Power in Unity: The Women’s Badminton Collective Launches a New Era for Women and Girls in Sport
As Scotland celebrate Women & Girls in Sport Week, we turn the spotlight to an exciting new development in the world of badminton that is already making waves globally: the Women’s Badminton Collective (WBC). Co-founded by Kirsty Gilmour, the WBC is poised to reshape how female badminton talent is nurtured, showcased, and celebrated.
A movement born from experience
At its core, the WBC exists to address a gap that many women in sport, including badminton, know all too well: fewer opportunities, lower visibility, and inequities in funding, coverage, and contracts compared to their male peers. The WBC was born from the idea that women players deserve a stronger platform – not just to compete, but to shine, to be heard, and to lead.
The WBC describes itself as a “growing worldwide community between players, coaches and fans.” Its mission is to support, empower, and catalyse change in badminton by creating more visible stages for women and girls to compete; organising tournaments, training camps, workshops; and promoting education and advocacy on issues that often go unspoken.
How the Collective works: League, Academy, and Community
The WBC isn’t just a concept – it’s structured into three main pillars, each serving a distinct purpose.
Women’s Badminton League (WBL)
Perhaps the most attention-grabbing component is the Women’s Badminton League (WBL), which will be the first international women’s badminton league. Scheduled for 19–21 December 2025 in Solrød Strand, just outside Copenhagen, it promises three days of high-level competition intertwined with fan engagement.
Unlike your traditional tournament, the WBL is designed to create an immersive experience – DJ sets, speakers, entertaining halftime breaks, and more. There will be four teams, each comprising 6–10 players, that will face off in team matches featuring two women’s singles, two women’s doubles, and one 3 vs 3 match. Importantly, the league is invitational and designed to combine elite stars and rising talents, giving younger players exposure to compete alongside top names.
Women’s Badminton Academy (WBA)
The WBA focuses on education, mentorship, and capacity building. Through webinars, workshops, and grassroots events, it aims to break down barriers and share knowledge. Topics include menstrual health in sport, mental resilience, nutrition, and the behind-the-scenes life of a professional badminton player. The format is designed to be accessible, open to different levels, genders, and regions, so that communities around the world can host workshops locally with support from WBC ambassadors.
The Collective and Community
Beyond league and academy, the broader Collective is the connective tissue, uniting players, coaches, fans, and stakeholders around shared values: equity, visibility, growth. The Collective envisions giving female badminton players the tools to build their brand, negotiate contracts, and transition beyond playing careers as well. It also emphasises confronting taboos and advocacy: speaking openly about unequal pay, sponsorship disparities, mental health, and structural barriers.
Celebrating Being Active
This year’s Scottish Women & Girls in Sport Week is all about Celebrating Being Active and recognising that movement comes in many forms, from playing at the highest level to simply picking up a racket for the first time.
The WBC embodies this message. By creating opportunities for girls and women to play, learn, and connect, the WBC champions the idea that being active is for everyone, at every age and stage. Whether you’re training for elite competition, taking part in a local club night, or rallying with friends, badminton offers a fun, social, and accessible way to move.
Through its League, Academy, and global community, WBC celebrates what movement can bring: joy, confidence, resilience, and friendship. Its ambassadors, including Ciara Torrance and Julie MacPherson, highlight that sport is not just about winning trophies – it’s about showing up for yourself, feeling good, and inspiring others along the way.
WBC is a reminder that movement is powerful in every form. From girls just starting out to international champions, every serve, rally, and smash tells the story of what women can achieve when they get active, together.
So this week, join the celebration: pick up a racket, invite a friend along, or simply share your story of what being active means to you. However you move, remember – #SheCanSheWill.