BEST SUPPORTER OF WOMEN’S SPORTS
ADI UK
ADI supports world-leading women’s sports federations, leagues, and clubs with an innovative range of solutions that enhance the spectator and athlete experience, amplify brands, promote participation, and support growth in the UK and internationally.
For the likes of Netball Super League, The FA England Lionesses, and Lloyds Tour of Britain Women, we have become partners for live event experience, interactivity, brand activation and digital venue transformation. Our services have helped clients achieve greater brand exposure and reach, increase ticket sales and TV audiences, receive incredible Net Promoter Scores, and ultimately deliver better experiences for both fans and athletes across multiple sports.
Abu Dhabi Sport Council
The Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC) has emerged as a leading force in the advancement of women’s sports in the Middle East, delivering strategic programmes that span elite competition, grassroots participation, and inclusive community engagement.
A landmark initiative is the UAE Tour Women — the first UCI Women’s WorldTour race in the region — hosted annually and broadcast to over 180 countries. It showcases the world’s best female cyclists alongside UAE National riders, bringing global visibility to women’s sport in the UAE.
At the community level, ADSC’s Active Hub programme offers thousands of free, women-only training sessions across 30+ public school venues, led by female coaches in disciplines such as fitness, yoga, and cycling. In 2024, over 40% of Active Hub participants were women.
Women’s divisions are fully integrated into all major ADSC events, including the ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon, Bike Abu Dhabi Gran Fondo, and Triathlon Series, with tailored outreach and equitable visibility. Campaigns feature female athletes and community voices, driving both participation and fan engagement.
With a holistic approach that spans media, education, and health, ADSC continues to champion meaningful and measurable change — building an ecosystem where women’s sport is seen, celebrated, and thriving
Dirt Is Good (Unilever)
In 2025, Dirt Is Good (DIG), the collection of laundry brands Persil, OMO, Surf Excel, Breeze, Rinso, Ala and Skip, set out on a bold mission to tackle the taboo surrounding period stains in sport.
When DIG research revealed that 78% of teenage girls stop playing sport due to periods and 67% do not know how to remove period stains, the brand acted.
A purpose driven campaign, co-created with Arsenal Women’s team and a group of twenty girls aged 14-18, was launched to address the issue and help demystify the stigma of period stains in sport and create an environment without fear or shame.
It’s Part of the Game, spearheaded by Beth Mead and her Arsenal teammates, featured personal stories, tips and tricks and generated international awareness around the subject through an integrated campaign.
In stadiums, online and in classrooms a consistent message of resilience, understanding and acceptance was shared to universal acclaim.
The campaign reached 34 countries and generated a reach of a quarter of a billion – but importantly, it encouraged thousands of people to open up and share their own experiences as we strive for a sport where everyone should feel a sense of belonging.
MATTA
In the past year, MATTA has delivered some of its most impactful work yet in women’s sport — driving participation, fan engagement, and brand visibility.
Since creating the Lionesses brand in 2015, we’ve been at the forefront of women’s sport — but in the last 12 months we’ve stepped up again: launching the US’s first professional women’s rugby league (Women’s Elite Rugby), helping Clinique make its official debut in the space with Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR), and rebranding The Queen’s Club tournament for the LTA — drawing record crowds and industry acclaim.
We’ve also worked to grow participation — winning a competitive pitch and creating the LTA’s “Make Your Return to Tennis” campaign, now live nationwide and encouraging more women back into the sport.
We’ve used our platform to push for greater brand investment in women’s sport — speaking at major industry events and on the likes of BBC News and in Forbes magazine. Internally, we’ve restructured to match our ambition: over 50% of our new business team now focuses on women’s sport, and we offer flexible commercial terms to help early-stage properties grow.
From creative to commercial, from grassroots to global — we’re helping shape what’s next.
Metro Bank x ECB – Champion of Women’s and Girls’ Cricket
Metro Bank signed a landmark partnership with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) as the first Champion of Women’s and Girls’ Cricket. This 6-year purpose driven partnership is based on a shared ambition to make cricket more accessible, inspire the next generation, and champion a positive future for women and girls in our communities.
The Metro Bank Girls In Cricket Fund directly supports local cricket clubs by breaking down the barriers girls face in accessing sport – providing practical resources, coaching development, and visibility. In its first year, the initiative led to a 21% increase in girls’ teams, with over 1,130 hours of in-club coaching and 228 new coaching placements. For the first time, women now make up the majority of participants in the ECB Coach Developer Programme.
This purpose-driven work has strengthened the grassroots cricket ecosystem while also shifting perceptions of women’s sport and community engagement. The campaign increased trust and consideration for Metro Bank and delivered a 150% uplift in new accounts from fans of women’s cricket.
The programme is now a blueprint for inclusive, community-led growth – and a powerful example of how sport and business can thrive together.
The University of Edinburgh Sport
GIRLS BELONG!
The University of Edinburgh has long been a bastion of excellence in the promotion and development of women’s sports. Over decades, it has not only cultivated a culture of athletic empowerment but has also demonstrated an unwavering commitment to gender equity, creating an environment where female athletes and coaches can thrive. The University’s remarkable contributions span across grassroots initiatives, elite performance pathways, and national advocacy—cementing its reputation as a pioneering force in women’s sports.
The University was among the first institutions in Scotland to establish women’s teams in sports like hockey, lacrosse, and rugby during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Many of Edinburgh’s female athletes were instrumental in the formation of Scotland’s first women’s national teams. For example, the University’s hockey players were integral to the establishment of the Scottish Women’s Hockey Association in 1901, which played a crucial role in advancing women’s participation in sport.
GIRLS BELONG is a collaboration between the University and our official playing kit provider Player Layer, that focuses on breaking down barriers for girls and women in sports by addressing issues related to playing kit and body image.
Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025
Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 (RWC 2025) will be the 10th edition of the tournament and will take place in England across five weeks from 22 August to 27 September. RWC 2025 will be an era-defining tournament, providing the ultimate stage for the best players, teams and coaches from across the globe. For the first time ever, the expanded showcase event will be hosted across eight venues and cities around the country with 16 teams competing to be crowned world champions. The countrywide format makes it the most accessible Women’s Rugby World Cup, offering an unparalleled opportunity for fans to engage with and support the stars of the women’s game.
The record-breaking tournament has already surpassed all expectations with 300,000 tickets already sold (as of July 2025), more than double the total attendance from RWC 2021 in New Zealand, and is now firmly on course to become the biggest Women’s Rugby World Cup in history, not just in scale, but in impact.
RWC 2025 will represent a generational moment for global rugby that will set new standards, welcome new fans to the sport and inspire a new generation of players, providing an exciting catalyst to nationwide and global rugby growth.
