The British & Irish Lions has formed a first-of-its-kind partnership with SentientSports that will see its playing squad and coaches protected by GuardianAI technology.
GuardianAI will equip each protected player with a personal AI agent that actively monitors social media for harmful abuse throughout the tour.
It delivers predictive analytics and actionable insights to Lions communications staff, ensuring prompt identification and mitigation of online harm.
If abuse is detected, GuardianAI’s suite of countermeasures can swiftly take action to help remove or address harmful content, supporting the mental well-being of athletes and coaches.
This technology is built to help players perform at their best, with the confidence that they and their families are protected from abuse, keeping their focus on the pitch and not online.
The announcement follows the recent appointment of Rollo Goldstaub, Global Head of Sports Partnerships at TikTok, to the SentientSports board.
Rollo brings a wealth of experience across the sports and technology sectors, joining a distinguished board that includes leading figures from the worlds of sport and artificial intelligence — among them Ed Woodward, former Executive Vice-Chairman of Manchester United, as well as agentic AI leaders Professor Gopal Ramchurn, CEO of Responsible AI UK, and Professor Nick Jennings, Vice-Chancellor of Loughborough University.
This partnership follows work with leading Premier League and EFL clubs in football.
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.”
Dr. Ryan Beal, CEO of SentientSports, added: “We’re proud to partner with one of the UK’s most iconic sporting organisations, The British & Irish Lions, to help safeguard the wellbeing of their players and management.
“GuardianAI was built with an athlete-first mindset, providing organisations with the tools they need to protect athletes on social media.
“As a next-generation platform powered by agentic AI, it proactively defends against online abuse and supports player welfare. We look forward to standing alongside the Lions for this summer’s Tour.”
