To our brilliant Red Roses,
On behalf of the whole country, I want to wish you the very best of luck against Canada in today’s Rugby World Cup Final.
As you step onto the pitch in front of the biggest crowd in women’s rugby history, it won’t just be the packed stadium cheering you on. Millions more will be watching on tv, at home and in pubs and rugby clubs across the country. We will be flying the flag, putting the bunting out and coming together as one, inspired by you.
Already you have smashed through the records. More than 3 million people watched your semi-final against France last weekend, the highest ever audience in this country for a women’s rugby game. But your impact off the field is just as historic. You’ve used one of the biggest stages in sport to show women and girls here and around the world that rugby is for them too.
I know that for too many of our top female athletes, the path to success has been so much harder than it ever should have been. Too often, outdated attitudes have even denied women and girls the opportunity to play at all. But this current golden generation of British female sporting heroes are changing that together – and none more so, than you.
So whatever happens in that final, I want you to know that your legacy of generational change is secure. We will deliver equal access to sport for boys and girls alike. We will deliver a national renewal of grassroots facilities, backed by £400 million of government investment. And we’ll support role models like you, day in and day out, to inspire the next generation of elite female sporting talent.
Following the biggest Rugby World Cup in history, our ambition over the next decade should be nothing less than making our country the world leader in women’s sport. That is the ambition that your success has inspired, and what better way to start than by our Red Roses carrying home that trophy tonight.
So good luck England – we’re all rooting for you!
Prime Minister Keir Starmer
