Premiership Women’s Rugby and Wates Group announce official partnership

Premiership Women's Rugby (PWR) can today announce a new official partnership with Wates Group, one of the UK’s leading family-owned development, building and property maintenance companies.

Women are under-represented in the built environment industry and for more than a century that was also the case in rugby union. In recent years, with the explosion in the number of women playing rugby and the establishment of PWR, that balance is changing. Wates is keen to see a similar transformation of the gender imbalance in construction and related sectors.

Together, Wates and PWR are looking to drive a powerful change, with the shared goal of redefining what inclusion and equal opportunity looks like in both rugby and the built environment industry.

Wates and PWR will work collaboratively to find ways to promote careers in the built environment to players and fans. This will come to life across PWR’s nine clubs, from Exeter in the south-west to Sale Sharks in the north-west, through match-day messaging on the pitch-side LED systems, player appearances, industry roundtable events and social media campaigns.

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Genevieve Shore, chair of Premiership Women’s Rugby, said: “Wates shares many of PWR’s values and aims to diversify its workforce by bringing more women into the built environment. Leveraging PWR’s audience, we’re excited to help achieve this together.

“Wates is committed to creating pathways for people to thrive and places that are more sustainable, inclusive and full of opportunity. PWR is eager to support that mission.

“Both construction and rugby have historically been male-dominated fields with barriers for women. PWR is challenging these norms in rugby, while Wates is doing the same in the built environment – we are both committed to breaking down these barriers and providing opportunities for women to succeed.”

Eoghan O’Lionaird, Chief Executive at Wates Group, said: “We applaud the PWR for its work to raise the profile of the women’s game. PWR has done a great job of highlighting women’s skills and prowess on the rugby field and we’re proud to support their efforts.

“We’re working hard to diversify our workforce, with all the benefits that brings. By building a culture where women can thrive just as much as men, we’re spreading the message that roles in the built environment are for everyone. We hope that our association with PWR will encourage more women to look seriously at the many rewarding careers in our industry, and in particular at Wates.”