Heartbroken. Devastating. Gutting. These are the familiar phrases which came from the mouths of the Lionesses who, as a team, are unfamiliar with defeat.
After more than 100 minutes of frustration, England’s women were unable to break down a skilful and resolute Spanish side. Lauren Hemp hit the bar in the first half. The team received a lift when inspirational goalkeeper, Mary Earps, saved a penalty in the second half. But ultimately, England lacked the composure in the final moments to pinch an equaliser.
But his team will return to England as heroes, despite the result in the final. The Lionesses have inspired people across the country, thrusting women’s football, and women’s sport more broadly into the spotlight. Attendances at women’s sporting fixtures are on the rise, with regular fixtures at the country’s biggest grounds.
This has been a golden summer for women’s sport. Starting with the Women’s Ashes, which saw record crowds across the board, both in the ground and on television. The country was gripped by a compelling series between England and Australia which finished level.
The success of playing the series concurrently with the men’s Ashes meant that fans bought into a broader narrative. In many ways, this has been one big Ashes summer, culminating in the Women’s World Cup semi-final in the football.
The women’s Hundred tournament, which followed, has also been a triumph. Although the format is controversial and the tournament has a patchy reputation, the impact on the women’s game has been huge. Teams are regularly playing in front of crowds in the thousands, which is previously unheard of in women’s cricket.
If you had flicked over to BBC One after England’s World Cup quarter-final clash against Columbia, you would have witnessed Rugby League history. For the first time ever, the Women’s Challenge Cup final was played at Wembley. St. Helen’s made history, beating Leeds Rhinos to lift the trophy.
This represents huge progress for the sport. A few years ago, some of the players on the pitch at Wembley were paying to play the game they love. Now they are on a prime-time weekend television slot, at the country’s national stadium.
Yesterday, after watching the Lionesses, I went to Headingley to watch the Leeds Rhinos men and women’s teams play Warrington in a double header. Leeds won both games, with a crowd of over 15,000 people in attendance. This is another mark of how far the game has come in a short time.
England’s Netball team also came agonisingly close to winning their World Cup, losing to Australia in the final 45-61. But their run to the final saw England’s Netball team capture the attention of the viewing public. The tournament was a hugely popular part of the sporting schedule this summer.
The Lionesses will return home to a hero’s welcome. Once the emotion of defeat has subsided, they will surely reflect with pride on their achievement in getting to the final. Societally, it has never been more important to capitalise on the momentum that women’s sport has. We need to translate it into lasting change.
In women’s football, there has been an ongoing debate about diversity within the game and how to reach underrepresented communities. In cricket, the ICEC report highlighted the role that sexism and classism played in the lack of diversity in the game.
Recently, the number of PE hours in schools has been drastically cut, according to government reporting. This momentum will be lost if this generation of young girls, who are inspired to play sport, cannot access it. Young people from all backgrounds need access to high-quality facilities, equipment and coaching to capture this moment.
If our leaders are serious about supporting women’s sport, they will take action to support access to sport in all areas of the country. In doing so, they can ensure the next generation of female athletes can inspire in the way they have this summer.
Related: Piers Morgan hit with backlash after Women’s World Cup final joke
