Rugby Star Shaunagh Brown Joins Youth Sport Trust as New Champion for Girls

Strategic Insights -

Rugby star and former England international Shaunagh Brown has been announced as the new Champion for girls at the Youth Sport Trust, a charity that aims to harness the power of sport to improve young lives. Her appointment comes ahead of the Women's Rugby World Cup, which is shining a spotlight on the women's game and its potential to inspire the next generation. Brown's focus as a Champion will be on tackling inequalities and breaking down barriers that prevent many black girls and those from lower-income backgrounds from experiencing the life-changing benefits of sport.

Key Takeaways:

  • Shaunagh Brown, a former England international, has been appointed as the new Champion for girls at the Youth Sport Trust, a charity that aims to promote access to PE and sport for children across the UK.
  • Brown's appointment comes ahead of the Women's Rugby World Cup, which is highlighting the importance of women's sport in inspiring the next generation.
  • Research from Sport England highlights the scale of the challenge in getting black girls active, with only 36% achieving the Chief Medical Officer's recommendation of 60 minutes of physical activity per day.
  • Recent research from Women in Sport found that while 60% of black girls dream of being elite athletes, almost half (48%) drop out of sport in their teenage years.
  • Shaunagh Brown will focus on tackling inequalities and breaking down barriers that prevent many black girls and those from lower-income backgrounds from experiencing the life-changing benefits of sport.
  • Brown has also served as an ambassador for the T1 Rugby Series, an initiative aimed at increasing participation in rugby among young people and schools, with 70% of young participants last year being new to rugby and 47% being girls.
  • The Youth Sport Trust is working with School Rugby Managers (SRMs) to grow the sport in schools across England, with the aim of introducing rugby to 5000 new state primary and secondary schools by 2027.
  • Preliminary results from the 2024/25 programme show that over 97,000 participation opportunities have been created, with 470 schools now offering rugby and 91% of schools reporting a "Very Positive" or "Positive" impact on pupils' enjoyment of physical activity.

Statistics:

  • 36% of black girls achieve the Chief Medical Officer's recommendation of 60 minutes of physical activity per day, according to the 2023-24 Active Lives Children and Young People survey.
  • 60% of black girls dream of being elite athletes, according to recent research from Women in Sport.
  • 48% of black girls drop out of sport in their teenage years, according to recent research from Women in Sport.
  • 70% of young participants in the T1 Rugby Series were new to rugby last year, with 47% being girls.
  • 97,000 participation opportunities have been created through the Youth Sport Trust's School Rugby Managers (SRMs) programme.
  • 470 schools have now engaged with the SRMs programme, with 91% reporting a "Very Positive" or "Positive" impact on pupils' enjoyment of physical activity.

Sources:

  • M2 PressWIRE - August 19, 2025
  • Sport England - 2023-24 Active Lives Children and Young People survey
  • Women in Sport - recent research
  • Youth Sport Trust - press release
  • The Youth Sport Trust is a leading UK children's charity for improving young people's health and wellbeing through sport and play.