Women's Rugby World Cup 2025: Mastercard encourages girls to 'Give Rugby a Try' with free clinics hosted by sporting legends

Mastercard is putting on free introductory rugby sessions with rugby trailblazers Maggie Alphonsi, Shaunagh Brown, Dan Carter and Bryan Habana at Style of Our Own on Regent Street throughout the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 to inspire girls to “Give Rugby a Try”

Campaign is inspired by new research which has found that over a third (36%) of young women aged 8 to 25 would be more likely to try rugby if they saw more girls playing the sport and that 86% have never tried it

1,000 children rugby mini balls will be given out* to anyone who asks about the ‘Give Rugby a Try’ campaign on tournament weekends at Style Of Our Own

SOOO is an innovative pop-up store, based on Regent Street in London and powered by Mastercard, celebrating all aspects of women’s sport 

As the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 kicks off in the UK, Mastercard is launching “Give Rugby A Try”, a new campaign to get more girls into rugby. 

Hosted at Style Of Our Own, ‘Give Rugby a Try’ will see rugby legends Maggie Alphonsi, Shaunagh Brown, Dan Carter, and Bryan Habana deliver interactive and engaging rugby clinics to 100+ children from a range of charity partners. Children will learn core rugby skills with beginner-friendly drills, train with top players, and leave equipped with free gear to start playing.

This comes as Mastercard research found that only 6% of girls aged 8 to 25 currently play rugby, 86% have never tried it and 36% say they would be more likely to play if they saw more girls taking part. 43% of respondents also said this summer of women’s sport had inspired them to try a new sport.

Charlie Carrington, Senior Vice President, Integrated Marketing and Communications at Mastercard UK & Ireland, said: “The Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 is a powerful opportunity to introduce more girls to rugby and inspire the next generation of players and fans. Our ‘Give Rugby a Try’ campaign harnesses this moment, bringing girls closer to their passions, enabling them to meet sporting heroes, and giving them the confidence to get involved. We hope this will help spark a lifelong love for rugby in them and a sense of belonging, whether they’ll be cheering from the stands, scoring tries on the pitch or having fun with friends who love the game too.”

Maggie Alphonsi MBE, England Rugby World Cup Winner, added: “I know first-hand how rugby can transform lives. It teaches resilience, teamwork and self-belief which can be applied to anything you do. Mastercard helping to get more girls to pick up a ball during this tournament will not just build future players, but future leaders too.” 

Shaunagh Brown, Former England Rugby Player, added: “The Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 is more than a tournament, it’s a chance to change perceptions and open doors. I didn’t grow up thinking rugby was for me, but once I found it, it gave me a voice, a community, and the confidence to take on any challenge in front of me. If we can get young women to give it a try now, whether playing, coaching, refereeing and just getting involved, we can create a generation of champions.”

Mastercard will give away 1,000 children rugby mini balls to anyone who comes in store at Style Of Our Own on tournament weekends and asks a member of staff to “Give Rugby a Try.”* 

_{* Offer valid while supplies last and limited to one mini ball per person. Available exclusively in-store at Style of our Own, 245 Regent Street, London W1B 2EN on tournament weekends (23-24 Aug, 30-31 Aug, 6-7 Sep, 13-14 Sep, 20-21 Sep, 27-28 Sep 2025.) To claim, visitors must ask a staff member at Style Of Our Own to “Give Rugby a Try.” Mastercard reserves the right to modify or withdraw the offer at any time}.