Lioness leads the fight to give girls access to sport

LIONESSES star Alessia Russo is leading the charge for change as shocking research shows that young girls are being excluded from sport at an alarming rate.

- By Conor Wilson

A study found girls in the UK are missing out on 280 million hours of sport every year compared with boys.

Alarmingly, the data also shows that 340,000 more girls than boys are excluded due to cost and lack of access, while one in three have faced sexist abuse while playing.

Russo, 26, a leading figure in England retaining the European Championships this summer, hailed the impact of sport on the development of youngsters as she launched a tournament for girls named after her.

It aims to create opportunities for teenagers from underserved backgrounds to participate in grassroots football. She said: "I'm proud to launch The Alessia Cup in partnership with Goals 4 Girls and Sky, giving more girls the chance to play the game I love.