Government teams up with experts to supercharge women’s sport by the 2035 FIFA Women's World Cup
Source: gov.uk (2025-09-08)

Government to be guided by industry experts and academics including UK Sport and Sport England to break down barriers and create opportunities for women in sport.

- Building on the success of the Lionesses this summer, the aim is to deliver equal access, better facilities and protect female athletes from online abuse as part of the Plan for Change.
- Aim to deliver this change by the 2035 FIFA Women’s World Cup as the first meeting takes place in Brighton ahead of England vs Australia Women’s Rugby World Cup clash.
With England’s Red Roses taking centre stage at the Rugby World Cup, the UK wants to build on the success of the Lionesses this summer to cement its position as a leader in women’s sport.

A new taskforce of industry experts aims to understand opportunities and break down barriers to deliver equal access, best in class facilities, ongoing professionalisation of women’s sport, visible role models to inspire future generations of girls and a strong pipeline of UK hosted major events by the 2035 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

This ambitious mission will be supported by the Women’s Sport Taskforce, which will hold its first meeting today ahead of the Women’s Rugby World Cup match between England and Australia in Brighton.

Chaired by the Sports Minister Stephanie Peacock, the first meeting will focus on driving innovation in female athlete health research and tackling the online abuse that too many of our elite sportswomen continue to endure. Guest experts include Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Chris Boardman, Chair of Sport England and Sally Munday, Chief Executive of UK Sport. The National Governing Bodies of rugby union, football, netball, tennis and cricket will also be attending the first meeting to lend their insight, and the Taskforce will hear from data science company Signify Group to understand their work with World Rugby on online abuse of female athletes.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said:

With record breaking crowds at the Rugby World Cup and tens of thousands of fans packing out the mall for the Lionesses victory parade after their amazing Euros success, the UK is perfectly positioned to become the world leader in women’s sport but we know positive results on the pitch must be met with decisive action off it.

This Taskforce will work to make sure that from the grassroots to sold out stadiums at major events, we are creating an environment where every woman and young girl can be involved in sport in an inclusive and welcoming environment as part of our Plan for Change.

Sports Minister Stephanie Peacock said:

Our Plan for Change is already expanding opportunities for women and girls. We are doubling access for women and girls on grassroots pitches, investing in state-of-the-art cricket domes and have a Rugby World Cup legacy programme that has already benefitted 850 clubs, improving facilities and access to sport.

This Taskforce will now guide us towards the 2035 FIFA Women’s World Cup, focusing on increasing participation, leading global innovation, and combating online abuse to make our women’s and girls’ sport sector the best in the world.

The timing of the first meeting in Brighton reflects the Government’s commitment to using the record-breaking Women’s Rugby World Cup as a catalyst for transformational change. The tournament has already made history with more than 400,000 tickets sold, demonstrating the incredible appetite for women’s sport.

Building on this success, the government’s Impact 25 legacy programme has invested almost £7 million to reach hundreds of rugby clubs nationwide, supporting women and girls of all ages to get involved in rugby.

CEO of UK Sport, Sally Munday said:

One of our key ambitions at UK Sport is to use the power and platform of sport to inspire positive change. Nowhere does this burn more brightly than in women’s sport. It is really encouraging that the Government is supporting the delivery of this work through the establishment of the Women’s Sport Taskforce.

At UK Sport, we are proud to support trailblazing female Olympic and Paralympic athletes and are committed to continuing to bring some of the biggest and best international events in women’s sport to the UK – such as this year’s record breaking Rugby World Cup, the Tour De France Femmes in 2027 and hopefully, a Women’s Football World Cup in 2035.

We are all invested in the continuing rise of women’s sport and I am delighted to be joining this new Taskforce to help make our ambitions a reality.’

Chair of Sport England, Chris Boardman said:

I’m delighted to have been asked to join DCMS’ taskforce on women’s sport. From safety fears to disempowering kit to online abuse – the issues faced by girls and women seeking to take part in sport and physical activity are major, which means that the stubborn gender activity gap persists.

Sport England’s commitment is unwavering; our hugely influential This Girl Can campaign launches its next phase next week, and I am also look forward to meeting with OFCOM to discuss what action can be taken to better protect female athletes from online abuse.

RFU’s Executive Director of the Women’s Game, Alex Teasdale said:

The RFU is proud to support the launch of the Women’s Sport Taskforce, and welcomes the Government’s ambition to make the UK a global leader in women’s sport. Women’s rugby is seeing first-hand the transformative power of hosting a major event, and we are committed to working with partners across sport to ensure more women and girls can experience the benefits of playing and staying active.

With the Rugby World Cup providing the perfect stage, we look forward to helping drive progress on participation, visibility and player welfare within rugby, and across wider women’s sport

The UK is hosting a series of major women’s sporting events over the next decade leading up to the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2035. As well as the Women’s Rugby World Cup, these include the Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup in 2026 and the Tour de France Femmes Grand Départ in 2027. These events will showcase the country’s ability to deliver world-class sport at the elite level whilst driving a lasting legacy on women’s sport participation.

Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 Managing Director, Sarah Massey said:

We welcome the government’s ambition, which echoes our own for Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 to be more than a tournament – to deliver positive social impact by changing perceptions and setting new standards that can influence both our industry and wider society.

At World Rugby we are proud to be leading the charge with our industry-leading online protection programme, supporting the mental wellbeing of players and match officials, tackling online abuse, and fostering a respectful and inclusive environment for all participants on and off the field. Rugby is a sport where everyone belongs, and that principle guides everything we do.

It’s why we’ve built a diverse team for this tournament, with women representing 100% of our senior leadership team and 70% of our overall workforce, whilst also ensuring our suppliers are aligned with our values. Together with government and partners across sport we are determined to open up the sports industry to make it more inclusive.

The UK is hosting a series of major women’s sporting events over the next decade leading up to the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2035. As well as the Women’s Rugby World Cup, these include the Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup in 2026 and the Tour de France Femmes Grand Départ in 2027. These events will showcase the country’s ability to deliver world-class sport at the elite level whilst driving a lasting legacy on women’s sport participation.

The government has committed significant investment in both grassroots and elite sport, with £400 million allocated for new and upgraded grassroots facilities and £500 million invested in elite sporting events.

Through targeted funding and Sport England’s renowned This Girl Can campaign, which has helped nearly four million women become more active over the past decade, alongside pioneering research at Loughborough University’s Sport Research and Innovation Hub for women, the government continues to work with experts in their field to break down barriers and drive innovation that will make the UK the leader in women’s sport globally by 2035.