Together #WePlayStrong: UEFA campaign

Thursday, May 18, 2017

UEFA is launching a strategic plan to make women's football the number one played sport across Europe within five years. The plan, which commences on 1 June at the UEFA Women's Champions League final, focuses on driving participation and reducing drop-out.

Join the conversation: Together #WePlayStrong
Twitter: @WePlayStrong_
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WePlayStrong/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weplaystrong
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/UEFA

There are six core pillars to the plan:

Ensuring each of the 55 National Associations has a strong local participation programme – UEFA is working with each FA on a 1:1 basis to develop a local plan to drive participation. Workshops are planned with all FAs and best practise sharing encouraged through the KISS, GROW programmes.

Launching a new marketing campaign to change the image of women's football and make it cool for the key youth female audience. This major new campaign launches on 1 June but monthly marketing campaigns will now follow to encourage more girls into football and to change perceptions.

Using new types of content to engage girls, utilising famous ambassadors and celebrities to support the campaign. UEFA is increasing investment in content creation and also working with new digital partners to provide content on platforms to engage girls eg a new partnership with Buzzfeed.

Using new media channels to share content with girls who are not viewing traditional male football channels. UEFA is using new digital partners to reach girls e.g. Giphy, SnapChat and Instagram as well as a new website for girls: WePlayStrong.org.

Working with a network of sponsor partners to further expand the programme's reach.

Supporting each National Association to have the resource and support to deliver the plan through extensive toolkits. UEFA has a collaboration with the European Community to promote the WePlayStrong campaign and especially around the September European Week of Sport.

The launch follows the release of a study involving more than 4,000 girls, which has confirmed that teenage girls who play football report higher levels of self-confidence, and that football can have a greater positive impact on the self-confidence of teenage girls than other popular sports.

To read the study visit: http://www.uefa.com/womenseuro/news/newsid=2470403.html#report+shows+football+boosts+girls+confidence

Since UEFA launched its women's football development programme in 2010, the game has expanded at all levels across Europe. With many of the 55 UEFA member associations investing more energy and resources into the game, elite women's football has improved significantly.

For details on the UEFA women's football development programme visit https://www.uefa.org/football-development/womens-football/programme/index.html

UEFA women's football competitions …

UEFA Women's Champions League

An annual club tournament launched in 2001/02 that took its current branding in 2009/10. This season a record 59 clubs from 47 nations entered.

UEFA Women's EURO

UEFA's flagship women's national-team tournament is played every four years. UEFA Women's EURO 2017 will be played in the Netherlands from 16 July to 6 August involving 16 teams (increased from 12 in 2013).

UEFA European Women's Under-19 Championship

An annual tournament running since 1997/98 (originally U18). The eight-team 2017 final tournament in Northern Ireland will be played from 8 to 20 August.

UEFA European Women's Under-17 Championship

An annual tournament running since 2007/08. The eight-team 2017 final tournament in the Czech Republic was won by Germany.

UEFA Women's Futsal EURO

A new tournament to be held every two years starting in 2019. The competition will end with a four-team final tournament.

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