Crystal Kaua: 'Ten years ago, we wouldn’t have women even being put through the interview process'

To celebrate International Women’s Day, RugbyPass are sharing a series of exclusive interviews with the six female head coaches on the HSBC SVNS Series, the fourth with Brazil Women’s head coach Crystal Kaua.

In the recent SVNS tournament in Vancouver, Brazil finished their highest ever placing of fifth and beat Australia Women for the first time- it looks like someone has come through the door and is already making an impact.

Off the back of the Paris Olympics, the Yaras sevens team created history with the appointment of its first female coach- Kaua has brought with her a wealth of experience, most recently working with the Black Ferns sevens team in her home country.

Kaua gave her thoughts on the importance of days of recognition for women such as International Women’s Day, as especially in her line of work and in her culture, is it uncommon for women to be at the head of the table.

“I love that there’s a focus on celebrating women in rugby because the impact has always been there. There are so many women doing incredible things in the game, and it’s important to highlight that,” said the 50-year-old.

“For me, International Women’s Day is a good moment to reflect on where we’re at, but it’s the everyday stuff that really matters. It’s about making sure women have the same opportunities, pathways, and support—not just in rugby but across the board.

“The goal is that one day, we don’t need a special day to recognise women in sport because it’s just normal. Until then, we keep pushing.”

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And it appears she also wants to push herself in her career, taking up a role away from New Zealand and moving to a non-English speaking country.

‘It’s very different from the world I come from, in New Zealand we have access to everything required to excel,” she told RugbyPass back in October.

“There’s no excuse not to perform well, as we have good resources, players, etc. In Brazil there are a lot of challenges and obstacles, but that’s precisely why I love their mindset so much, they will always find a way to overcome.

“But we need to overcome some of these challenges, so it isn’t hard for us every year to keep our seat in SVNS. In my tenure here, I would like to see some shifts in player numbers, sponsorships, resources so we can perform at a higher level.”

On her way to coaching at the top level of the game, Kaua participated in the Gallagher High Performance Academy, delivered by World Rugby and Gallagher.

“Being on the programme was an unreal experience. Being surrounded by like-minded people, all pushing themselves to be better and challenge how we think about high performance, was something special.

“The programme gave me the chance to learn from some of the best in the game while also figuring out more about myself as a coach and leader.

“One of the biggest things that stuck with me was the importance of being really intentional in how you build environments—creating a space where people can be their best but also feel supported in the tough moments.

“These are exciting times for the women’s game. Ten years ago, we wouldn’t have women coaching the best teams of the world, or even being put through the interview process.

‘The whole idea was about accelerating coaches at the top level—helping us grow, not just in technical and tactical areas, but in leadership, culture, and how to actually run a high-performance program that works.

“Before going in, I saw it as a chance to learn, connect, and take my coaching to another level. But I came out of it with way more than that. It challenged me in ways I didn’t expect and made me think differently about what high performance really means—how every little thing you do impacts the bigger picture.

“More than anything, it reinforced that coaching is about people first. You can have all the knowledge in the world, but if you can’t connect with people and bring the best out of them, none of it matters.”