The Grassroots to Global Forum is genuinely transforming the game for emerging female leaders in rugby. It’s more than a program—it’s a vibrant community where women coaches, players, and advocates come together.
This forum is their space to sharpen leadership skills, meet like-minded peers, and confront the unique challenges that women encounter in the sport. It’s all about empowerment, connection, and paving a way forward together.
This isn’t just about adding more women to the roster; it’s about creating a network where participants can swap ideas, learn from each other, and ultimately expand female involvement on and off the pitch.
Each year, around 30 to 35 women, chosen by their rugby unions, come together for these sessions, working through what’s known as Leadership Journey Mapping.
It’s a hands-on approach to help these leaders pinpoint the ups and downs they encounter in rugby leadership. By going through this journey, they’re able to create action plans to make rugby more inclusive for women and girls, driving social change that will ripple out through communities.
The 2025 series kicked off this month at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, timed perfectly with the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 qualifier, WXV 1.
But this wasn’t just a one-time event—ChildFund Rugby has teamed up with Gallagher’s High-Performance Academy (GHPA), a global leadership and coaching program, to host this forum.
Canadian coach Carolyn McEwen and Irish coach Maz Reilly led a masterclass that brought together young female rugby leaders from across Canada, aged 16 to 30.
This wasn’t just training; it was about building a future pipeline for female coaches and inspiring emerging leaders with hands-on, interactive coaching.
Over the next nine months, the GHPA will be holding 30 similar masterclasses in different corners of the globe, all aimed at building momentum toward the Women’s Rugby World Cup in England.
Gallagher’s commitment to expanding opportunities for women in rugby is unmistakable—since 2023, they’ve already supported 37 female coaches, with the goal of reaching 40 per cent female coaching representation at the 2025 World Cup.
What’s really impressive is how far this Grassroots to Global initiative has come since it launched.
Nearly 500 female leaders have already participated in these forums, and you can really see the difference they’re making. Take Cambodia, where they’ve just kicked off their very first women’s rugby clubs.
Or look at Brazil, where rugby is springing up in areas that hadn’t even heard of the sport before.
It’s clear that these efforts are opening new doors and changing the landscape of women’s rugby around the world. This isn’t just a program; it’s a movement.
Megan Knight, Deputy Director at ChildFund Rugby, speaks to the heart of the initiative: “Grassroots to Global shows what’s possible when we empower girls and women in rugby, the initiative reveals both the challenges they face – from financial barriers to discrimination – and what keeps them engaged: especially the vital role of female coaches and community role models. By building a connected network of driven leaders across the women’s game, we’re creating the foundation for rugby’s more equitable future.”
Christopher Mead, Gallagher’s Chief Marketing Officer, echoes this sentiment, saying, “Gallagher’s partnership and support of World Rugby aligns with our values as a company.”
“The most recent GHPA Masterclass was a collaboration with ChildFund to bring new opportunities to young women who were looking to expand their presence in training and in the game.
By providing a platform for female coaches to thrive, the GHPA is contributing to the advancement of women in rugby and setting the stage for a more diverse future in the sport on the international state and at the grassroots level.”
World Rugby Chief of Women’s Rugby Sally Horrox said: “It’s fantastic to see ChildFund Rugby’s Grassroots to Global series announce over 30 more forums as we enter this crucial period in the lead-up to the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025.
“What better way to kick-off proceedings than with a special masterclass, in collaboration with Gallagher’s High-Performance Academy, which brought female community leaders in rugby together to connect, learn from each other, and most importantly, have some fun.
“To grow the game of rugby, we need more women in leadership roles both on and off the pitch. It’s great to have ChildFund Rugby and Gallagher onboard who share a common goal to recruit more girls and women into coaching from the grassroots community level right the way through to the elite end of the game, through training, coaching, and mentoring.
“It’s inspiring to see the impact these sessions are already having, and we look forward to continuing to forge a strong pathway for female coaches alongside out partners on the road to 2025.”
ChildFund Rugby and Gallagher are teaming up with a shared vision: to forge a more inclusive and equitable future for rugby. Their partnership is all about breaking down barriers and opening up the sport to everyone.
The Grassroots to Global forums and the GHPA are opening doors, not just at the community level but at the elite level too, creating a strong foundation for female leaders in rugby.
As the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025’s Global Social Impact Partner, ChildFund Rugby continues to harness the power of rugby to drive positive change in communities around the world.
To learn more about how they’re making a difference, visit www.childfundrugby.org.