The future of female athlete insurance — trends, gaps & what comes next

A coordinated push by the Government, sports sector and insurance industry is beginning to address health risks that have historically been overlooked in women’s sport. From pregnancy and miscarriage to menopause and conditions such as Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S), these developments mark a significant shift in how risk is understood and insured.

Here, Isobel Netherwood from our sports sector team explores what’s changing, who’s driving the changes and what it means for athletes, clubs and insurers.

Why this matters

Historically, insurance products within the sports sector haven’t always adequately reflected the specific health and wellbeing needs of female athletes. This has resulted in gaps in coverage for female-specific risks, particularly in areas such as pregnancy, fertility and long-term wellbeing.

As women’s sports continue to grow in profile, participation and commercial value, addressing these gaps is increasingly important — not only from an equality perspective but also in terms of safeguarding athlete welfare, supporting career longevity and meeting ESG expectations.

Key developments in female athlete insurance cover

The current developments stem in part from recommendations in the Karen Carney OBE Review into women’s football, supported by the Government’s Women’s Football Taskforce. At their core, they involve market-led changes to insurance products and underwriting approaches, rather than formal legislative reform.

A key focus has been the removal or reconsideration of exclusions in personal accident and related insurance policies that have historically disadvantaged female athletes.

Recent coverage indicates that athletes are beginning to benefit from improved insurance provisions relating to pregnancy, contraception, menopause and other health considerations, alongside greater awareness of conditions such as RED-S — a syndrome associated with low energy availability that can affect bone health, menstrual function and overall wellbeing.

Key actors driving these changes include:

• The Women’s Football Taskforce, chaired by Stephanie Peacock, Minister for Sport.
• Professor Jo Maher and Loughborough University, working with insurers and brokers on product redesign.
• Industry bodies such as the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) and the Association of British Insurers (ABI).
• Brokers and insurers including Aon, Willis, Miller, Howden, Marsh, AXIS and Vitality.

Impact of insurance reforms on athletes, clubs & insurers

One of the most notable developments is a shift away from narrowly defined ‘accident-only’ cover towards policies that better reflect the lifecycle and health realities of female athletes. For example, some personal accident policies now include miscarriage resulting from a sporting accident — a previously significant gap in cover.

However, these developments raise more complex underwriting considerations around benefit design, exclusions and pricing, particularly where cover is arranged by clubs or national governing bodies.

From a legal and regulatory perspective, these issues intersect with broader obligations and expectations, including:

• Athlete welfare and duty of care considerations.
• Equality, diversity and inclusion objectives.
• FCA expectations around fair value and customer outcomes, particularly where products are distributed to groups of insured individuals.
• Increased governance and reputational scrutiny, especially around how organisations support female athletes through pregnancy, fertility treatment and later‑life health.

Government statements have described the changes as a “major breakthrough” for women in sport, emphasising the importance of improving access to appropriate and tailored insurance cover.

What progress has been made so far?

There are already tangible examples of changes in the market. Notably, Aon has become the first broker to extend personal accident policies to include miscarriage resulting from a sporting accident as standard.

In addition:

• BIBA is working with brokers to identify further exclusions.
• Specialist insurer AXIS is reviewing its professional sports personal accident products to enhance support for female athletes.
• The ABI and leading insurers, including Vitality, are reviewing policy terms across the wider market to improve access and awareness of available cover.

Alongside product development, there’s a growing emphasis on education and guidance, helping athletes, clubs and governing bodies to better understand available protections and emerging risks.

What’s next?

The next phase is likely to focus on scaling these developments beyond individual products and into broader market practice. Collaborative work between the Women’s Football Taskforce, industry bodies and insurers is expected to produce adaptable policy frameworks, clearer minimum standards and more consistent approaches across sports. This will be key to ensuring that improved cover isn’t limited to elite football but develops across the wider sporting ecosystem.

There’s also a clear commercial dimension: insurers that can demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of female-specific risks may gain a competitive advantage in securing partnerships with clubs and governing bodies.

Emerging risks: fertility & beyond

Despite progress, important gaps remain. Recent reporting highlights fertility as an area where insurance cover is still limited. While there’s increasing awareness of the potential long-term effects of factors such as low energy availability and menstrual disruption, the relationship between elite sport, training intensity and fertility outcomes is complex and still developing from a clinical perspective.

Statistics cited in the public domain suggest that a significant proportion of elite athletes experience irregular or absent menstrual cycles, which may have implications for long-term health and fertility.

However, caution is required in attributing causation and further research is likely to shape how insurers approach this area.

Looking ahead, potential areas for further development include fertility-related treatment and support, hormonal health and menstrual disorders, bone health and long-term impacts of RED-S and cumulative and non-accidental health risks.

These developments represent an important step towards a more inclusive and realistic approach to insurance in sport. More fundamentally, they point towards a broader cultural shift: recognising that insurance products must reflect the lived realities of female athletes, rather than adapting retrospectively to gaps in cover.

If this trajectory continues, the result may be a more holistic and equitable framework for managing risk and supporting wellbeing across women’s sport.

How can we help

Our specialist sports sector team advises athletes, clubs and governing bodies on insurance and risk management across the sector. 

We can support you with:

• Reviewing existing insurance arrangements.
• Navigating emerging market standards.
• Managing regulatory and governance risk.
• Aligning policies with athlete welfare and ESG expectations.

If you would like to discuss how these developments may affect your organisation, talk to us by calling 0333 004 4488, emailing hello@brabners.com or completing our contact form.