England Lionesses get their kits off as they strip down to lingerie for incredible campaign to keep girls in sport

Posted Friday, July 28, 2023 by Thesun.co.uk

ENGLAND Lionesses have stripped down to their lingerie for an incredible campaign aiming to keep girls in sport.

Current and former Three Lions players have taken their kit off to support Bluebella lingerie's #StrongIsBeautiful campaign.

The brand is hoping to encourage teenage girls not to drop out of school.

New research from Women In Sport shows that 64 per cent of secondary school girls stop playing sport before they turn 16.

This is in part down to insecurities about their bodies during puberty.

England's most capped female player Fara Williams and under-19 international Reanna Blades have endorsed the campaign.

The pair have posed in lingerie in a bid to encourage girls to be proud of their bodies and to keep playing team sports.

Williams said: "There is a big drop off in women's football around the age of 13. I have coached girls at that age and their bodies are changing so quickly and you can see that they really struggle with that.

"Often girls would come back after the six week summer break and during that time they had gone through a major transition into young women, looking different and feeling different.

"They struggle with what their body is changing into and often just want to cover up, and sometimes don't want to put on a football kit and be more visible.

"I think we have to educate from a young age about the changes girls experience in sport and how we can support them during that process to make them feel more comfortable and confident."

Williams won 177 caps for the Lionesses during her 18-year international career, scoring 40 goals from midfield in that time.

She also played at the 2012 Olympics for Team GB, as well as at seven major tournaments for England.

Those included three World Cups, with Williams' extra-time penalty at the 2015 tournament securing a third place finish for England.

Since retiring in 2021, she has gone into a career in sports media, appearing as a pundit.

As for Blades, the 18-year-old forward currently plays for Chelsea and has also represented England at youth level.

The #StrongIsBeautiful campaign is one that Bluebella lingerie has been running for the past seven years to try to improve teenage girls attitudes to their bodies, and get them back playing sport. The London based underwear brand have previously worked with female Olympic athletes at the Rio games in 2016 and Tokyo games in 2021.

Bluebella CEO and Founder Emily Bendell said: "We have to change the perception that the strong female form is not 'feminine'. The idea that strength and femininity do not go together is a really damaging perception for keeping women in sport but also more broadly. We are thrilled that two these two Lionesses from past and present are supporting #StrongIsBeautiful and helping to challenge attitudes which are sadly still too prevalent."

The Lionesses are set to begin their World Cup campaign against Haiti in Brisbane on Saturday morning.

Sarina Wiegman's side will then face Denmark before concluding the group stage against China on August 1.