Lionesses captain Leah Williamson has welcomed a Government pledge over school PE as part of the “legacy” of their Euro 2022 win.
In plans unveiled today, schools will be required to offer boys and girls equal access to all sports and deliver a minimum of two hours per week of physical education.
The Lionesses had demanded change after winning the European Championship last year and wrote an open letter to Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss during the Conservative Party leadership contest. More than £600million of funding is to be delivered over two academic years.
Williamson said the Lionesses wanted “to open the doors” for girls, and added: “This is the legacy that we want to live much longer than us as a team.
“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.”
Williamson thanked her England and Arsenal team-mate Lotte Wubben-Moy, who organised the joint letter, which was signed by all 23 members of the victorious Lionesses squad.
Wubben-Moy said: “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.”
Prime Minister Rishi 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. We want schools to build on this legacy.”
