00:00Rona Lloyd is eagerly anticipating the inaugural Women's British and Irish Lions Tour to New
00:07Zealand in 2027. A historic moment for women's rugby as the Scottish winger has already made
00:13her mark internationally with over 60 caps and more than 25 tries to her name. But the
00:19prospects of representing the Lions offers a unique challenge and an unprecedented stage
00:25to showcase her talent. So Rona, let's start with the World Cup and the incredible impact
00:32that it had. I mean, what did the tournament show you about how far women's rugby has come
00:38in terms of quality and public support, that viewing that it got and really sort of fulfilled
00:43the major tournament that it wanted to be? Yeah, absolutely. I think England does women's
00:49sport really well, which I think put a little bit of expectation on this World Cup. We've
00:52been saying for months that it's going to be the biggest one ever. But I think it really
00:56even exceeded all of those expectations. The tournament was absolutely fantastic to finish
01:00it with 82,000 at a sold-out Twickenham. The last World Cup, there was 40,000 at the final.
01:05The one before that was 20,000. So the growth in women's rugby has really been astronomical.
01:10And in all the whole cities, I think people really got behind women's rugby. They got behind
01:14the Red Roses, but they also just got behind the game. There wasn't a quiet stand throughout
01:19the whole tournament. It was so inspiring to be part of and hopefully for anybody that was there
01:23as a spectator as well.
01:27For Lloyd, the opportunity to line up alongside the best players from England, Ireland, Scotland
01:32and Wales against the formidable Black Ferns is both exciting and humbling. Lloyd has spoken about
01:39how the tour represents more than just rugby. It's a chance to be part of a legacy that will
01:45inspire the next generation of female players. The intensity and prestige of playing in the
01:51Lions jersey carry a responsibility as well as an honour. And she is relishing the thought
01:57of contributing to the team, both on and off the pitch.
02:03And obviously the women's Lions tour, I mean, that just sort of shows how the game has grown
02:09to have that first tour. What's that going to be like for you in terms of the countdowns on?
02:14You want to make sure you're in the mix. I mean, that's so exciting to have that sort
02:18of target on the horizon.
02:20Yeah, it's massively exciting for everybody playing the game. I think before we had the
02:23World Cup every four years as these landmark events in women's rugby and opportunities
02:27to grow the game, whereas actually now that we're going to have the British and Irish
02:31Lions women's tours every two years in between that is going to be incredible in terms of
02:37the eyes that we can get on women's rugby. Royal London's investment from the grassroots
02:41game right up to the British and Irish Lions is just going to make an incredible tour to
02:46remember. And I think as women's rugby is growing, we need to keep investing in the
02:49game from the grassroots and all the way through to the elite level. There's more and more
02:53girls playing. So we need to make sure that the facilities are there to make that possible.
02:57The tour is expected to have a transformative impact on women's rugby, raising its profile
03:03globally and giving players like Lloyd a platform that has traditionally been reserved
03:07for men. She views it as an opportunity to push her own game further while helping to demonstrate
03:15the growing competition and skill in the women's game.
03:20Yeah, I mean, as you say there, England do women's sport incredibly well. You obviously
03:24have the women's football Euros as well, that going on. And then, you know, you have the
03:28Olympic Games where you get so many women role models. I mean, women's sport has changed so much
03:32over the last sort of, you know, 15, 16, 17 years or so. You know, that must be incredible
03:39for you to be in this era where you are appreciated and you are looked up to as a woman in sport.
03:44You know, how important is it that those guys who came before you have sort of laid that groundwork,
03:49the women before you and maybe didn't get the support and credit that they possibly deserved?
03:55Yeah, I think that's, when I play, that's a big why of, I guess, the people I want to make proud.
04:03It's the players that have come before me in a Scotland jersey, but also in any jersey for
04:08any country at women's rugby, because it's taken a long time to get to where we are today. I think
04:13about that being every Six Nations match and that when the Red Roses played Twickenham, that's the
04:17crowd that we see. So yeah, I think I can't do enough justice to the people that have made this
04:23possible who have been playing since the first World Cup in 1990.
04:28For Lloyd, the Lions tour is a pinnacle of her ambition so far, a chance to test herself against
04:33one of the toughest teams in the world, while helping to inspire girls and young women
04:39to see rugby as a sport where they too can achieve greatness.
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