After introducing over 500 under-12 girls in the North West to rugby for the first time and generating a total social impact of over £194,000 in the region, premium tyre manufacturer Continental is reflecting on the success of its 2025 Love Rugby partnership, delivered in collaboration with the Rugby Football Union (RFU).
Love Rugby is an RFU-led programme designed to give young girls (aged under 12) a positive first experience of rugby in a fun, inclusive, and non-contact environment.
The Continental x Love Rugby programme focuses on enjoyment, confidence, and teamwork, helping girls build a strong relationship with the sport while opening clear pathways into local clubs and continued participation.
Over the course of 2025, the Continental x Love Rugby partnership reached communities across the region, supporting the growth of the girls’ game while delivering lasting benefits beyond the pitch.
The programme is estimated to have contributed almost £400,000 in economic impact benefiting the local area, over £148,000 in health impact linked to increased physical activity and wellbeing, and over £194,000 in social impact, supporting confidence and future opportunity.
Nationally, the Love Rugby programme introduced 4,600 girls to rugby in 2025, with almost one in four going on to attend or likely to attend follow-up sessions, demonstrating the programmes’ ability to turn first experiences into lasting engagement.
Leah Jervis, Senior Brand and Partnerships Specialist at Continental commented: “It’s been great to see the response to Love Rugby in the North West. Giving girls a chance to try something new, build their confidence, and enjoy being active is what this programme is all about and here at Continental, we’re proud to have helped make that possible.”
Mark Saltmarsh, Head of Education and Age Grade Rugby at England Rugby added: “The Continental Tyres x Love Rugby Festivals have had a massively positive impact on the girls game, bringing opportunities for over 4000 girls to try rugby for the first time. The support of Continental Tyres and all our partners and organisers who staged local Festivals and the national Showcases has been superb.
“To give such large numbers of girls the chance to play rugby in schools is key to the growth of our sport and rugby clubs across the country have seen the benefit with 20% higher registrations at Under 12 nationally than last season. The energy, fun, teamwork and smiles we have seen at all the events shows the impact our sport can have on girls of all backgrounds and abilities. A great foundation for the future.”
Find out more about the Continental x Love Rugby programme by visiting the Continental website.
