The Women’s Sport Trust (WST) has appointed Ali Donnelly, director of corporate affairs at the RFU, to its board, bringing extensive experience in corporate affairs and public sector communications.

The charity has also introduced a board apprenticeship scheme to support the development of emerging leaders in sport, with Alice Dearing, Shruti Saujani and Gemma Woor joining as the first apprentices.

WST also announced the departure of trustee Laura Weston after over seven years of service. CEO Tammy Parlour and Chair Suzy Levy acknowledged Weston's contributions and emphasised the importance of the new apprenticeship programme in fostering diversity and strengthening governance within the organisation.