ECB launches new women’s and girls’ platform ‘We Got Game’ | Cricket News

‘We Got Game’ aims to unite a community of like-minded young women and girls to share their passions both on and off the pitch; it looks to illustrate the societal, mental wellbeing and physical benefits of cricket to young women and girls

The ECB has launched a new women’s and girls’ platform ‘We Got Game’ (Image credit: ECB)

The ECB has launched a new women’s and girls’ platform ‘We Got Game’, designed to elevate the profile of women’s cricket and drive a greater gender balance in cricket.

The platform has been launched as the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022 begins in New Zealand and England women look to defend their title.

‘We Got Game’ is hosted on a standalone Instagram channel and has content inspired by both professional and grassroots players. The channel aims to unite a community of like-minded young women and girls to share their passions both on and off the pitch.

Following record breaking attendances and viewing figures of The Hundred’s women’s competition last summer, the launch of ‘We Got Game’ marks the next phase of progression for women’s cricket.

It illustrates the ECB’s long-term commitment to change the way that girls see the game, supported by strategic investment and proactive interventions to make cricket more welcoming to women and girls from the grassroots to the highest level.

This is the first time the ECB has created a standalone women’s cricket channel, which will help to illustrate the societal, mental wellbeing and physical benefits of cricket to young women and girls.

Currently, only 10 per cent of girls ages 14 to 24 are doing enough sport to benefit their health, according to Inspire Sport and further research shows there’s a drop-off in self-confidence as they hit puberty.

Cricket is in a position to help address this, through a supportive team environment, with each member requiring different skills and abilities, and being a sport individuality is celebrated.

In the long-term, ‘We Got Game’ is aiming to help redress the balance between the number of boys and girls playing cricket.

As it stands, one in 10 clubs across England and Wales have a girls’ section and girls make up 27 per cent of sign-ups to ECB’s national participation programmes.

In the first year of ‘We Got Game’, the ECB is aiming to increase girls sign ups to All Stars Cricket and Dynamos Cricket by 25 per cent from the previous year.

“Being part of a supportive team means being completely free to express myself, it’s one of the things I love most about playing cricket,” Kate Cross, England Women’s player said.

“When we win, we celebrate together, when we lose, we stick together, we lift each other up. We know what we need from each other because we’re like a family. ‘We Got Game’ is an extension of that, it’s our community.

‘We Got Game’ is developed in direct collaboration with the England Women’s team and starts a game-changing year for women’s cricket which includes the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, Commonwealth Games, The Hundred and England’s home series against South Africa and India.

“This year the opportunity for women’s cricket is greater than just winning trophies,” Clare Connor, managing director of Women’s Cricket at ECB said.

“It’s about grabbing hold of moments to raise the profile of women’s cricket, making cricket accessible, more culturally diverse and more relevant to every young woman and girl across England and Wales.

“That’s why the time is perfect to launch ‘We Got Game’ and encourage more young women and girls to believe that cricket is a game for them.”

Transforming women’s and girls’ cricket is one of six priorities outlined in the ECB’s ‘Inspiring Generations’ strategy for 2020-2024, supported by £50m investment in the women’s game by 2025.

Watch the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup live on Sky Sports. Coverage of England vs Australia is live from 12.30am on Saturday on Sky Sports Cricket.