The national governing bodies (NGB) of cricket, hockey and netball have joined forces in a bid to encourage 150,000 schoolgirls to play team sport.

TeamUp has been launched by the England and Wales Cricket Board, England Hockey and England Netball to engage with more than 15,000 schools over three years to help them increase their offer in cricket, hockey and netball for girls aged 7-13.

Half of the 6,000 teachers involved in the scheme will have access to free training, which is being offered in partnership through the Youth Sport Trust.

The initiative is being launched to coincide with England hosting three Women’s World Cups in a row: cricket in 2017, hockey in 2018 and netball in 2019.

Schools that register for the TeamUp portal will also be eligible to apply for free ticket for the tournaments, or win ‘golden ticket’ opportunities such as being ball girls during games.

“Our elite women’s cricket, hockey and netball teams have enjoyed great success in recent years, not least through the unforgettable hockey gold medal in Rio,” said sports minister Tracey Crouch.

“Hosting three consecutive women’s world cups is a perfect opportunity to build on this momentum and get more girls playing and enjoying team sports. The TeamUp campaign will maximise the legacy of these events and help inspire the next generation of women sport stars.”