The insurance industry needs to open up conversations with sportswomen about the importance of protection.
This is according to Sara Cox, an English rugby union referee and player who holds the distinction of being the world’s first professional female rugby union referee and the first woman to referee a Premiership Rugby Cup game.
At Women In Protection 2026, Cox spoke to delegates about the importance of backing yourself when your experience of a situation does not match up with your confidence.
But when asked specifically by Health & Protection about the knowledge of income protection among sportswomen and what can be done to improve awareness about these policies, Cox admitted that there is a gap.
“We try and do as much as we can in sport to make sure that people are up to date and are clued up to what you can do with life after sport,” Cox said.
“It’s fierce out there. You can have a contract on Monday and it could be gone by Tuesday. That could be for lots of different reasons.”
Gender divide and starting conversations
Though Cox added that while there is some support available to players through the Rugby Players Association, the men’s game is further ahead due to the maturity of the game.
“We need brands to start coming into the women’s game to really start making that a thing and something we’re talking about,” Cox continued.
Cox added that there is a gulf in the amount of money brought in by the women’s game when compared to their male peers, adding that the industry needs to start talking to women about protection.
“So it’s about coming into rooms like this and asking those questions for us to start that conversation for us,” Cox continued.
“It’s making sure that people understand you could be earning £8,000 a year or £800,000 a year, the protection is still needed and we need to educate about that.
“And we do need to start having more of those conversations to make sure people are set up afterwards or at least know what direction they want to go in.”
