GB and England players Darcy Bourne, Fiona Crackles and Flora Peel have joined the Women’s Sport Trust’s Unlocked 2025–2026 programme as its latest cohort.

The tri will join 36 elite female athletes from more than 20 sports across the UK and Ireland as part of a programme which brings athletes together to use their voices, connect across sports and lead change on and off the field.

Research by the Women’s Sport Trust shows the scale of opportunity and the need for greater support around athlete voice and influence.

· 72% of elite female athletes told us that they want to make an impact within society, but only 39% said they know how to do it.

· 60% believe they don’t have enough profile to make the impact they want.

· 74% feel the expectations on female athletes to make a difference are greater than for their male counterparts.

· When asked what motivates them, 62% said their main driver is using their experience to help others, followed by raising awareness of important issues.

Unlocked exists to bridge that gap, giving athletes the influence, community and connections to turn intention into action.

“Unlocked isn’t about training athletes, it’s about supercharging them,” said Tammy Parlour, CEO of the Women’s Sport Trust. “We want to help them realise the power they already have. Their voices are transforming sport from the inside out, and when these women come together, they shift the conversation about what’s possible in women’s sport as a whole.”

This year’s group also features Becky Downie MBE (artistic gymnastics), Ama Agbeze MBE and Funmi Fadoju (netball) and Bronte Law (golf).

British Para powerlifter Doaa Shayea said: “I was so excited to have been offered a place on Unlocked. As a Muslim para-athlete, I want to use my platform to challenge perceptions, break down barriers and help make sport a place where everyone feels they belong. And I hope Unlocked will give me the opportunity to turn my experience into impact for women and girls in sport.”

World hockey has struggled to bring top sponsorship to its portfolio of events, but hopes its partnership with leading global sports marketing agency Sportfive will buck the trend.

Outside of events being sponsored by Indian companies at tournaments on the sub-continent, hockey has failed to attract top tier sponsorship for events such as the FIH Pro League.

Now, Sportfive will serve as a key commercial partner for the FIH, supporting its mission “to elevate the sport‘s global visibility” and secure brand partnerships across markets including the Middle East, South Asia, Europe and the UK.

The partnership will debut with the 2026 Hockey World Cup, while it will also include the Pro League and FIH Hockey5s World Cup.

The German company has worked with an array of sports over the last 20 years. Deals have included the Los Angeles Lakers and Bibigo where Sportfive facilitated the Lakers’ first-ever global partnership with the Korean food company. 

In football, it enabled a partnership between the travel platform Trivago and Chelsea FC.  Meanwhile, Sportfive has a longstanding relationship with Borussia Dortmund as the main partner and brokering other deals for the club.

FIH president Tayyab Ikram said: “We are confident that Sportfive’s support will enable us to elevate hockey to the next level and are looking forward to a fruitful collaboration.”

Robert Müller von Vultejus, Sportfive’s chief growth officer, said: “Partnering with FIH for the 2026 World Cup allows us to tap into the energy of hockey’s global fanbase while delivering tailored brand solutions across diverse markets.”