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World Rugby launches first participation programme dedicated to girls

SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 11: Local school children pictured with former England player Sarah Hunter celebrate as The Stadium of Light is chosen to host the opening fixture of the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup at Stadium of Light on December 11, 2023 in Sunderland, England. (Photo by Stu Forster - World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)

World Rugby hopes to increase the global number of active teenage female players with the launch of its first bespoke girls’ participation programme, Rugby Rising Play.

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Designed to support girls with no previous rugby experience take their first steps in the sport, Rugby Rising Play aims to provide participants in the 10-session programme with the skills and knowledge to play T1 Rugby and other forms of the game.

Part of World Rugby’s Women’s Rugby World Cup legacy programme, Impact Beyond 2025, it is the first initiative to be launched under the governing body’s new ‘Rugby Rising’ visual identity, which it says recognises “the importance of engaging girls as a crucial demographic as it seeks to grow rugby globally”.

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Following a successful pilot, which was implemented across nine unions in five regions, more than 40 national associations have been selected to take part in Rugby Rising Play over the next 12 months.

World Rugby Chief of Women’s Rugby Sally Horrox said: “Rugby Rising Play represents a landmark moment for the women and girls’ game and a tangible step forward in our mission to broaden access and engagement for girls worldwide.

“The recent success of the pilot shows the incredible appetite for rugby among girls, and we are committed to ensuring that this programme not only introduces them to the sport but also provides a meaningful pathway to develop their skills, build confidence, and embed rugby’s core values.

“Our ambition is to keep them engaged and connected with rugby for many years to come.

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“By investing in future generations, we’re creating a more vibrant and sustainable future for rugby on the road to Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 and beyond.”

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World Rugby Women’s Participation Programme Manager Ninette Kruyt added: “Rugby Rising Play has been met with tremendous enthusiasm, offering a valuable and alternative way for teenage girls to engage with rugby.

“The response from unions has been very encouraging, with a record-breaking 66 unions applying in the first round of grants. This highlights the growing demand for opportunities that support female players at all levels.

“We are proud to have created this initiative, and we’re excited to see the lasting impact it will have on the development of girls’ rugby worldwide.”

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J
JW 1 hour ago
Kyren Taumoefolau All Blacks stance splits opinions on eligibility

Yeah of course it can be, it manages a good commerical outcome when 100 million people are following it. I’m saying rugby is no where near even remotely close to getting the payoff you’re talking about, never mind the distinct lack of anyway to implement it.


So you’re going for the dirty approach. I’m not surprised, it’s the only way to easily implement it right now. I wouldn’t see the benefit to doing that myself. A draft, if purely feasible in it’s own right, doesn’t need to provide commercial benefit at all (if it works, that’s all it needs to do, as it no doubt did back in america’s heyday). But without the advantageous backing of sponsors and interest levels, if you pick the wrong method to implement it, like a dirty approach, you do potential harm to it’s acceptance.


The aspect’s of the approach you chose that I don’t like, is that the franchises are the ones spending the money of the U20’s only for there opposition to get first dibs. Personally, I would much prefer an investment into a proper pathway (which I can’t really see SR U20s being at all in anycase). I’m not exactly sure how the draft works in america, but I’m pretty sure it’s something like ‘anyone whishing to be pro has to sign for the draft’, and results in maybe 10 or 20% of those being drafted. The rest (that accumulative 80/90% year on year) do go back into club, pronvincial, or whatever they have there, and remain scouted and options to bring in on immediate notice for cover etc. You yes, you draw on everybody, but what is generating your interest in the drafties in the first plaec?


This is your missing peace. If some come through school and into the acadamies, which would be most, you’ve currently got three years of not seeing those players after they leave school. Those that miss and come in through club, maybe the second year theyre in the draft or whatever, aged 20/21, you’re going to have no clue how they’ve been playing. NPC is a high level, so any that are good enough to play that would already be drafted, but some late bloomers you might see come in NPC but then Sky’s not going to broadcast that anymore. So what’s generating this massive interest you’re talking about, and most importantly, how does it tie in with the other 7 clubs that will be drafting (and providing) players outside of NZ?


Is the next step to pump tens of millions into SRP U20s? That would be a good start for investment in the youth (to get onto international levels of pathway development) in the first place but are fans going to be interested to the same level as what happens in america? Baseball, as mentioned, has the minor leagues, if we use that model it hasn’t to be broad over the whole pacific, because you’re not having one draft right, they all have to play against each other. So here they get drafted young and sent out into a lower level thats more expansive that SR, is there interest in that? There would be for large parts, but how financially viable would it be. Twiggy tried to get a league started and NPC clubs joined. BOP and Taranaki want SR representation, do we have a mix of the biggest clubs and provinces/states make a couple of divisions? I think that is far more likely to fan interest and commerical capabilities than an U20 of the SR teams. Or ofc Uni fits a lot of options. I’ve not really read anything that has tried to nut out the feasability of a draft, it can certainly work if this spitballing is anything to go by, but I think first theres got to be a need for it far above just being a drafting level.

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