Credit: Ali Sahib, Chronicle.lu
On Thursday 12 November 2026, the City of Luxembourg (Ville de Luxembourg - VdL) announced that Giulia Iannucci and Joëlle Letsch had received the 2026 Elsy Jacobs Merit Awards during a ceremony held the previous day.
The award ceremony took place on Wednesday 11 November 2026, at the Schéiss Cultural Centre in Luxembourg-Belair in the presence of Luxembourg's Minister for Sport Martine Hansen, First Alderman Maurice Bauer, responsible for equality, Alderman Simone Beissel, responsible for sport, and representatives of the Elsy Jacobs association.
The Elsy Jacobs Merit Award recognises individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to promoting gender equality in sport.
Local award: Giulia Iannucci
The VdL presented the local award to Giulia Iannucci, the first female president of Rugby Club Luxembourg.
According to VdL, since arriving in Luxembourg in 2020, Giulia Iannucci has been actively involved in the club, initially coaching the U6 and later the U12 teams. She also developed Ladies Rugby Day, an initiative promoting women's rugby, which held its fourth edition in April 2026 at the Boy Konen Sports Centre.
To provide girls with the same opportunities as boys, she established a women's team at Rugby Club Luxembourg, now the country's second women's rugby team alongside the team in Walferdange.
After initially serving on the club's committee, Giulia Iannucci became its first female president in 2025.
Speaking with Chronicle.lu Giulia Iannucci commented: “It is a very emotional and important day for me. I have been working to support women in sport since I was a very young child, and it’s great to see that we live in a country that recognises the importance of supporting women in sport.”
National award: Joëlle Letsch
At national level, the award went to Joëlle Letsch in recognition of her longstanding commitment to gender equality in sport.
Having become aware of inequalities between male and female athletes during her teenage years, particularly in media coverage of women's sporting achievements, Joëlle Letsch made gender equality a central focus of her professional and voluntary activities.
An occupational psychologist and gender equality expert with more than 30 years of experience, she works across the business and sporting sectors through training, coaching and mentoring.
Joëlle Letsch has also co-initiated several projects highlighting the history and achievements of women in Luxembourg sport and participates in numerous national and international organisations promoting women's rights.
The VdL noted that although the award winners were traditionally announced during the press conference for the Elsy Jacobs Cycling Festival, a separate official award ceremony has been held since 2023 to give greater recognition to their achievements.
