As part of World Rugby’s Impact Beyond 2025 programme, delegates from Asia came together in Dubai for a summit aimed at developing women’s rugby through strategic discussions and shared insights from leaders across the region.
25 delegates attended from 19 unions, while there were guests from Asia Rugby, ChildFund Rugby and the International Cricket Council.
The event was the second of six regional summits being held as part of World Rugby’s global ‘Impact Beyond 2025’ programme which is accelerating women’s rugby beyond next year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup.
The summit featured a variety of engaging sessions. Among those speaking were H.E Qais Al Dhalai, the newly re-elected president of Asia Rugby, Ada Milby, Philippines Rugby President and World Rugby Council Member and Sally Horrox, Chief of Women’s Rugby at World Rugby.
Milby hosted a session on how to get more women into the rugby workforce and delegates received a presentation from Asia Rugby on the current landscape and ambitions for women’s rugby in Asia. The International Cricket Council presented on their Criiio Cricket programme, which promotes accessible sport through community festivals. Rugby India took to the stage to share insights on their successful commercial partnership with CapGemini who also collaborate with World Rugby on the Women in Leadership Programme.
Horrox believes the two-day summit was a hugely productive opportunity for rugby in the area.
She said: “What we’ve seen is incredible honesty in the room from all of our colleagues who are talking about their experiences in their own country. They’re sharing their learnings and helping colleagues around the world. It is quite humbling to watch those conversations and relationships emerge.
“If out of this, comes great networks and friendships and some great experience that will build rugby and make it stronger for women and girls around the world, it will be incredible.”
For Milby, there is no question that this summit will have a major bearing on how women’s rugby develops in Asia going forwards.
She added: “Being able to bring together the leaders within Asia Rugby both women and men, to be able to talk about the opportunity of women’s rugby, the ability to grow the game, particularly in an emerging market like Asia, has been tremendous.
“The content and the discussions that are coming out of the workshop will be instrumental in setting the strategic direction going forward for a massive region like Asia.”
The event concluded with a workshop focused on developing a Women’s Growth Plan, a strategic template to help unions plan for the future. In the coming months, World Rugby will collaborate with each union to help develop their action plan further, building on the insights gained from the summit. Delegates were able to network and build relations further after the summit as they attended the HSBC SVNS Series. – WORLD RUGBY
