WOMEN’S SPORT TRUST LAUNCHES ‘FIRST XV’

The Women’s Sport Trust has launched an official supporters’ club with a new ‘First XV’ category for 15 brands looking to support women’s sport. 

Women’s sport is on the rise with data-driven agency Two Circles predicting that the number of fans attending elite women’s sport in the UK will pass half a million for the first time in 2018. 

Over 100,000 tickets have already been sold for the Vitality Hockey Women’s Cup next month, and follows the success of last year’s ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Final, which sold out Lord’s, and a record crowd of 45,000 watched this year’s SSE Women’s FA Cup Final at Wembley. Since 2013, attendances for UK women’s sports have grown, on average, 38% year-on-year.

The First XV campaign will bring together a select group of organisations that are making an active choice to get behind women’s sport, according to the charity. 

Commenting on the launch of the Women’s Sport Trust First XV, joint-CEO Jo Bostock, said: “These pioneering brands will be instrumental in changing the leadership and funding landscape for women’s sport. We are incredibly excited about partnering with like-minded organisations who share our passion to make change happen. Progress for women’s sport in recent years has been magnificent, but we are impatient to do more, and want to hear from brands with equal drive for positive change in this space.”

According to The Women's Sport Trust, brand partners in the First XV will commit to a £15,000 annual fee, with expressions of interest open until 3rd August, before the First XV are officially unveiled at a launch event in October.