Sheffield Tigers: Forging Excellence in the Steel City
With nearly £700,000 of crucial support from National Lottery funding through Sport England over more than two decades, the club has forged ahead with developing women's rugby.
Since 1998, Sheffield Tigers RUFC has been awarded seven grants totalling £693,531, demonstrating sustained investment that has transformed grassroots rugby. This partnership began with a substantial £570,000 grant from Sport England in 1998 for pitch construction and clubhouse development, creating infrastructure that now supports their thriving women's section.
In 2022, a £6,900 National Lottery grant further bolstered the club's commitment, funding sessions for girls in school years 9-11. This targeted investment supports the club's strategy to develop women's rugby from grassroots up.
Sheffield Tigers Women has moved from strength to strength since its foundation. The journey began with the first training session on 13th July 2021, followed by the first friendly fixture on 31st October 2021. From these humble beginnings, the team has achieved remarkable success, reaching a cup final at Twickenham and earning promotion to Tier 4 rugby following an unbeaten season.
The growth has been extraordinary, with some players approaching their 50th cap for Sheffield Tigers Women this coming season.
"We had really good success with the women's team we started up. What we found is that obviously, there's nothing really feeding into that. So, we wanted to copy that sort of process," explains Jack Howieson, Director of Rugby.
The impact extends to inspiring the next generation. Howieson's personal experience demonstrates this transformation: "My daughter does the sessions on a Monday evening. Because we've been able to go up to the club and see the women's team play and see them train, when I asked her about it she was straight into it, really wanted to do it."
One parent describes the broader impact: "The impact that rugby has had on our daughter is incredible. She lost self-confidence during the transition to high school. Rugby has presented positive body images of all types. The boost in her confidence in her own athletic ability is clear!"
This story perfectly encapsulates how National Lottery investment in women's rugby has created visible role models and opportunities that simply didn't exist before, inspiring young girls to take up the sport and see a future for themselves in rugby.
As England hosts the Women's Rugby World Cup this summer, we're witnessing the culmination of three decades of National Lottery support that has transformed women and girls' rugby from the grassroots up. The Sheffield Tigers story exemplifies how over the last 30 years, by investing over £6 billion into more than 90,000 grassroots clubs and organisations, The National Lottery has been game-changing for women and girls' sport. Behind every medal, every goal, and every try: National Lottery players raising £30 million for Good Causes every week, demonstrating the transformative potential of grassroots initiatives supported by sustained investment in women's sport.
