BMT continues support for the Royal Navy Women's Cricket Team

Once again in 2022, BMT is proud to sponsor the Royal Navy Women’s Cricket Team. This relationship has been in place for a number of years and the team are clear about the impact the funding has on being successful in their game. Not only does the sponsorship go towards having the right kit, it also means they are able to utilise specialised hi-tech cricket training environments in the winter and to train alongside the men in the summer. The team completed a week-long, pre-season training academy at the grounds in Portsmouth, allowing the team to come together to train and develop in a supportive environment to build not only their cricketing skills but also the team ethos. The ladies come from all trades in the Royal Navy, and there are medics, Weapons Engineers, Aero Engineers and many others all bringing their skills and experience.

In common with many organisations, the pandemic severely impacted the ability of the team to train together and to play together. As pandemic restrictions lifted, this was further challenged by the high tempo of operations, which meant that many players were away on deployments. It’s difficult to get to a training session when you’re on a T45 in the Atlantic! So, this year the Royal Navy Women’s Team Leadership are aiming both to rebuild into a cohesive, high performing team, and also to increase the overall participation in the sport. Women’s cricket is growing in participation across the country and the Royal Navy team want to be able to capitalise on that. The more players they have, the better able they will be to develop everyone in the team and keep planning for success in the future.

Similar to many in business, there is a need to re-learn and understand how to support one another and how to work together to be successful in delivering their task – to play great cricket and hopefully win matches. This is a challenge that resonates with BMT, we’ve been working hard to maintain that team spirit even when teams can’t be together, and we’re hoping to be able to support Royal Navy Women in building that team ethos.

As the summer 2022 season gets underway, BMT will be represented at a number of events and matches to support the team and to strengthen the relationship between the two organisations. The Royal Navy Cricket Association has already made significant changes to ensure that the Women’s team has equal opportunities to the men in playing high quality cricket, and are committed to continuing to build on those initiatives. Cdr Andrew Ainsley, Acting Chair, UK Armed Forces & Royal Navy Cricket is clear about the benefits of the partnership.

The Royal Navy Cricket Association is extremely grateful for the support we receive from BMT, which has allowed us to evolve and mature the development of women’s cricket. With women making up such a significant element of the Royal Navy, and in particular in growing numbers within technical specialisations, a partnership with BMT is an obvious choice. Moreover, the shared values and standards of the two organisations resonate clearly and this is equally as apparent on the playing field as it is in the workplace. I look forward to us growing together.  

BMT is committed to equality of opportunity for everyone and by supporting the Royal Navy Women’s Cricket team are supporting the RNCA to provide the same opportunities for the women’s team, the same as are available for the men’s teams. We are currently working on how to make the most of this relationship – maybe a BMT Women vs RN Women’s team game?