Lions introduce GuardianAI to support player welfare
The British & Irish Lions have partnered with SentientSports to implement GuardianAI technology in support of player and staff mental well-being during the 2025 tour.
The agreement has equipped players and coaches with personalised artificial intelligence tools that have monitored social media to identify harmful abuse and deliver insights to the Lions’ communications team.
The technology has been designed to allow prompt intervention, including countermeasures to reduce online harm.
The partnership has aimed to support the mental welfare of players and coaching staff by protecting them and their families from online abuse throughout the tour period. GuardianAI has previously been used by clubs across the Premier League and English Football League.
The deal has been reached ahead of the Qatar Airways Lions Men’s Tour to Australia in 2025. It has come amid a growing focus across elite sport on athlete mental health and digital safeguarding, with other recent developments including World Rugby’s global study into concussion-related mental health outcomes and the continuation of mental wellness initiatives in domestic leagues.
The move has followed internal developments at SentientSports, including the appointment of TikTok’s Global Head of Sports Partnerships, Rollo Goldstaub, to its board. Goldstaub has joined a group of board members with backgrounds in artificial intelligence and elite sport, including Professor Nick Jennings, Vice-Chancellor of Loughborough University.
Shane Whelan, Director of Digital, Marketing & Communications at The British & Irish Lions, said, “Protecting the well-being of our players and staff is paramount.
“Partnering with SentientSports and deploying GuardianAI during our Tour is a crucial step in safeguarding our team from the harmful effects of online abuse and will aid on-field performance.”
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