Lions Women head coach named as first New Zealand tour reaches one-year countdown

The British & Irish Lions Women are 12 months away from making history, with their opening tour match against the Black Ferns XV scheduled for 4 September 2027 at Okara Park in Whangarei, New Zealand. Jo Yapp has been named as the side’s inaugural head coach, bringing the long-running project into sharp focus.

The Lions Women concept has been more than six years in the making, following a feasibility study of nearly three years before the team’s existence was formally confirmed. At the January 2024 announcement, Lions CEO Ben Calveley described it as “a historic milestone in our 136-year history,” adding that the organisation had wanted to ensure decisions were “in the best interest of the Lions and the best interest of the women’s game.”

The full tour itinerary will see the Lions face Whitney Hansen’s Black Ferns in the first of three Test matches just one week after the opening fixture, with that game taking place at Go Media Stadium in Auckland. A midweek match against an Invitation XV in Hamilton precedes the final two Tests in Wellington and Christchurch, making for a demanding schedule against a nation that has won six Women’s Rugby World Cup titles.

Yapp’s appointment in May surprised some observers — England head coach John Mitchell had been widely tipped for the role — but the 46-year-old former England scrum-half brings a broad coaching portfolio. She has worked with the Wallaroos at elite international level and served as head of Women’s Pathways at England Rugby, with earlier roles spanning England Under-20s, the University of Exeter, and Worcester Warriors.

Crucially, Yapp’s independence from the four home nations removes a potential source of controversy. Unlike Lions men’s tours, where the head coach’s national allegiances can invite accusations of bias in selection, Yapp has no current ties to England, Ireland, Scotland, or Wales — a factor the Lions appear to have weighed carefully.

“To lead the first-ever British & Irish Lions Women’s Team is an incredible honour and something I’m immensely proud of,” Yapp said upon her appointment. “The Lions represents the very best of the game.”

With one year to go, the selection auditions are effectively under way. Players from all four home nations will be competing in their domestic and international programmes knowing that Lions jerseys are now firmly within reach.