Buccaneers RFC Awarded Grant from Royal London and The British and Irish Lions

Buccaneers RFC are committed to ensuring that women and girls of all ages and backgrounds feel welcomed, supported, and inspired to play rugby. They actively promote the game through outreach in primary and secondary schools, community groups, Sports Partnership groups and youth organisations. They cross pollinate with other sports, offering fun and inclusive ‘give rugby a try’ sessions designed to break down barriers and spark interest. Their female coaches, mentors and international role models provide a visible and achievable pathway, showing that rugby is for everyone, regardless of culture, ability or experience.

Royal London, the UK’s largest mutual pensions, protection, and investment provider, and The British & Irish Lions have recognised the clubs commitment to the women’s game. The Championing Women & Girls’ Rugby Award goes to a winning club in each home union who receive a trophy and a £10,000 grant to invest in their women and girls’ rugby programmes. The award is a flagship element of Royal London’s broader partnership with The British & Irish Lions includes a ‘Levelling the Playing Field’ investment of £3 million, designed to inspire more women and girls to participate in rugby and to foster equality and opportunity at every level of the game.

Amy O’Connor, Senior Women’s Team Manager at Buccaneers RFC said,

“Winning the Royal London Lions Women & Girls Grassroots Award and its £10,000 grant will transform how we support our female players. Every Buccaneers athlete, from minis to seniors, will benefit from enhanced welfare initiatives, improved facilities, and greater opportunities to thrive both on and off the pitch. This funding will help us increase participation and retention, support parents and guardians with education and resources, and demonstrate our commitment to excellence in rugby.”

“At Buccaneers RFC, we don’t just celebrate our women’s and girls’ teams — we honour and elevate them. This is not just an investment in sport — it’s an investment in people, in equality, and in the future of women’s rugby in our region.”

Susie Logan, Group Chief Marketing Officer at Royal London commented, “As founding partner of The British & Irish Lions Women’s team, we’re proud to continue to work with the Lions on our Championing Women’s & Girls Rugby Awards. The decision of which club to award in each of the unions is getting more difficult as there are so many amazing applications. The amount of work, time and effort being put in across women’s and girls’ rugby clubs by coaches, players, parents and club volunteers is phenomenal. We are committed to nurturing sporting talent that will shape the future of women’s rugby, and I can’t wait to see what the winning clubs will do with the funds to make a difference to their players and their communities.”