Lionesses succeed with campaign allowing girls equal access to sport

The UK government have approved plans for girls to be granted equal access to sports following a campaign by the Lionesses off the back of their Euro 2022 triumph.

Schools must deliver a minimum of two hours of PE every week with girls and boys allowed to play the same sports in lessons and in extra-curricular activities.

England's Lionesses wrote an open letter to then-prime ministerial candidates Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak demanding change, with only 67% of all schools and 41% of secondary schools offering football as an option equally to girls in PE lessons, with 46% providing the same extra-curricular options as boys.

A statement from the FA read: "The Lionesses’ EURO legacy wish has been achieved today with a transformational Government announcement to help every girl in England follow in the team’s footsteps.

"The game-changing decision to provide girls with equal access to football in schools, as part of an all-sports pledge, meets one of The FA’s key strategic objectives. It will significantly increase participation across the nation and build on the inspiration of England’s triumph at UEFA Women’s EURO 2022."

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England captain Leah Williamson said: "The success of the summer has inspired so many young girls to pursue their passion for football. We see it as our responsibility to open the doors for them to do so and this announcement makes that possible.

"This is the legacy that we want to live much longer than us as a team. On behalf of all the Lionesses players, we'd like to thank our teammate Lotte Wubben-Moy as adriving force behind this transformational change. We couldn’t be prouder to stand alongside her and we all look forward to seeing the impact this legacy creates."

Arsenal defender and England international Wubben-Moy added: "By making football more accessible to millions of girls across the nation, we have opened a crucial door for the growth of women’s football and women’s sport as a whole. I am proud to be part of something that will live on for generations to come. This is just the beginning."

Prime Minister Sunak said: "Last year the Lionesses' victory changed the game. Young girls know when they take to the pitch that football is for them and, thanks to the Lionesses, they too could be a part of the next generation to bring it home for their country."