In sport, the word innovation gets used a lot. It is often linked to a new app, a data dashboard, a pilot programme or the latest digital partnership. But real innovation is something deeper than that.

Why EDI starts with governance. A board member I know recently resigned. They had been recruited for their skills and experience, not to tick a diversity box. But when new funding requirements surfaced that explicitly required racial diversity on the board, everything shifted. What had previously been private conversations about potentially stepping down to support the organisation strategically became a public board discussion where their value felt reduced to their race.

Momentum is rising. Unprecedented cultural attention has pushed women and girls’ sport into the spotlight and onto a new trajectory. In the commercial sector we are seeing record crowds, record investments, record viewing figures, record transfer fees, record commercial deals, alongside new research, new data, new strategies.