England Rugby launches ‘For the Girls’

Inspired by the voices and spirit of the incredible Red Roses,‘For the Girls’ isn’t just a slogan – it’s a movement.

The campaign celebrates the Red Roses legacy, their position as the world’s number one team, and their power to inspire every woman and girl who finds strength in their journey – including the young girls who will dream of taking their place amidst their ranks in years to come.

It honours strength, sisterhood, and solidarity. This campaign is a rallying cry to show the nation that this team isn’t just chasing trophies – they’re playing for something far bigger: for every girl who dreams of playing and getting involved in rugby.

The tagline comes straight from inside the squad – a reflection of how personal this is.

It’s rooted in real conversations, and in the still-too-common perception that rugby is ‘a game for the boys’. This campaign flips that script.

And it doesn’t stop there. ‘For the Girls’ proudly shines a light on the male allies – the dads, brothers, coaches, and fans – who’ve championed women’s rugby from day one. Their support matters and their stories are part of this, too.

The heart of the multi-media campaign is the ‘For the Girls’ hero film set to air on Amazon Prime TV as well Red Roses channels. It’s powerful, emotional, and rooted in the real voices of the Red Roses. In addition, the campaign will run in out of home, paid social and England Rugby channels.

It was important when building the campaign to champion women in all walks of life, and to ensure that ‘For The Girls’ was a sentiment reflected by the team behind the camera, as well as in front of it. Critical to this was Director, Olivia Rose, a multi-talented creative whose work has appeared in the National Portrait Gallery, Vogue, i-D and Elle. Key positions elsewhere on-set reinforced the ‘For The Girls’ sentiment – including the Director of Photography, Nathalie Pitters, and 1st Assistant Director, EJ Sheppard. In post, Bullion Production’s brilliant Imogen Patron took the role of Editor.

The Red Roses open the Rugby World Cup against the USA at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland on Friday 22 August followed by weeks of tantalising rugby, broadcast by the BBC, that is set to inspire the nation.

Sally Sheppard, RFU Head of Consumer Engagement said: “This summer, we have an incredible opportunity to connect with new audiences and rally the nation behind the Red Roses. These athletes are not only elite performers on the pitch—they’re powerful role models for young girls across the country.

“Our new campaign is inspired by the Red Roses and the way they speak about each other and why they strive so hard to be the best.  They do it for each other, for the pioneers who came before them and the next generation of players they are inspiring to take up the sport – for the girls.

“The campaign runs throughout the tournament and alongside community club activity designed to offer people the chance to give rugby a go and try out our wonderful sport.”

The ‘For The Girls’ campaign was developed in collaboration with the RFU’s creative partner MATTA, an award-winning agency that specialises in promoting sport at both elite and grassroots levels, which has also worked with the RFU to develop the Red Roses brand from inception in 2017, throughout Rugby World Cup 2021 (played in 2022) to today.

Tom Allwood, Managing Director of MATTA said: “We couldn’t be more excited to help create this special moment for women’s sport in England. A home World Cup is always an exciting event, and with this incredible set of talented individuals representing their country. We want ‘For The Girls’ to firmly plant rugby in the nation’s minds as a fun and exciting sport for young girls to get playing. As we’ve seen from working with the wonderful Red Roses over the last few years, the sky really is the limit.”

With thanks to England Rugby