International Women’s Day: Girls granted equal access to sport as Lionesses campaign pays off | Football News

Schools in England are told that they must offer at least two hours of sport each week and that girls and boys should be able to play the same sports in class and in extracurricular clubs; this follows a campaign launched by the England women after their European Championship triumph last summer

Girls will be given equal access to all school sports as part of a package of measures unveiled by the government to mark International Women’s Day.

Schools in England are being told they must offer at least two hours of sport each week and that girls and boys should be able to play the same sports in class and in extracurricular clubs.

The move comes in response to a campaign by England’s Lionesses after their European title last summer, in which they called on the government to take action to ensure all girls have the opportunity to play football at school.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “Last year the Lionesses’ win changed the game. Young girls know when they step onto the pitch that football is for them and thanks to the Lionesses, they too could be part of the next generation – home for their country.

“We want schools to build on this legacy and give every girl the opportunity to play the same sport as boys and offer at least two hours of sport. This means that every child can benefit from regular exercise and we are proud to be able to offer them the support they need to do this.”

The Government said the measures would be backed with over £600million in funding over the next two school years, specifically aimed at improving the quality of sport and physical education in primary schools.

England women’s 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 to them and this announcement makes that possible. This is the legacy we as a team want to live on much longer than we do.”

The announcement comes just over six months after the government was accused of jeopardizing the Lionesses’ legacy by overseeing the ongoing sell-off of school sports fields.

Liberal Democrat data showed that 94 schools had sold their pitches since January 2015, although some have been replaced with indoor sports facilities.