Hampshire Cricket have announced the launch of their Girls’ Hawks Academy, a new programme designed to bridge the gap between recreational and elite cricket for talented girls across the county.

The academy represents a step forward in the club’s commitment to growing the women’s game and widening access to high-performance opportunities.

The Girls’ Hawks Academy has been developed to address the well-documented imbalance in access to elite cricket opportunities. Research has consistently shown that young people from lower socio-economic and minority ethnic backgrounds are under-represented in professional pathways – not because of a lack of talent, but a lack of opportunity.

Working closely with grassroots initiatives such as Chance to Shine and Lord's Taverners, the programme will create a journey from school and community cricket into structured high-performance environments.

The Girls’ Hawks Academy will sit alongside existing player pathways and complement programmes, including the State Jets, providing a focused development environment for players identified through community engagement.

Rod Bransgrove, group chairman, said: “This programme reflects our unwavering commitment to increasing participation among girls and creating a unique pathway for those from disadvantaged communities.

“We want to raise aspirations, nurture talent and ensure greater representation at the highest levels of cricket.”

Adam Carty, regional director of women’s cricket, said: “The launch of the Girls’ Hawks Academy is a hugely important moment for us as a club.

“We know the talent exists across our urban communities – our role is to create the environment, support and belief that allows it to flourish.

“This programme strengthens our pathway, broadens access and ensures that talent, not background, determines how far a player can go.”

Dedicated oversight will be provided by Charlotte Taylor, employed by Hampshire Cricket to lead the Hawks City Academy programme, supported by specialist coaches and performance staff.

Taylor said: “This academy is about more than cricket. It’s about giving girls the confidence to walk into high-performance environments and feel they belong.

“We’re creating a space where players can develop technically, physically and mentally, but also grow as people.

“If we can raise aspirations and open doors that previously felt closed, that’s when we’ll know we’ve succeeded.”