Government pledges to preserve momentum behind women's sport as competition resumes on Monday

The Government has promised that it will preserve the momentum behind women's sport in its latest daily coronavirus briefing.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport published ‘stage three’ of its elite and professional sport guidance on Saturday, permitting the return of domestic competition from June 1 to pave the way for first UK live action in three months. The strict conditions include no spectators and stipulate that all involved travel individually and by private transport where possible.

Women’s sport has already been heavily impacted by the pandemic, with domestic football, rugby and netball having all had their seasons cancelled and both elite hockey and rugby losing key sponsors. There has been no elite women’s team sport since March 14 and on Friday Stephanie Hilborne, the chief executive of Women in Sport, warned that women’s sport “will almost be invisible” this summer.

Now the cultural secretary Oliver Dowden has pledged to ensure that women’s sport retains its progress of the last few years. The majority of discussions have centred on the Premier League’s Project Restart.

He said: “Headline sporting events are only one part of this story, and I really am keenly aware that even as we reopen some domestic competitive fixtures, not all events will be back on.

"Given the deserved momentum that had built up behind women’s sport after football, cricket and netball World Cups, I will be working hard with the sports minister to make sure that we don’t lose any of that progress. Visibility matters, and our daughters deserve to see female athletes, on the main stage.”