Jo Yapp is appointed head coach of the first-ever British & Irish Lions women’s team, with the inaugural tour taking place in New Zealand in 2027. Multiple outlets report that the former England scrum-half and former England captain will lead the Lions on the landmark tour and that the appointment is aimed at shaping the future of women’s rugby. Yapp’s stated goal is to “create something special” for the tour.
The reports say Yapp is currently involved in the Rugby Football Union’s women’s pathway and will work part-time for the Lions from July, before taking a sabbatical from her RFU role next year to go full-time. The rest of the Lions women’s coaching staff, selected from across the four home nations, is not yet confirmed. The tour is scheduled for September 2027 and is expected to include three Test matches against New Zealand’s Black Ferns.
One outlet notes that Yapp is preferred over England’s head-coach option, and that she previously has international coaching experience, including leading Australia to the last eight of the Rugby World Cup and coaching as the first woman to head the Wallaroos. New Zealand’s team is led by Whitney Hansen, who takes over in late 2025.
