Starling Bank is the national banking partner of Uefa Women’s Euro 2022 and now it is leveraging its financial heft to boost engagement by launching the first Fantasy Football game not designed for a men’s tournament.
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Nearly two-thirds (63%) of people in the UK believe Women’s football should have the same exposure as Men’s football, including the ability to be represented in Fantasy Football leagues, research suggests. One in five people say they would play Fantasy Football linked to a women’s tournament2.
The digital challenger bank has recruited former England player Rachel Yankey to promote the launch ahead of kick-off on July 6. She said: “I’m so excited to build my first Fantasy team that features England Lionesses. When I was growing up there was nothing like this.”
“I hope that fans both young and old can enjoy building their teams and embrace the journey that women’s football has been on to get to where it is today.”
Rachel Yankey was also the first woman in the UK to become a professional footballer.
“As a youngster, I shaved my hair and pretended to be a boy just to fit in. Nowadays, the final for this tournament has already sold out Wembley Stadium before a ball has even been kicked. However, the playing field isn’t level yet – every move toward equality makes a big difference.“As a youngster, I shaved my hair and pretended to be a boy just to fit in. Nowadays, the final for this tournament has already sold out Wembley Stadium before a ball has even been kicked. However, the playing field isn’t level yet – every move toward equality makes a big difference,” Rachel added.
The bank has also partnered with women’s football experts Girls on the Ball, who will be providing regular match analysis to inform players’ Fantasy teams.
“We built Starling bank to give people the bank we thought they deserved,” says Helen Bierton, former Olympic athlete and Chief Banking Officer at Starling Bank. “Now, here we are again, launching another industry first, this time for Women’s Football. I hope this gets people talking about the brilliance of women footballers even more – as well as improving people’s budgeting skills!”
By launching the game, Starling will provide expert analysis on the 16 women’s teams in the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022. By doing so, the bank aims to spark more engagement with the tournament, which has been predicted to be the biggest women’s sporting event in European history by UEFA.
