Jo Yapp will make rugby history as the head coach of the first-ever British & Irish Lions women's team, set to tour New Zealand in 2027. The 70-cap England international will lead the squad against the Black Ferns in a three-test series, alongside pre-tour fixtures.
Currently serving as Head of Women's Pathway at England Rugby, Yapp will take a sabbatical to lead the tour, working part-time from July before stepping into the role full-time in January.
"To lead the first-ever British & Irish Lions women's team is an incredible honour," Yapp said. "This tour to New Zealand is an opportunity to create something truly special and help shape the future of women's rugby."
Yapp represented England at three Women's Rugby World Cups as a player and has coached the England Under-20 women's team, Worcester Warriors Women, and the Barbarians. Most recently, she led Australia to the quarter-finals of the 2025 Rugby World Cup.
Lions CEO Ben Calveley praised Yapp's "breadth of experience across the UK club game and the international women's game in the southern hemisphere."