1 week ago
Jo Yapp has been named nan caput coach for nan first women’s British & Irish Lions circuit of New Zealand successful 2027. The erstwhile England skipper is nan caput of nan women’s pathway astatine nan Rugby Football Union and lead Australia to nan past 8 of past year’s Rugby World Cup.
Yapp has been preferred to nan England caput coach, John Mitchell, for nan coveted Lions job. The New Zealander led England to World Cup glory successful 2025 and had said publically he would for illustration nan job.
Yapp said: “To lead nan first-ever British & Irish Lions women’s squad is an unthinkable honour and thing I’m immensely proud of. The Lions represents nan very champion of our athletics and this circuit to New Zealand is an opportunity to create thing genuinely typical and thief style nan early of women’s rugby for years to come.”
The 46-year-old will activity part-time for nan Lions from July earlier taking a sabbatical from her RFU domiciled adjacent twelvemonth to spell full-time. The remainder of nan coaching staff, selected from nan 4 location nations, has yet to beryllium confirmed.
The Lions will circuit successful September adjacent twelvemonth pinch nan schedule including 3 Tests against nan Black Ferns. New Zealand will beryllium led by Whitney Hansen, who took complete successful December 2025.
Carol Isherwood, nan chair of nan Lions women’s committee, said: “This is simply a hugely important assignment for women’s rugby and an breathtaking caller section successful Lions history.
“Jo brings outstanding experience, activity and knowing of nan women’s crippled and I person nary uncertainty she will play an important domiciled successful bringing together and starring nan very champion players from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.”
After retiring successful 2009, Yapp coached England Under-20s earlier becoming skills coach astatine Worcester. She was promoted to caput coach and led nan nine broadside until it folded successful 2023.
Yapp’s adjacent domiciled saw her named nan caput coach of Australia, becoming nan first female to lead nan Wallaroos. She lead them to nan WXV2 trophy successful 2024 which secured nan team’s spot astatine nan 2025 World Cup, wherever Yapp was conscionable 1 of 3 female caput coaches.
The Wallaroos reached nan quarter-finals of nan groundbreaking tourney but were knocked retired by eventual nan runners-up Canada. Additionally, she has doubly coached nan Barbarbians.
As a subordinate she was capped for nan Red Roses 70 times and represented her state astatine 3 World Cups. In 2 of those tournaments, successful 2002 and 2006, England mislaid to New Zealand successful nan final.
“I cognize from acquisition really challenging it is to look nan Black Ferns connected location soil,” Yapp said, “but that situation is precisely what makes this circuit truthful exciting. There is an tremendous magnitude of talent crossed nan 4 unions and I’m looking guardant to bringing together nan very champion players to correspond nan Lions successful 2027.”
The Lions main executive, Ben Calveley, added: “Jo’s breadth of acquisition crossed nan UK nine crippled and nan world women’s crippled successful nan confederate hemisphere made her an outstanding campaigner for this role. Her imagination for bringing together players from nan 4 unions was hugely compelling, and we are thrilled to invited her connected board.
“The action process was rigorous, competitory and world successful scope arsenic befitting nan value of this historical appointment. For a infinitesimal that represents specified a measurement guardant for nan game, it was important to america that this assignment serves our desire to turn and support each aspects of nan women’s crippled including nan promotion of female coaches. We are delighted to name Jo who we judge will excite players and fans alike arsenic we proceed to build towards New Zealand successful 2027.”
