Rhona Lloyd, who has racked up over 60 caps for her country, has witnessed the sport go from strength to strength first-hand since her debut back in 2016
Rhona Lloyd reckons the Ilona Maher effect is paving the way for growth in the women’s game.
Scotland star Lloyd, who has racked up over 60 caps for her country, has witnessed the sport go from strength to strength first-hand since her debut back in 2016.
USA star Maher, 29, boasts a whopping 5.5million followers on Instagram and has often been outspoken about body image in women’s sport.
And Lloyd, 29, hailed the world-renowned Eagles international for her game-changing impact across the world.
“I really struggled with body image as a teenager,” said Lloyd, speaking to promote the launch of Royal London’s annual Championing Women and Girls’ Rugby Award.
“I had this big thing about not wanting to go to the gym. I was so concerned about what other people thought of me playing rugby and the stigma attached to it.
“I’d like to think that’s changed a lot as girls grow up now with different role models – look at Ilona Maher.
“If you’re true to yourself, you’ll attract people who match your energy, and you’ll be able to enjoy rugby without worrying about what other people think.”
The 2025 Rugby World Cup was a standout success for women’s rugby and Lloyd played a pivotal role, scoring multiple tries to propel Scotland to the quarter-finals.
But she is equally proud of what the tournament achieved away from the pitch.
“The World Cup was incredible,” she added.
“It was so much better than I thought it could have been. I remember getting off the bus for our first game against Wales in Manchester and just how loud it was, how many fans were there.
“It’s really humbling and a real privilege to be part of women’s rugby at this time.”
One of the most exciting developments is the establishment of The British & Irish Lions Women’s team, who will embark on a tour of New Zealand in 2027.
Lloyd is an ambassador for Royal London, the only founding partner of the Lions Women’s team, whose initiative has already provided £80,000 of grants to the successful teams from each nation, with £40,000 more set to be available this year.
“We’ve had World Cups four years apart and seen a big increase in women’s rugby participation following these events,” she said. “The club I play for in the PWR, Sale Sharks, have seen attendances increase by 96% off the back of the World Cup.
“I think we’re going to see the benefits at the grassroots level, but also all the way up.”
With the World Cup and Lions Tour leading the way in the professional game, there are also exciting initiatives on the community scene.
The Royal London’s annual Championing Women and Girls’ Grassroots Rugby Award provides a £10,000 grant to one club from each Union, to invest in their women and girls’ programmes.
Lloyd saw the positive impact of this award first-hand when she visited last year’s Scotland winners, Greenock Wanderers RFC.
“They’ve got women’s only changing rooms, a maternity policy supporting women who are taking time off rugby to have a baby, and a player performance pathway,” she said. “This money goes a massive way to keep women in the sport.”
Royal London, the only Founding Partner of The British & Irish Lions Women’s rugby team, has announced that applications are open for its annual Championing Women and Girls’ Rugby Award. Applications are open until 12pm on Monday 20 July 2026 via the Lions website.