Caithness RFC has been awarded £10,000 from Royal London and The British & Irish Lions to support the growth of its women's and girls' section. The Thurso-based club is one of four across the UK and Ireland to receive the grant in recognition of its commitment to participation and inclusion in women's rugby.
Funding to Support Pathways and Growth
Grassroots women's rugby has already grown significantly in Caithness over the past few years. Club secretary Jenny Dunnet said the funding will provide a strong foundation for organising pathways and attracting more minis and micros into the girls' section.
“It's going to be a big boost,” said Dunnet. “When we got the phone call, I was over the moon. It’ll give us a good starting point for getting the pathways organised. We're hoping to use it to help get more minis and micros into the girls' section, and just keep that continuity going, so we're never struggling for numbers for a road trip or for visiting teams coming up to Caithness.”
Investment from Royal London and Lions
Royal London, the UK’s largest customer-owned pensions, protection and investment company, announced the latest winners of its Championing Women & Girls’ Rugby Award in partnership with The British & Irish Lions. Four clubs across the Home Unions will share the £40,000 fund for 2026. The grants demonstrate Royal London's commitment as Founding Partner of the first Lions Women’s Team to invest in grassroots rugby and support the next generation of future Lions Women’s players.
“We don't want this money to just be frittered away, we want it to actually have an impact on what's happening within the women's and girls' sections, so we can go back and say that's the money, and that's how it's helped us grow and invest in the future of the girls' and women's teams,” Dunnet added.
Award Winners and Recognition
The Championing Women & Girls’ Rugby Award, now in its third year, provides funding to Keswick RFC (England), Fethard & District RFC (Ireland), Caithness RFC (Scotland) and Clwb Rygbi Y Bala (Wales). Each club receives a trophy and a £10,000 grant to invest in their rugby programmes. The award goes to a club in each Home Union that has broken down barriers for women’s and girls’ rugby through inclusion policies, community outreach and a desire to bring more women and girls into the game.
Rhona Lloyd, Rugby Ambassador for Royal London and award judge, praised Caithness for its trailblazing efforts. She said: “The passion and ambition at Caithness RFC to grow their women’s section despite the geographical challenges in this part of Scotland really stood out in their application. I loved that the women’s team already have their own identity as ‘The Krakens’ and it is evident that they are already well integrated in the wider community in Caithness. Their goals to up-skill women’s referees and coaches in the highland area will have a lasting impact across the region and is why Caithness RFC are very deserving winners of this award. I can’t wait to visit them and see how they’re putting their plans into action.”
