Alessia Russo calls for change as shocking report lays bare the barriers to girls sport

Lionesses star Alessia Russo is leading the charge for change as shocking new research shows that young girls are being excluded from sport at an alarming rate. New research, published by Public First and led by Sky, shows that girls in the UK are missing out on 280 million hours of sport every year compared with boys.

Alarmingly, the data also shows that 340,000 more girls than boys are excluded from sport due to cost and lack of local access while one in three have faced sexist abuse whilst playing. Russo, who was a leading figure in England's retention of the European Championships this summer, hailed the impact of sport on the development of youngsters as she launched a new tournament for girls, creating opportunities for teenagers from underserved backgrounds to participate in grassroots football. She said: "I'm proud to launch The Alessia Cup in partnership with Goals 4 Girls and Sky, giving more girls the chance to play the game I love.

"Together, we're creating opportunities that build confidence, resilience, and leadership far beyond the pitch."

The Alessia Cup aims to give underserved girls the chance to play competitively and is designed to combat the participation gap between girls and boys participating in sport.

Despite the continued success of the Lionesses in football and the Red Roses in rugby union, the report, which spoke to 2,010 adults in the UK, found that boys are still being given preferential treatment at grassroots level, with girls often relegated to inferior equipment, inconvenient time slots, and leftover spaces - leading many to disengage by age 11.

According to the findings, 35% of girls say boys at their school get access to a wider range of sports teams while 29% say boys' teams get priority booking for pitches and facilities.

Dana Strong, Group CEO, Sky believes that action to combat the inequality is not only in the interests of the individual but society as a whole, with early years participation in sport being an indicator of future life success and economic benefit.

The Public First report found that women who played extracurricular sports as children are 50% more likely to reach senior professional roles, a predictor as powerful as a university degree.

Additionally, it highlighted that getting just one inactive 18-year-old girl into sport generates a lifetime benefit of £30,000.

Strong said: "By age 11, nearly one in three girls stop believing sport is for them - proven not to be just a personal loss, but a national one.

"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."

The report concluded that bridging the gap and removing barriers to the participation of girls in sport could unlock £6.5 billion in economic and health benefits by 2035.

It also found that 55% of girls who took part in the survey said that watching professional female athletes inspired them to play while 65% of all 11-18-year-olds agree that watching diverse athletes helps people understand that sport is for everyone.

It is hoped that the continued success of England on the international scene, combined with the success of the Women's World Cup and other high-profile women's sport events, will encourage the Government to co-invest in the sector's future growth to boost visibility and showcase more female athletes.

Following the publication, Sky is now calling for a bold package of recommendations to close the gender participation gap, including the introduction of a targeted tax relief on the production of women's sport.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: "Broadcasters in this country are leading the way in promoting women's sport and giving our outstanding female athletes the platform their talent deserves. But as the findings of this report show, when it comes to accessing sport at all levels, too often women and girls find the same old barriers still in place."

"Through our Plan for Change, this Government is set on breaking them down. It's why we're investing £400m to bring quality facilities to areas that need them most, shaking up the curriculum to give girls and boys the same access to sport in schools and launched a new Women's Sport Taskforce to tackle the biggest challenges, from the grassroots to the elite, head on."