Jo Yapp, appointed last month as the British and Irish Lions women's head coach, has made her mission clear: pick the best players, regardless of nationality. That commitment to elite talent could mean England's Red Roses — world champions with 38 successive Test wins and no losses to Scotland, Wales, or Ireland since 2015 — dominate the squad for the Lions' inaugural tour to New Zealand in September 2027.
The inaugural women's tour marks a historic moment for the Lions, an organisation that has long centred its identity on men's rugby. For Yapp, a former England player with 70 caps and a recent member of the England coaching staff, the decision to prioritise merit over balance reflects a deeper truth about sport at the highest level. "If you're a Lion, you want to know that you deserve to be a Lion," she told BBC Sport. Yet she also recognises the talent beyond England's borders. "I appreciate kind of the dominance of England from that perspective, but there are players in every squad that you go, 'wow, they are really talented'."
Building a winning team on a compressed timeline is the real challenge. Yapp has already sought counsel from Andy Farrell, who led the men's Lions to a 2-1 series victory over Australia last year. The lesson was blunt: there is no season to bed in new structures and tactics. "You need to be able to hit the ground running," Yapp said. Getting the right coaching team in place quickly — people she trusts — is now her priority as the tour approaches.
The tour itself spans three Tests across New Zealand's rugby heartland. The first match pits the Lions against a Black Ferns XV at Auckland's Go Media Stadium on 4 September 2027, with subsequent matches scheduled for later in the month, culminating at Christchurch's One NZ Stadium on 25 September. The timing is tight, overlapping with pre-tournament preparation for men's teams ahead of the Rugby World Cup beginning in Australia on 1 October 2027.
Lions chief executive Ben Calveley was emphatic about Yapp's appointment after a far-ranging search. "We were unanimous as a panel that Jo Yapp was the right person to lead the tour," he said, highlighting not just her tactical grasp but her ability to unite unfamiliar players around a shared commitment. "One of them was a very clear and detailed understanding of the game," Calveley explained. "Maybe even more important than that was this focus on people, a real commitment to culture."
Calveley also pushed back gently against the crowded calendar, noting that the Lions women's tour represents a chance to claim space in global sport during a congested window. "We believe that when we get to this tour, now less than 18 months away, this will be a really significant moment for global sport — not just rugby, but for the whole of global sport."
The Lions have committed to staging a women's tour every four years, a structural pledge that signals confidence in long-term growth. Officials say the first tour is expected to break even or generate a small profit. For Yapp, standing at the threshold of this historic moment, the path forward is defined by one uncompromising principle: excellence.