WSL Football and Tesco link match attendance to school nutrition initiative

WSL Football has agreed a multi-year partnership with Tesco that will make the retailer the Official Supermarket Partner of both the Barclays Women’s Super League and Barclays Women’s Super League 2, bringing a national supermarket brand into the competitions’ commercial portfolio at the start of the new season.The agreement connects WSL Football’s ambition to increase crowds with Tesco’s Free Fruit & Veg for Schools programme, which provides children with fruit and vegetables during the school day. Every attendance at a match across the two leagues this season will contribute towards a donation from WSL Football to the programme, giving the partnership a direct link between support in the stands and its activity in schools.Tesco has set an ambition to help one million children access free fruit and vegetables through its school and community programmes, and will use the partnership to raise awareness of that work among football audiences. Tesco customer director Suzanne Quinn said: “We’re very excited to partner with the WSL Football to help support our Free Fruit and Veg for Schools programme, while driving attendance at matches this season.”The partnership also gives WSL Football access to Tesco’s product development, supplier network and nutritional expertise as the organisation develops its health and nutrition work. That element extends the agreement beyond fan engagement and school participation, although WSL Football has not set out specific initiatives for players or clubs.WSL Football chief revenue officer Zarah Al-Kudcy described Tesco as the organisation’s final Official Partner and said its arrival reflected the momentum behind the women’s game. She added that increasing attendance remained a priority for WSL Football and its clubs, with the collaboration designed to encourage more families and communities to engage with matches while supporting healthier choices for children.The attendance mechanism makes crowd growth central to how the partnership will operate throughout the season, across both the top flight and the second tier. It also gives Tesco a role that can reach supporters through fixtures around the country, while connecting the visibility of its supermarket brand to a programme already operating in schools.For WSL Football, the agreement adds a consumer brand with a nationwide presence to its partner roster as it works to build regular engagement with both competitions. Its impact will depend in part on how effectively the partners turn the match attendance link into greater awareness of the schools programme and more supporters through the gates.