By Sarah Walker
26 September 2025
Renewed call for businesses to invest in North East’s female rugby players.
Whether or not the Red Roses are victorious in their rugby world cup final match against Canada at Twickenham tomorrow, Francesca Johnson-Harding, assistant director of rugby at the North East Women’s XV rugby union team, believes one thing is for sure.
The tournament, which kicked off at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, has brought some much-needed attention to women’s rugby.
The opening game of the women’s Rugby World Cup was played at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, to great fanfare.
And now, Francesca is determined that this should not be a fleeting visit for women’s rugby in the region, as she renews her call for North East businesses to get behind our female rugby players.
Despite the recent positive publicity, the sport in the North East is in dire straits and needs more investment to prevent talented women leaving for cities in the North West and the South.
This means we risk seeing a brain drain from the region if women and girls have to move out of the area to pursue further study or jobs at the same time as their rugby career.
Francesca said: “The Women’s Rugby World Cup has come hot on the heels of the success of football’s Lionesses, proving that there is an appetite for female representation in sport – and I am determined to take advantage of this opportunity to put the spotlight on women’s rugby in the North East.
“The fact we do not have a Premiership rugby women’s team in the North East is having an enormous impact on young women, their families and the local economy, as those progressing in the sport move outside of the area to play for Premiership clubs.
“But if we can get businesses in the region to realise there is an opportunity to be part of a movement to create a platform for female rugby players in the North East, we could create a unique opportunity that would be priceless for the dozens of women and girls who are becoming part of a brain drain from the North East, because they have to leave their local area to play for better clubs.”
Francesca adds that at this moment in time, with the English female team on the brink of World Cup glory, we can “create something truly special for new fans of the women’s game in the region”.
Recent events for the North East Women’s XV Francesca has been heavily involved in organising have been a huge success and have made inroads into highlighting the plight of female rugby players in the region.
A Military Vs Cancer event at the Newcastle Falcons ground drew a huge crowd and some other women’s matches included one which raised £1,000, offering a glimmer of hope.
In the grand scheme of world sport, a thousand pounds sounds like a pittance, but for Francesca it meant the difference between a very small profit to be invested back into the women’s game – or a personal pain in the pocket.
With this in mind, is she flogging a dead horse? Francesca doesn’t think so, which is why she continues to bang the drum for women’s rugby in the North East, which has wider benefits for the women’s game as a whole across the country.
Francesca says: “We need to ensure the North East’s hosting of the women’s rugby world cup creates a lasting legacy for the women’s game in our region.
“Now is the time to back women’s sport, following on from the success of football’s Lionesses and rugby’s Red Roses.
“I would urge any businesses in the region who are interested in sponsoring women’s rugby or offering support of any kind to get in touch.”
You can email Francesca at cescaj@icloud.com or Sarah Walker at sarah.walker@sassmedialtd.co.uk if you are interested in sponsoring female rugby players in the region or would be interested in attending a networking lunch in support of women’s sport in the region, which is planned for 2026.
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