Vodafone and Fuse kick off Women’s Health campaign

welsh rugbyThe Welsh Women’s Rugby team have become Women’s Health cover stars as part of a paid media partnership with Vodafone, secured by global sport and entertainment agency Fuse, which comes ahead of the team’s first standalone women’s game at the Principality Stadium on April 27.

The special edition magazines, which represent the first-time women’s rugby players have featured on the cover, see captain Hannah Jones, and players Alex Callender, Lisa Neumann, Donna Rose, Sisilia Tuipulotu and Abbie Fleming, as part of a multi-channel campaign managed by Fuse. Fuse liaised with the Welsh Rugby Union to identify the six players featured, shoot the cover and build out the six-page spread within the magazine.

As part of Vodafone’s ongoing work as founding principal partner of Welsh Women’s and Girls Rugby, the campaign runs across print, social media and digital, including video assets.

Copies of the magazine featuring the special edition covers have already been distributed at last weekend’s Wales and Scotland Women’s 2024 Guinness Six Nations match, although Scotland managed to mar the party by winning 20-18.

The campaign is part of Vodafone’s ongoing drive to help grow the women’s game and helps to raise awareness of the matches, where tickets can be purchased for 2024 Guinness Women’s Six Nations and the location of Welsh Rugby Union home games going forward.

The landmark covers build on Fuse’s continued work with Vodafone and its commitment to helping accelerate women’s rugby with technology and connectivity. Previous work together on the proprietary menstrual tracking tool Vodafone Player.Connect is helping improve female players’ performance, wellbeing and recovery and has placed Vodafone at the heart of the conversation on the impact of the menstrual cycle on sporting participation and performance.

Vodafone head of sponsorship Mark Huckerby said: “As founding principal partner of Wales Women’s & Girls’ Rugby, we are committed to growing the game to new audiences in the lead-up to Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 and beyond.

“We are really proud to have worked with Fuse, Women’s Health and the Welsh Rugby Union on this milestone ‘first’ for women’s rugby in the UK. These six featured players, and their hundreds of peers playing international and club rugby across the UK are incredible role models for future generations.”

Fuse account director Charlie Baddeley added: “One of women’s sport’s greatest assets is its individuals, and the amazing untapped stories they possess – whether that be players, fans or volunteers. It was brilliant to work with Vodafone to highlight these inspiring women and deliver a first for the sport.

“Our rights consultancy team worked closely with our digital planning team to develop the rights package to provide an even stronger ROI with their power and expertise.”

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