Jo Yapp. That name is now written into the history books of women’s rugby.
On 9 June 2026, the British & Irish Lions made it official: for the very first time, the Lions Women have a head coach. Not just any coach — the right one.
In what may be the most quietly audacious appointment in the history of the women’s game, Yapp landed the role ahead of John Mitchell — the reigning World Rugby Coach of the Year. And just months ago, she was herding sheep on a family farm in Shropshire.
Best. Origin story. Ever.
Who Is Jo Yapp? Career and Personal Life
Jo Yapp, 46, earned 70 caps for England as a scrum-half.
She played in three World Cups, captained the Red Roses to the 2006 final and stepped off the pitch as one of the most decorated players in the history of the women’s game.
The transition to coaching was seamless — eventually. Worcester Warriors Women, the Barbarians, and most recently the Australian Wallaroos at the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup, where she became the first female head coach of any Australian senior national team in a major football code.
Backed every step of the way by her family — husband Alan Hubbleday, a former Championship player with Moseley, and their children Megan and Jack, who uprooted their lives to follow her to Australia — Yapp now steps into the biggest job of her career.
The Tactical Style That Defines the Coach
Her players don’t just talk about her. They defend her.
Australia captain Siokapesi Palu broke down in tears at the post-match press conference when asked about Yapp’s departure after their 2025 World Cup quarter-final exit. That doesn’t come from a coaching manual. That comes from a person.
But rugby matters too. These are the four pillars that define the new Lions Women head coach:
- Unbreakable team culture: From England Under-20s to the Wallaroos, she builds squads that consistently perform above their individual ceiling. Not luck — method.
- Nationality-blind meritocracy: The Lions Women draw players from four separate unions: England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Yapp has already proven she can bind them under one idea. That matters more than any tactical system.
- Direct, dynamic rugby: Her teams press hard, transition fast and attack space. No sitting deep. No playing for draws.
- Boots-in-the-mud leadership: Months before this announcement, she was coaching girls at Clee Hill RFC — the village club in the Shropshire Hills where she grew up. That kind of grounding doesn’t slow a project down. It holds it together.
Yapp joins the Lions part-time from July 2026 and full-time from January 2027.
The Howden British & Irish Lions Women’s Series opens on 4 September 2027 against Black Ferns XV in Whangārei, New Zealand.
Frequently Asked Questions About Jo Yapp
Jo Yapp is married to Alan Hubbleday, a former Championship rugby player with Moseley and Birmingham & Solihull, and ex-youth international for England Schools and England Colts. They have two children, Megan and Jack.
Jo Yapp has been named the first-ever Head Coach of the British & Irish Lions Women, who face the Black Ferns in a three-Test series in New Zealand in 2027.
External Link — Topic Authority: Learn more about global women’s rugby development and tournaments at the official World Rugby website.
