️⃣ #WomeninSport | #WomensSport | #WomeninLaw

Eating disorders in sport are too often hidden, but they shouldn’t be. When athletes speak out, they not only raise awareness - they help break the stigma and create change. This powerful video features athletes sharing their personal experiences, showing the strength in vulnerability and the importance of open conversations around eating disorders. We’re incredibly proud that this was written and produced by Cerian Harries, who was part of our Unlocked programme - a community of game-changing women in sport using their voices to drive progress. The video also features a number of other athletes from the programme too. Their stories matter. Their voices matter. Together, we can make sport a safer, more supportive space for everyone.

The Women’s Sport Trust (WST) is delighted to announce the appointment of Emma Ballard as our new and first Senior Comms and Marketing Manager. Emma joins WST following her tenure as Editor of Women & Golf, where she played a key role in amplifying the profile of women’s golf and championing greater visibility and engagement in the sport. With nearly two decades of experience in sports media, PR and communications, she brings a wealth of expertise to her new position. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gef2VwKX