According to a new report from Public First commissioned by Sky, young girls in the UK are missing out on 280 million hours of sport every year. On top of this, one in three girls agree that boys still have a wider access to a range of sports. By age 11, one in three girls decide sport is no longer for them.
In the hopes of transforming these figures reported in ‘Game Changing: How sport gives every girl a better chance’, Sky has partnered with charity Goals4Girls in an effort to keep young girls playing with the introduction of the Alessia Cup.
For the Game
Not only has Goals4Girls advocated for girls and women’s sport since 2011, the all-female team also intends to eliminate social and personal barriers to improve education and access to sport. The charity explained:
“We’re breaking barriers of access and inequality and giving more girls the chance to step onto the pitch and into their full potential.”
In partnership with England and Arsenal forward Alessia Russo, she explains the new tournament is to give “more girls the chance to play the game I love,” adding:
“Together, we’re creating opportunities that build confidence, resilience, and leadership far beyond the pitch.”
The Ballon d’Or nominee and recent European Champion, Russo stands as a figure for young girls to look up to, whilst giving the initiative a platform to stand atop of.
The Alessia Cup is a nationwide tournament for girls intended to create opportunities for teenagers from unrepresented backgrounds to participate in regular grassroots football.
With the intention to not only pursue the dreams of young girls across the country and keep their sport spark alive, Sky’s backing of this initiative also comes from the billions of pounds that could be unlocked in economic and health benefits by 2035.
FOR THE GIRLS
Featuring contributions from leading voices in sport including Judy Murray, Helen Glover, Nasser Hussain and Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, the Game Changing report highlights that by empowering girls through sport, it could generate £570m in annual productivity gains and save the NHS £73m a year.
Sky also calls on the government to invest in the sporting sector in the hopes of securing growth to boost visibility and showcase more female athletes, whilst over half of young girls are inspired by watching professional athletes.
Sky is also calling for the creation of a National Girls and Women in Sport Day, which would provide recognition for the achievements of women’s sport so far, but would also act as a powerful mark set to shape the next generation.
Dana Strong, group chief executive at Sky, commented on the broadcaster’s role within the sport sector:
“Broadcasters like Sky have a crucial role to play in driving access and visibility of women’s sport, but this alone won’t close the gap. We need to break down the barriers that tell young girls they don’t belong. With bold investment and collaborative action across government, education and media, we can build a future where every girl is welcomed to the game.”
Sky’s fight for women’s sport continues as it has embarked on a new five-year partnership with the Women’s Super League (WSL), showing 90% of all matches from the 2025/26 season.
