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Rugby football

Women's Rugby World Cup Aims to Boost Female Coaching Presence

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Sarah Hunter, the Red Roses defence coach, is one of a handful of women hoping to prove that they can thrive in coaching positions at the upcoming Women's Rugby World Cup. Hunter, who became the most capped England player of all time during her playing career, believes the tournament will attract more women into coaching roles. Despite the lack of female head coaches in the Test arena, Hunter is determined to make a change and prove that women can be successful coaches on the biggest stage.

Key Takeaways:

  • Sarah Hunter, the Red Roses defence coach, believes the Women's Rugby World Cup will attract more women into coaching roles.
  • Hunter, who became the most capped England player of all time, is one of two women in the coaching set-up for England's World Cup training camp.
  • Gaëlle Mignot, the co-head coach of France, is the sole woman from a European nation with a head coach role at the tournament.
  • There will not be a single woman in a head coach or director of rugby role in the Premiership Women's Rugby league next season after Susie Appleby and Rachel Taylor left Exeter Chiefs and Sale Sharks, respectively.
  • The Gallagher High Performance Academy (GHPA), which aims to realise a target of 40 per cent female coaches at the World Cup, has supported 43 female coaches since 2023.
  • Anita Asante, a former footballer and advocate for increasing female coaching presence, believes visibility and spotlighting local heroes are crucial in encouraging more women to get involved.
  • The Football Association's introductory Level One coaching course costs £100, and the Uefa C Diploma, which is a combination of face-to-face and online modules, costs £650.

Statistics:

  • 43 female coaches have been supported by the Gallagher High Performance Academy since 2023.
  • 140 women's teams have participated at the 2023 Gallagher Premiership, with only a handful having female coaching staff.
  • The number of female coaches has dropped six per cent since 2022, with UK Coaching finding that the slump has been most prominently felt at a volunteer level.
  • £100: The cost of the Football Association's introductory Level One coaching course.
  • £650: The cost of the Uefa C Diploma coaching course.

Sources:

  • Sarah Hunter, Women's Rugby World Cup coach
  • Anita Asante, former footballer and advocate for increasing female coaching presence
  • UK Coaching
  • The Football Association

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