Rounders England

Rounders England is excited to announce the appointment of Rhian Lilley as its new Development Director. An experienced leader in sports development within education, national governing bodies and local government, Rhian will play a pivotal role in the next phase of rounders development.

Joining from The FA, where she led the co-ordination and strategic delivery of all FA Women’s Development programmes in four UEFA’s EURO 2021 UK host cities, Rhian will drive forward partnerships to enable successful and productive relationships for Rounders England. She will lead the delivery of growth, participation, membership and engagement programmes and products. As a member of the Senior Management Team, the Development Director will also contribute significantly to the development of organisational culture, community, team and the achievement of its strategy.

The appointment is particularly timely as Rounders England embark on a wide-ranging consultation on how to take the game of rounders forward and increase engagement and participation. The new strategy for Rounders, to launch in 2021, will seek views from the Rounders community and stakeholders. The consultation will be launched at its AGM on 20 September 2020.

Prior to The FA, Rhian worked with the Erewash School Sport Partnership in Derbyshire, inspiring young people to become more active and healthier through PE, school sport and physical activity, culminating in participation of the new schools This Girl Can films.

Natalie Justice-Dearn commented,

“As Rounders England enters a period of exciting change, we welcome Rhian to the rounders community. The organisation is looking forward to the future and developing the sport with a strategy to connect people, through driving growth and engagement and revenue.

And as we embark on that journey to further modernise our much-loved sport, starting at our AGM this month, Rhian will help us drive change through growing the sport as well as engaging with the tens of thousands of people that already play.”

Rhian added,

“We have a great opportunity at Rounders England to create a strategy that is innovative, relevant to our members, challenging and engaging. I am really looking forward to getting out and meeting our members, ensuring they have a real sense of ownership of the new strategy that we will be developing.

We can look to support the enjoyment that individuals, families, and community groups have discovered, in being active in their local area during these unprecedented times.

We have a real chance to promote Rounders as a sport that can be played by all, requires minimal equipment and can bring communities together.”