{ "version": "https://jsonfeed.org/version/1.1", "user_comment": "This feed allows you to read the posts from this site in any feed reader that supports the JSON Feed format. To add this feed to your reader, copy the following URL -- https://www.asiarugby.com/tag/womens-rugby/feed/json/ -- and add it your reader.", "next_url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/tag/womens-rugby/feed/json/?paged=2", "home_page_url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/tag/womens-rugby/", "feed_url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/tag/womens-rugby/feed/json/", "language": "en-US", "title": "Womens Rugby Archives - Asia Rugby", "description": "Regional Association of the Governing Body for the Global Game", "items": [ { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8533", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2022/03/08/executive-leadership-scholarship/", "title": "Two Asian Women among the Twelve inspiring women awarded Executive Leadership Scholarships", "content_html": "

Executive Leadership Scholarship

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On International Women\u2019s Day, World Rugby has announced the 12 inspirational women who have been awarded Executive Leadership Scholarships for 2022 as the international federation reaffirms its commitment to developing talented, female leaders throughout the game.

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With two representatives from each of the six regions, the 12 women have been selected from Botswana, Ivory Coast, Nepal, Taiw\u00e1n, Germany, Ukraine, New Zealand, Fiji, Trinidad and Tobago, USA, Argentina and Brazil.

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This year\u2019s International Women\u2019s Day theme is #BreakTheBias and calls for equality through a world that is diverse, equitable and inclusive and encourages the celebration of women\u2019s achievements.

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A core component of World Rugby\u2019s Accelerating the global development of women in rugby 2017-25 strategic plan is driving global diversity, particularly in leadership pipelines.

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The Executive Leadership Scholarship programme identifies and supports the current and next generation of female leaders in world rugby, supporting inspirational role models to fulfil their potential and create further parity across the game.

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The scholarships can be used to enhance the professional development of the successful applicants through a variety of opportunities such as formal or informal education, conferences, workshops, mentoring, secondments, or best practice study tours.

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The 2022 Scholarship recipients are:

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Women\u2019s Advisory Committee Chair Serge Simon said: \u201cIt is a great honour to be able to announce the next 12 recipients of World Rugby\u2019s Executive Leadership Scholarships. This programme has a proven track record of supporting and accelerating women into leadership positions in our sport, and we have been inspired by the great things that past scholars have gone on to achieve.

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\u201cWe are fully committed to ensuring that women are better represented within leadership positions across the game, where they are involved in strategy and decision making, and are celebrated for being the fantastic role models that they are for our future generations.\u201d

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Previous scholarship recipients include the likes of Nahid Biyarjomandi, a World Rugby Unstoppable who founded Iran\u2019s first women\u2019s rugby club. In 2016, she was appointed by the Iran Rugby Federation as head of its development committee, overseeing both women\u2019s and men\u2019s participation, and currently sits on the union\u2019s board.

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READ NAHID\u2019S INSPIRATIONAL STORY >>

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Biyarjomandi was awarded a World Rugby Executive Leadership Scholarship in 2021 and is dedicated to using her scholarship to work with others in developing leadership skills in sport, as well as the development of personality skills that are necessary to those in leadership positions.

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Other past recipients have gone on to fill governance roles at a local, national and regional level and the knowledge gained along the way has been passed down to those who have come after them.

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Nahid and Sarah recipients of Women\u2019s Executive Leadership Scholarships

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The post Two Asian Women among the Twelve inspiring women awarded Executive Leadership Scholarships appeared first on Asia Rugby.

\n", "content_text": "Executive Leadership Scholarship\n\nGlobal rugby family celebrating International Women\u2019s Day to #BreakTheBias\nTwelve inspiring women from 12 nations receive transformational scholarships\nWorld Rugby\u2019s Women in Rugby plan accelerating positive change on and off the field\n\nOn International Women\u2019s Day, World Rugby has announced the 12 inspirational women who have been awarded Executive Leadership Scholarships for 2022 as the international federation reaffirms its commitment to developing talented, female leaders throughout the game.\n\nWith two representatives from each of the six regions, the 12 women have been selected from Botswana, Ivory Coast, Nepal, Taiw\u00e1n, Germany, Ukraine, New Zealand, Fiji, Trinidad and Tobago, USA, Argentina and Brazil.\nThis year\u2019s International Women\u2019s Day theme is #BreakTheBias and calls for equality through a world that is diverse, equitable and inclusive and encourages the celebration of women\u2019s achievements.\nA core component of World Rugby\u2019s Accelerating the global development of women in rugby 2017-25 strategic plan is driving global diversity, particularly in leadership pipelines.\nThe Executive Leadership Scholarship programme identifies and supports the current and next generation of female leaders in world rugby, supporting inspirational role models to fulfil their potential and create further parity across the game.\n\nThe scholarships can be used to enhance the professional development of the successful applicants through a variety of opportunities such as formal or informal education, conferences, workshops, mentoring, secondments, or best practice study tours.\nThe 2022 Scholarship recipients are:\n\nKamana Giri\u00a0(Nepal) \u2013 Deputy Chairperson/Women\u2019s Development Committee Media Manager for Nepal Rugby Association\nZi-Yu Chen\u00a0(Taiwan \u2013 Former national team player and coach of The Chinese Taipei Rugby Football Union women\u2019s team\nRowena Davenport (New Zealand) \u2013 Chairperson of Otago Rugby Football Union (ORFU), member of New Zealand Secondary School Rugby Strategic Advisory Council, Team Leader of Women in Rugby Aotearoa\u2019s (WIRA) Board and Committees Group, member of New Zealand Rugby\u2019s (NZR) Nga Miro Steering Committee, Chairperson of Highlanders Provincial Union Limited Partnership\nMere Rakoroi (Fiji) \u2013 Board Member, Fiji Rugby Union\nGorata Kgathi (Botswana) \u2013 Former national team player, rugby coach, Chairperson of the Women\u2019s Committee\nAdjoa Isabelle Yeboua (Ivory Coast) \u2013 Chairperson of the Women\u2019s Committee\nKanisha Vincent (Trinidad and Tobago) \u2013 Chairperson, Selection Committee\nJessica Dombrowski (USA) \u2013 USA Rugby Membership and Affinity Senior Manager\nAlena Abbot (Germany) \u2013 Youth Officer at Deutscher Rugby Verband\nOlga Surkova (Ukraine) \u2013 Former national team player, international referee with Rugby Europe\nB\u00e1rbara Pichot\u00a0(Argentina) \u2013 Sudam\u00e9rica Rugby (SAR) Women’s Rugby Coordinator\nNatasha Olsen\u00a0(Brazil) \u2013 Referee with the Confedera\u00e7\u00e3o Brasileira de Rugby (CBRU) ), member of the CBRU Administrative Council and Second Vice-President of the SAR Governing Board\n\nWomen\u2019s Advisory Committee Chair Serge Simon said: \u201cIt is a great honour to be able to announce the next 12 recipients of World Rugby\u2019s Executive Leadership Scholarships. This programme has a proven track record of supporting and accelerating women into leadership positions in our sport, and we have been inspired by the great things that past scholars have gone on to achieve.\n\u201cWe are fully committed to ensuring that women are better represented within leadership positions across the game, where they are involved in strategy and decision making, and are celebrated for being the fantastic role models that they are for our future generations.\u201d\nPrevious scholarship recipients include the likes of Nahid Biyarjomandi, a World Rugby Unstoppable who founded Iran\u2019s first women\u2019s rugby club. In 2016, she was appointed by the Iran Rugby Federation as head of its development committee, overseeing both women\u2019s and men\u2019s participation, and currently sits on the union\u2019s board.\nREAD NAHID\u2019S INSPIRATIONAL STORY >>\nBiyarjomandi was awarded a World Rugby Executive Leadership Scholarship in 2021 and is dedicated to using her scholarship to work with others in developing leadership skills in sport, as well as the development of personality skills that are necessary to those in leadership positions.\nOther past recipients have gone on to fill governance roles at a local, national and regional level and the knowledge gained along the way has been passed down to those who have come after them.\nNahid and Sarah recipients of Women\u2019s Executive Leadership Scholarships\nThe post Two Asian Women among the Twelve inspiring women awarded Executive Leadership Scholarships appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2022-03-08T18:41:02+08:00", "date_modified": "2022-03-08T18:44:54+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Shorship-2021-cover.jpg", "tags": [ "Asia Rugby", "Womens Rugby", "International Women\u2019s Day", "Featured", "Unstoppable", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8516", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2022/02/28/sally-horrox-as-director-of-womens-rugby/", "title": "World Rugby appoints Sally Horrox as Director of Women\u2019s Rugby", "content_html": "

World Rugby has announced that Sally Horrox will join the organisation as Director of Women\u2019s Rugby in early May.

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Horrox will bring with her an impressive wealth of management and board-level experience in sport and business and will be responsible for World Rugby\u2019s transformational Women in Rugby 2017-25 plan, which was refreshed in late 2021\u00a0after huge initial success.

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Related Article: Asia Rugby Unstoppable\u00a0

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Horrox has a proven track record in transforming women\u2019s sports. A former non-executive director of England Netball, advisor to UEFA, international football federations and The FA, she has played a leading role in the success of the Vitality Netball Super League and the FA Women\u2019s Super League, with her deep sport, commercial, legal insights and knowledge.

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Horrox joins a restructured Strategy and Communications department within World Rugby under Chief Strategy Officer Mihir Warty. She will lead the Women in Rugby team, collaborating with specialist colleagues in the High Performance, Competitions, Participation and Revenue and Fan Engagement teams, as well as member unions, regional associations, and a range of partners to accelerate women in rugby on and off the field.

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Horrox said: \u201cI\u2019m delighted and hugely privileged to be joining World Rugby to lead what is regarded as the most significant area of growth for the game globally. With increased investment, two World Cups this year and the launch of WXV, a new annual women\u2019s global competition in 2023, it is an incredibly exciting time for the sport.

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\u201cI am committed to accelerating the development of women in rugby at every level, and to promoting player welfare and gender equity in all that we do.\u201d

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World Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin added: \u201cWe are delighted to be welcoming someone of Sally\u2019s calibre to the organisation to oversee an area of the sport that has the greatest participation, fan, commercial and leadership potential.

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\u201cSally is well known in the sports industry for getting results and brings with her considerable commercial, legal and strategic acumen and a deep understanding of the community and elite sports environments on an international basis. She knows how to successfully develop women\u2019s sport and has a proven track record in major events, developing new competition structures and restructuring commercial rights.\u201d

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World Rugby Chief Strategy Officer Mihir Warty said: \u201cEven within a very competitive pool of candidates, Sally stood out for her experience in women\u2019s sport, passion for driving a movement, and ability to affect change within international federations.\u201d

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The post World Rugby appoints Sally Horrox as Director of Women\u2019s Rugby appeared first on Asia Rugby.

\n", "content_text": "World Rugby has announced that Sally Horrox will join the organisation as Director of Women\u2019s Rugby in early May.\n\n\n\n\nHorrox will bring with her an impressive wealth of management and board-level experience in sport and business and will be responsible for World Rugby\u2019s transformational Women in Rugby 2017-25 plan, which was refreshed in late 2021\u00a0after huge initial success.\nRelated Article: Asia Rugby Unstoppable\u00a0\nHorrox has a proven track record in transforming women\u2019s sports. A former non-executive director of England Netball, advisor to UEFA, international football federations and The FA, she has played a leading role in the success of the Vitality Netball Super League and the FA Women\u2019s Super League, with her deep sport, commercial, legal insights and knowledge.\nHorrox joins a restructured Strategy and Communications department within World Rugby under Chief Strategy Officer Mihir Warty. She will lead the Women in Rugby team, collaborating with specialist colleagues in the High Performance, Competitions, Participation and Revenue and Fan Engagement teams, as well as member unions, regional associations, and a range of partners to accelerate women in rugby on and off the field.\nHorrox said: \u201cI\u2019m delighted and hugely privileged to be joining World Rugby to lead what is regarded as the most significant area of growth for the game globally. With increased investment, two World Cups this year and the launch of WXV, a new annual women\u2019s global competition in 2023, it is an incredibly exciting time for the sport.\n\u201cI am committed to accelerating the development of women in rugby at every level, and to promoting player welfare and gender equity in all that we do.\u201d\nWorld Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin added: \u201cWe are delighted to be welcoming someone of Sally\u2019s calibre to the organisation to oversee an area of the sport that has the greatest participation, fan, commercial and leadership potential.\n\u201cSally is well known in the sports industry for getting results and brings with her considerable commercial, legal and strategic acumen and a deep understanding of the community and elite sports environments on an international basis. She knows how to successfully develop women\u2019s sport and has a proven track record in major events, developing new competition structures and restructuring commercial rights.\u201d\nWorld Rugby Chief Strategy Officer Mihir Warty said: \u201cEven within a very competitive pool of candidates, Sally stood out for her experience in women\u2019s sport, passion for driving a movement, and ability to affect change within international federations.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe post World Rugby appoints Sally Horrox as Director of Women\u2019s Rugby appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2022-02-28T14:27:34+08:00", "date_modified": "2022-02-28T14:27:34+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/women-rugby.jpg", "tags": [ "Womens Rugby", "world Rugby", "Featured" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8489", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2022/02/18/rwc-2021-final-qualification/", "title": "Kazakhstan Hope \u201cBig Heart\u201d Can Help Book Rugby World Cup Return", "content_html": "

Kazakhstan are two wins away from securing a seventh tournament experience ahead of the RWC 2021 Final Qualification Tournament in Dubai.

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Kazakhstan women will return to the test arena for the first time in two-and-a-half years on Saturday with their sights set firmly on\u00a0Rugby World Cup 2021\u00a0qualification.

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The Asia Rugby Women\u2019s Championship has not been contested since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning Kazakhstan\u2019s last 15s run-out was a 15-0 victory against China in Qian\u2019an in August 2019.

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That result, which confirmed a 23-13 aggregate win in the Asia Rugby Division 1 play-off, ensured that Kazakhstan would have a shot at qualifying for a seventh Rugby World Cup, and first since France in 2014.

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In the intervening 30 months, the make-up of the squad has changed as several experienced players have retired from the international game.

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But as Kazakhstan prepare for the opening match of the\u00a0RWC 2021 Final Qualification Tournament\u00a0against\u00a0Colombia\u00a0in Dubai on Saturday, assistant coach Svetlana Klyuchnikova insists the players will do all they can to book their place at the showpiece tournament.

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The winner of Saturday\u2019s match at The Sevens Stadium will go on to play\u00a0Scotland\u00a0at the same venue six days later. Whoever triumphs on 25 February will claim the 12th and final place at RWC 2021, playing in 2022.

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\u201cOur very experienced players, they know that the next World Cup will be in New Zealand and for many people, it’s great because New Zealand, they’re World Cup champions,\u201d Klyuchnikova said.

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\u201cWe want to come to this great country to play this game.

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\u201cBut they don’t know how they will play because [they lack] experience and only with a big heart they will try to win.\u201d

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Klyuchnikova and Kazakhstan have been based in Dubai for two weeks leading into the Final Qualification Tournament, thanks to support from World Rugby, in order to escape the inclement weather back home.

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Temperatures in Kazakhstan in February can dip as low as minus-18 degrees Celsius, which means the players are unable to train outside.

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\u201cWE HAVE A VERY STRONG BACK LINE\u201d

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It should come as little surprise that in conditions such as those, a forward-dominated game evolved in the Asian country during the 1990s and 2000s.

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However, the current squad includes 10 players who represented Kazakhstan in the Olympic Repechage tournament in Monaco last June, and Klyuchnikova believes that is where the team\u2019s strength now lies.

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\u201cIt was a tough game. It was a good scrum,\u201d Klyuchnikova said of the nation\u2019s previous on-field attributes.

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\u201cWe [now] have a very strong back line because all our experienced players are in the back line. But I hope our scrum will show that they can play good too.\u201d

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Despite their lack of recent game time, Kazakhstan head into Saturday\u2019s match against Colombia 11 places above their opponents in the\u00a0World Rugby Women\u2019s Rankings powered by Capgemini.

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And although Klyuchnikova believes Colombia have a \u201cbig advantage\u201d having played a warm-up match against Spain A en route to Dubai, it is Kazakhstan that has the Rugby World Cup pedigree.

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Kazakhstan first qualified for the tournament in 1994 and four years later claimed the scalp of both Ireland (twice) and Wales during RWC 1998 in Amsterdam.

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\u201cWe beat Ireland (in 1998),\u201d Klyuchnikova, who appeared at three Rugby World Cups as a player between 2006 and 2014, said.

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\u201cAll European teams are very strong and that\u2019s why, when Kazakhstan won, it was great. Nobody knew about Kazakhstan.\u201d

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Klyuchnikova and the current squad will hope more people in the rugby world will know about Kazakhstan come 25 February.

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READ MORE: PLAYING AT A RUGBY WORLD CUP WOULD BE THE STUFF OF DREAMS \u2013 SCOTLAND CAPTAIN RACHEL MALCOLM >>

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The post Kazakhstan Hope \u201cBig Heart\u201d Can Help Book Rugby World Cup Return appeared first on Asia Rugby.

\n", "content_text": "Kazakhstan are two wins away from securing a seventh tournament experience ahead of the RWC 2021 Final Qualification Tournament in Dubai.\nKazakhstan women will return to the test arena for the first time in two-and-a-half years on Saturday with their sights set firmly on\u00a0Rugby World Cup 2021\u00a0qualification.\nThe Asia Rugby Women\u2019s Championship has not been contested since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning Kazakhstan\u2019s last 15s run-out was a 15-0 victory against China in Qian\u2019an in August 2019.\n\nThat result, which confirmed a 23-13 aggregate win in the Asia Rugby Division 1 play-off, ensured that Kazakhstan would have a shot at qualifying for a seventh Rugby World Cup, and first since France in 2014.\nIn the intervening 30 months, the make-up of the squad has changed as several experienced players have retired from the international game.\nBut as Kazakhstan prepare for the opening match of the\u00a0RWC 2021 Final Qualification Tournament\u00a0against\u00a0Colombia\u00a0in Dubai on Saturday, assistant coach Svetlana Klyuchnikova insists the players will do all they can to book their place at the showpiece tournament.\nThe winner of Saturday\u2019s match at The Sevens Stadium will go on to play\u00a0Scotland\u00a0at the same venue six days later. Whoever triumphs on 25 February will claim the 12th and final place at RWC 2021, playing in 2022.\n\u201cOur very experienced players, they know that the next World Cup will be in New Zealand and for many people, it’s great because New Zealand, they’re World Cup champions,\u201d Klyuchnikova said.\n\u201cWe want to come to this great country to play this game.\n\u201cBut they don’t know how they will play because [they lack] experience and only with a big heart they will try to win.\u201d\nKlyuchnikova and Kazakhstan have been based in Dubai for two weeks leading into the Final Qualification Tournament, thanks to support from World Rugby, in order to escape the inclement weather back home.\nTemperatures in Kazakhstan in February can dip as low as minus-18 degrees Celsius, which means the players are unable to train outside.\n\u201cWE HAVE A VERY STRONG BACK LINE\u201d\nIt should come as little surprise that in conditions such as those, a forward-dominated game evolved in the Asian country during the 1990s and 2000s.\nHowever, the current squad includes 10 players who represented Kazakhstan in the Olympic Repechage tournament in Monaco last June, and Klyuchnikova believes that is where the team\u2019s strength now lies.\n\u201cIt was a tough game. It was a good scrum,\u201d Klyuchnikova said of the nation\u2019s previous on-field attributes.\n\u201cWe [now] have a very strong back line because all our experienced players are in the back line. But I hope our scrum will show that they can play good too.\u201d\nDespite their lack of recent game time, Kazakhstan head into Saturday\u2019s match against Colombia 11 places above their opponents in the\u00a0World Rugby Women\u2019s Rankings powered by Capgemini.\nAnd although Klyuchnikova believes Colombia have a \u201cbig advantage\u201d having played a warm-up match against Spain A en route to Dubai, it is Kazakhstan that has the Rugby World Cup pedigree.\nKazakhstan first qualified for the tournament in 1994 and four years later claimed the scalp of both Ireland (twice) and Wales during RWC 1998 in Amsterdam.\n\u201cWe beat Ireland (in 1998),\u201d Klyuchnikova, who appeared at three Rugby World Cups as a player between 2006 and 2014, said.\n\u201cAll European teams are very strong and that\u2019s why, when Kazakhstan won, it was great. Nobody knew about Kazakhstan.\u201d\nKlyuchnikova and the current squad will hope more people in the rugby world will know about Kazakhstan come 25 February.\nREAD MORE: PLAYING AT A RUGBY WORLD CUP WOULD BE THE STUFF OF DREAMS \u2013 SCOTLAND CAPTAIN RACHEL MALCOLM >>\nThe post Kazakhstan Hope \u201cBig Heart\u201d Can Help Book Rugby World Cup Return appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2022-02-18T16:21:39+08:00", "date_modified": "2022-02-18T16:21:39+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Kazakh-rwcq-head.jpg", "tags": [ "Kazakhstan", "Rugby World Cup", "RWC2021", "Womens Rugby", "Featured", "Rugby World Cup 2021" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8421", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2022/01/07/asia-rugby-transforms-to-gender-equity/", "title": "Asia Rugby Transforms to Gender Equity\u00a0", "content_html": "

The Asia Rugby Council approved the Executive Committee\u2019s (EXCO) recommendation of changing the nomenclature of its ‘Women’s Advisory Committee’, renaming it the Gender Equity Committee, whilst also endorsing\u00a0the inclusion of individuals of both genders on this committee.

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In another move reflecting its commitment to gender equity, the EXCO empowered all committee chairpersons with the right to add more full members to make room for more women on committees, with the option of granting the\u00a0previously assigned female ‘observers’ full membership status with complete voting rights.

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The Women’s Advisory Committee has been at the forefront of major positive changes on the gender equity front with Chairperson Ada Milby leading by example. Ada, who is also Asia Rugby’s representative at World Rugby Council, briefed the Council on her journey and the gender-related advancements achieved by Asia Rugby during her tenure.

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Particularly in the last two years, she said, with the support of the Asia Rugby leadership, the EXCO and Council, significant and substantial steps have been taken, including the Women’s Advisory Committee developing into the largest committee and reflecting the widest cross-section of member unions.

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In an exemplary gracious and progressive act, Ada expressed her desire to now step down from her role as chairperson of the Committee to allow new leadership to come to the fore. Her services and gesture were greatly appreciated, and her recommendation to EXCO for the Iranian Nahid Biyarjomandi to take over the Gender Equity Committee was approved unanimously.

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Related Article: Ada Milby: Gender equality imperative for Asia Rugby

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Asia Rugby Executive Committee Member and World Rugby Council Member Ada Milby, commented, \u201cIt\u2019s been an honor to see the growth of women\u2019s rugby year on year in Asia and see some big milestones achieved with constitutional changes, record number of Union Presidents who are female and a strong network of women all passionate about growing the game in their communities.\u201d

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Ada further added \u201c I\u2019m excited to pass the torch to Nahid who will continue to lead the Gender Equity Committee forward, exploring more ways to remove barriers to make rugby more accessible to all\u201d

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Nahid\u2019s a member of Asia Rugby\u2019s EXCO and has been the first deputy chair of the Women\u2019s Advisory Committee for the last two years.\u200e\u00a0In 2019 she was chosen as one of World Rugby’s 15 \u201cUnstoppables\u201d as part of its rebranding of the women’s game. In March 2021, she was one of 12 recipients of the World Rugby Women\u2019s Executive Leadership Scholarship.

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Related Article: Unstoppable Nahid Biyarjomandi driven by \u201cheavy responsibility\u201d to empower women in rugby around the world

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Asia Rugby Executive Committee Member\u00a0Nahid Biyarjomandi commented\u00a0\u201cGender equality is a topic we hear a lot about these days.\"\" It may seem difficult to achieve, but it is not impossible and Asia Rugby, with the increase in women’s participation in various committees from last year, has shown that it is seriously seeking to implement it. And now, with the renaming of the Women’s Advisory Committee to \u201cGender Equity\u201d, it has taken a big step in its path.\u00a0\u201c

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Nahid further added \u201cI would like to thank Ada and my colleagues for all the work they have done for women in rugby in the region upto now And I hope that we will continue the path with new positive changes together again and also with the new male members of the committee, we will be able to create a great change not only for women or men but also for equity\u201d

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Unstoppable Asia

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The post Asia Rugby Transforms to Gender Equity\u00a0 appeared first on Asia Rugby.

\n", "content_text": "The Asia Rugby Council approved the Executive Committee\u2019s (EXCO) recommendation of changing the nomenclature of its ‘Women’s Advisory Committee’, renaming it the Gender Equity Committee, whilst also endorsing\u00a0the inclusion of individuals of both genders on this committee.\nIn another move reflecting its commitment to gender equity, the EXCO empowered all committee chairpersons with the right to add more full members to make room for more women on committees, with the option of granting the\u00a0previously assigned female ‘observers’ full membership status with complete voting rights.\nThe Women’s Advisory Committee has been at the forefront of major positive changes on the gender equity front with Chairperson Ada Milby leading by example. Ada, who is also Asia Rugby’s representative at World Rugby Council, briefed the Council on her journey and the gender-related advancements achieved by Asia Rugby during her tenure.\nParticularly in the last two years, she said, with the support of the Asia Rugby leadership, the EXCO and Council, significant and substantial steps have been taken, including the Women’s Advisory Committee developing into the largest committee and reflecting the widest cross-section of member unions.\n\nIn an exemplary gracious and progressive act, Ada expressed her desire to now step down from her role as chairperson of the Committee to allow new leadership to come to the fore. Her services and gesture were greatly appreciated, and her recommendation to EXCO for the Iranian Nahid Biyarjomandi to take over the Gender Equity Committee was approved unanimously.\nRelated Article: Ada Milby: Gender equality imperative for Asia Rugby\nAsia Rugby Executive Committee Member and World Rugby Council Member Ada Milby, commented, \u201cIt\u2019s been an honor to see the growth of women\u2019s rugby year on year in Asia and see some big milestones achieved with constitutional changes, record number of Union Presidents who are female and a strong network of women all passionate about growing the game in their communities.\u201d\nAda further added \u201c I\u2019m excited to pass the torch to Nahid who will continue to lead the Gender Equity Committee forward, exploring more ways to remove barriers to make rugby more accessible to all\u201d\nNahid\u2019s a member of Asia Rugby\u2019s EXCO and has been the first deputy chair of the Women\u2019s Advisory Committee for the last two years.\u200e\u00a0In 2019 she was chosen as one of World Rugby’s 15 \u201cUnstoppables\u201d as part of its rebranding of the women’s game. In March 2021, she was one of 12 recipients of the World Rugby Women\u2019s Executive Leadership Scholarship.\nRelated Article: Unstoppable Nahid Biyarjomandi driven by \u201cheavy responsibility\u201d to empower women in rugby around the world\nAsia Rugby Executive Committee Member\u00a0Nahid Biyarjomandi commented\u00a0\u201cGender equality is a topic we hear a lot about these days. It may seem difficult to achieve, but it is not impossible and Asia Rugby, with the increase in women’s participation in various committees from last year, has shown that it is seriously seeking to implement it. And now, with the renaming of the Women’s Advisory Committee to \u201cGender Equity\u201d, it has taken a big step in its path.\u00a0\u201c\nNahid further added \u201cI would like to thank Ada and my colleagues for all the work they have done for women in rugby in the region upto now And I hope that we will continue the path with new positive changes together again and also with the new male members of the committee, we will be able to create a great change not only for women or men but also for equity\u201d\nUnstoppable Asia\nThe post Asia Rugby Transforms to Gender Equity\u00a0 appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2022-01-07T13:41:42+08:00", "date_modified": "2022-01-07T13:41:42+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/gender.jpg", "tags": [ "Womens Rugby", "Gender Equity Committee", "Featured", "Unstoppable", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8066", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2021/06/12/female-representation-in-committees/", "title": "Asia Rugby pushes female representation in Committees to 30%", "content_html": "

Asia Rugby pushes female representation in Committees to 30%

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Asia Rugby appointed six new members to various standing committees for the period January 2021 until December 2024.

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–\u00a0Ms Aigul\u00a0Jartybayeva the President\u00a0of Kazakhstan Rugby Federation to be appointed as the 2nd Deputy Chair of the Development Committee
\n– Mr Nazmus Shovon the Chief Executive Officer of Bangladesh Rugby Federation Union as a member of the Development Committee
\n– Ms Jo Hull the Head of Women\u2019s Rugby Performance at Hong Kong Rugby Union as a member of the Competitions Committee
\n– Mr Jaesub Choi the Vice president South Korea Rugby Union will take over as Chair of the Referees Committee
\n– Dr Lee Sang Hoon from South Korea Rugby Union and Mr Shokhrukh Ruzmatov from Uzbekistan Rugby Federation both to join the Players Welfare and Medical Committee\u200e.
\n– Ms Zahara Ghorbbani from Iran Rugby Association will join the Development Committee

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Asia Rugby committees\u00a0members reflect 80% of member unions representation across all sub-regions coverage; aiming at a strong drive towards the regional Association deifying principles of Equality, Transparency and Accountability. This pushes female representation in committees to 30%\u00a0being more closer to Asia Rugby\u00a0target of 40% to be achieved until 2024.

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\"AsiaAsia Rugby President Qais Al Dhalai commented: \u201cFrom day one of being elected as\u00a0President we ensured to set\u00a0up committees to reflect efficient and effective governance practice within the regional association.

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The nine standing committees play a pivotal role in gathering the 34 member unions’ demands, challenges and inspirations transforming the regional body’s executive committee outcomes to be more realistic”

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Al Dhalai further Added \u201cYou can always conduct business without committees however you will be missing an important element that Asia as a continent is massively diverse, to ensure all voices are properly heard we ensured the creation of these multi-functional standing committees”

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Link to Committees Page: Link

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The Asia Rugby committees are:

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Administration and Finance Committee Chaired by Asia Rugby\u00a0President\u00a0Mr Qais Al Dhalai
\nDevelopment Committee Chaired by\u00a0Mr Vela Tan
\nCompetitions Committee Chaired by\u00a0Mr Asanga Seneviratne
\nReferees Committee Chaired by\u00a0Mr\u00a0Jaesub Choi
\nPlayers Welfare and Medical Committee chaired by\u00a0Dr Mutsuo Yamada
\nEthics and Governance Committee chaired by\u00a0Mr Kakhramon Djalilov
\nJudiciary Committee Chaired by\u00a0Mr Edwin Kung
\nWomen\u2019s Advisory Committee chaired by\u00a0Ms\u00a0Ada Milby
\nAudit and Risk Committee chaired by\u00a0Mr Tanka Lal Ghising

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The post Asia Rugby pushes female representation in Committees to 30% appeared first on Asia Rugby.

\n", "content_text": "Asia Rugby pushes female representation in Committees to 30%\nAsia Rugby appointed six new members to various standing committees for the period January 2021 until December 2024.\n–\u00a0Ms Aigul\u00a0Jartybayeva the President\u00a0of Kazakhstan Rugby Federation to be appointed as the 2nd Deputy Chair of the Development Committee\n– Mr Nazmus Shovon the Chief Executive Officer of Bangladesh Rugby Federation Union as a member of the Development Committee\n– Ms Jo Hull the Head of Women\u2019s Rugby Performance at Hong Kong Rugby Union as a member of the Competitions Committee\n– Mr Jaesub Choi the Vice president South Korea Rugby Union will take over as Chair of the Referees Committee\n– Dr Lee Sang Hoon from South Korea Rugby Union and Mr Shokhrukh Ruzmatov from Uzbekistan Rugby Federation both to join the Players Welfare and Medical Committee\u200e.\n– Ms Zahara Ghorbbani from Iran Rugby Association will join the Development Committee\n\nAsia Rugby committees\u00a0members reflect 80% of member unions representation across all sub-regions coverage; aiming at a strong drive towards the regional Association deifying principles of Equality, Transparency and Accountability. This pushes female representation in committees to 30%\u00a0being more closer to Asia Rugby\u00a0target of 40% to be achieved until 2024.\nAsia Rugby President Qais Al Dhalai commented: \u201cFrom day one of being elected as\u00a0President we ensured to set\u00a0up committees to reflect efficient and effective governance practice within the regional association.\nThe nine standing committees play a pivotal role in gathering the 34 member unions’ demands, challenges and inspirations transforming the regional body’s executive committee outcomes to be more realistic”\nAl Dhalai further Added \u201cYou can always conduct business without committees however you will be missing an important element that Asia as a continent is massively diverse, to ensure all voices are properly heard we ensured the creation of these multi-functional standing committees”\nLink to Committees Page: Link\nThe Asia Rugby committees are:\nAdministration and Finance Committee Chaired by Asia Rugby\u00a0President\u00a0Mr Qais Al Dhalai\nDevelopment Committee Chaired by\u00a0Mr Vela Tan\nCompetitions Committee Chaired by\u00a0Mr Asanga Seneviratne\nReferees Committee Chaired by\u00a0Mr\u00a0Jaesub Choi\nPlayers Welfare and Medical Committee chaired by\u00a0Dr Mutsuo Yamada\nEthics and Governance Committee chaired by\u00a0Mr Kakhramon Djalilov\nJudiciary Committee Chaired by\u00a0Mr Edwin Kung\nWomen\u2019s Advisory Committee chaired by\u00a0Ms\u00a0Ada Milby\nAudit and Risk Committee chaired by\u00a0Mr Tanka Lal Ghising\nThe post Asia Rugby pushes female representation in Committees to 30% appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2021-06-12T12:37:18+08:00", "date_modified": "2021-06-12T19:24:04+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/200611-Committees-poster-updated-2021-2024-HEAD-article-.jpg", "tags": [ "Womens Rugby", "Featured", "Qais Al-Dhalai", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8064", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2021/06/09/partnership-with-mastercard/", "title": "World Rugby welcomes Mastercard as founding global partner of Women in Rugby and unveils new marketing campaign", "content_html": "

World Rugby has announced details of a transformative five-year partnership with Mastercard to accelerate the development of Women in Rugby, which will supercharge the international federation\u2019s ambitious Accelerating the Development of Women in Rugby 2017-25 strategic plan.

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The ground-breaking partnership will deliver a series of firsts, with Mastercard becoming:

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In addition to the partnership, World Rugby has launched its new Women in Rugby Team Powered marketing campaign.

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It aims to inspire more women and girls to play and watch the sport by showcasing our belief that women\u2019s rugby is the ultimate team sport – on and off the pitch – and how, through the power of togetherness, a team is greater than the sum of its parts.

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Click here to view TEAM POWERED campaign video>>>

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Mastercard will be the exclusive partner of the Youth Unstoppables element of the Team Powered campaign and work to inspire young women and girls to get involved in the sport through a unique digital content series championing inspirational females around the world.

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The new campaign and Mastercard partnership build on strong foundations, with women\u2019s rugby experiencing unprecedented growth in recent years – more than 2.7 million women and girls are currently playing globally, making up a quarter of the world\u2019s playing population.

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Latest Nielsen Research for World Rugby has reported women\u2019s rugby is on the rise with interest in established markets up to 45 per cent and in emerging markets to 27 per cent, a 15 per cent and 22 per cent increase since 2018, respectively.

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Related Page:Asia Rugby Unstoppable Asia Campaign

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Recognising the unique values of rugby, Mastercard has been a long-time supporter of the sport, and women in rugby, with several rugby-focussed projects including:

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Mastercard will be using its Priceless platform to curate unique experiences with World Rugby and brand ambassadors exclusively available on Priceless.com/rugby and the development of Rugby-specific content in the future that reinforces the company\u2019s dedication to gender equity, aligning with its signature STEM curriculum titled \u2018Girls4Tech\u2019.

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WORLD RUGBY & MASTERCARD LEADERSHIP QUOTES

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World Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin said: \u201cWomen\u2019s rugby is going from strength to strength globally, and the new Team Powered campaign and Mastercard partnership will supercharge the sport\u2019s growth, inspiring a new generation of players, fans and parents.

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\u201cTeam Powered showcases the unique values, diversity and inclusivity of women\u2019s rugby and will encourage more women and girls to get involved in the sport, on and off the pitch.

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Our new commercial partnership reflects our ambitious plans to advance women in rugby at all levels and, as a long-standing supporter of rugby, Mastercard is a perfect fit.

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Our vision for the sport is very much aligned with a focus on accelerating accessibility, visibility, commerciality, and competition within women\u2019s rugby \u2013 the single-biggest opportunity to grow the sport as a whole globally.

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\u201cWe have developed an ambitious commercial strategy to underpin the sustainable growth of women\u2019s rugby, encompassing both the elite and community levels of the sport, enabling partners to champion and support all aspects of the women\u2019s game and make an impact in this priority area.\u201d

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Raja Rajamannar, Mastercard Chief Marketing and Communications Officer said: \u201cFostering connections and giving people the opportunity to grow their passions is what Mastercard stands for.

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We are honoured to support a sport as inclusive as women\u2019s rugby that has seen unprecedented growth in recent years. Together with World Rugby, we look forward to creating programs and experiences that get people closer to the game they love.\u201d

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Katie Sadleir, World Rugby Women\u2019s Rugby General manager today said: \u201cWe are thrilled to welcome Mastercard on board as our founding partner of Women in Rugby.

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A core pillar of our ambitious women\u2019s strategic plan is to develop a strong and engaged portfolio of strategic commercial partners committed to long-term investment and support for the women\u2019s game.

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\u201cI am also very excited by our new Team Powered marketing campaign, which encompasses all the incredible features of women\u2019s rugby and will help us to build on the huge growing number of females involved in our sport in recent years.\u201d

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The post World Rugby welcomes Mastercard as founding global partner of Women in Rugby and unveils new marketing campaign appeared first on Asia Rugby.

\n", "content_text": "World Rugby has announced details of a transformative five-year partnership with Mastercard to accelerate the development of Women in Rugby, which will supercharge the international federation\u2019s ambitious Accelerating the Development of Women in Rugby 2017-25 strategic plan.\nThe ground-breaking partnership will deliver a series of firsts, with Mastercard becoming:\n\nThe founding Global Partner of World Rugby\u2019s Women in Rugby programme, exclusively focusing on growing youth participation and raising the global profile of the women\u2019s global competitions and calendar.\nThe first Worldwide Partner for Rugby World Cup 2021 and Rugby World Cup 2025, as Preferred Card for both tournaments.\nThe first Global Partner of WXV, the annual global women\u2019s competition due to start in 2023.\n\nIn addition to the partnership, World Rugby has launched its new Women in Rugby Team Powered marketing campaign.\nIt aims to inspire more women and girls to play and watch the sport by showcasing our belief that women\u2019s rugby is the ultimate team sport – on and off the pitch – and how, through the power of togetherness, a team is greater than the sum of its parts.\nClick here to view TEAM POWERED campaign video>>>\nMastercard will be the exclusive partner of the Youth Unstoppables element of the Team Powered campaign and work to inspire young women and girls to get involved in the sport through a unique digital content series championing inspirational females around the world.\nThe new campaign and Mastercard partnership build on strong foundations, with women\u2019s rugby experiencing unprecedented growth in recent years – more than 2.7 million women and girls are currently playing globally, making up a quarter of the world\u2019s playing population.\nLatest Nielsen Research for World Rugby has reported women\u2019s rugby is on the rise with interest in established markets up to 45 per cent and in emerging markets to 27 per cent, a 15 per cent and 22 per cent increase since 2018, respectively.\nRelated Page:Asia Rugby Unstoppable Asia Campaign\nRecognising the unique values of rugby, Mastercard has been a long-time supporter of the sport, and women in rugby, with several rugby-focussed projects including:\n\nSuccessful partnerships with Rugby World Cup (Men\u2019s) since 2008, Rugby World Cup (Women\u2019s) since 2017 and Golden Lions Rugby Union amateur women\u2019s club league and senior women\u2019s team since 2020.\nAppointment of brand ambassadors Piwokuhle Nyanda, a professional South African and Golden Lions Women\u2019s Rugby player, and Chanel Alberts, the head coach of the Golden Lions Senior Women\u2019s Team, to champion and develop grassroots women\u2019s rugby in South Africa.\nHonouring the best Women\u2019s & Men\u2019s 15s Players in the World with sponsorship of Women\u2019s & Men\u2019s 15s Player of the Year Awards at the World Rugby Awards.\n\nMastercard will be using its Priceless platform to curate unique experiences with World Rugby and brand ambassadors exclusively available on Priceless.com/rugby and the development of Rugby-specific content in the future that reinforces the company\u2019s dedication to gender equity, aligning with its signature STEM curriculum titled \u2018Girls4Tech\u2019.\nWORLD RUGBY & MASTERCARD LEADERSHIP QUOTES\nWorld Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin said: \u201cWomen\u2019s rugby is going from strength to strength globally, and the new Team Powered campaign and Mastercard partnership will supercharge the sport\u2019s growth, inspiring a new generation of players, fans and parents.\n\u201cTeam Powered showcases the unique values, diversity and inclusivity of women\u2019s rugby and will encourage more women and girls to get involved in the sport, on and off the pitch.\nOur new commercial partnership reflects our ambitious plans to advance women in rugby at all levels and, as a long-standing supporter of rugby, Mastercard is a perfect fit.\nOur vision for the sport is very much aligned with a focus on accelerating accessibility, visibility, commerciality, and competition within women\u2019s rugby \u2013 the single-biggest opportunity to grow the sport as a whole globally.\n\u201cWe have developed an ambitious commercial strategy to underpin the sustainable growth of women\u2019s rugby, encompassing both the elite and community levels of the sport, enabling partners to champion and support all aspects of the women\u2019s game and make an impact in this priority area.\u201d\nRaja Rajamannar, Mastercard Chief Marketing and Communications Officer said: \u201cFostering connections and giving people the opportunity to grow their passions is what Mastercard stands for.\nWe are honoured to support a sport as inclusive as women\u2019s rugby that has seen unprecedented growth in recent years. Together with World Rugby, we look forward to creating programs and experiences that get people closer to the game they love.\u201d\nKatie Sadleir, World Rugby Women\u2019s Rugby General manager today said: \u201cWe are thrilled to welcome Mastercard on board as our founding partner of Women in Rugby.\nA core pillar of our ambitious women\u2019s strategic plan is to develop a strong and engaged portfolio of strategic commercial partners committed to long-term investment and support for the women\u2019s game.\n\u201cI am also very excited by our new Team Powered marketing campaign, which encompasses all the incredible features of women\u2019s rugby and will help us to build on the huge growing number of females involved in our sport in recent years.\u201d\n\nThe post World Rugby welcomes Mastercard as founding global partner of Women in Rugby and unveils new marketing campaign appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2021-06-09T15:44:41+08:00", "date_modified": "2021-06-09T15:44:41+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/women-head-2.jpg", "tags": [ "Womens Rugby", "WXV", "Featured", "Unstoppable" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=7991", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2021/05/12/revised-tournament-dates-in-2022/", "title": "Scene set for super-charged Rugby World Cup as new dates in 2022 confirmed", "content_html": "
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Rugby World Cup 2021 will feature increased rest periods for all teams following World Rugby\u2019s confirmation of the revised tournament dates which will now see New Zealand host the tournament between 8 October-12 November 2022.

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  • Matches will take place between 8 October\u201312 November 2022 in Auckland and Whang\u0101rei
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  • RWC 2021 tournament window increases from 35 to 43 days
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  • Match schedule prioritises player welfare with five-day minimum rest days
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  • Revamped format with all fixtures to be played on weekends with triple-header matches scheduled per day
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  • New Rugby World Cup 2021 brandmark unveiled, including bespoke te reo M\u0101ori version for tournament promotion in New Zealand
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Rugby World Cup 2021 will feature increased rest periods for all teams following World Rugby\u2019s confirmation of the revised tournament dates which will now see New Zealand host the tournament between 8 October-12 November, 2022.

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Related Link:\u00a0Unstoppable Asia

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With the ambition of super-charging the schedule for players, fans and the host nation, the tournament window will be extended from 35 to 43 days resulting in all teams having a minimum of five rest days between matches. This aligns with the approach recently approved for the men\u2019s competition.

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Related News: \u00a0New Global Competition To Supercharge The Women\u2019s 15s Game

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The extension of the tournament window, also allows for a revamped tournament format that will see all matches take place on Saturdays and Sundays, with no overlap, meaning fans will not miss a moment of the first women\u2019s edition of a Rugby World Cup to be hosted in the southern hemisphere.

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With the tournament starting later in the year, players and fans will benefit from warmer weather and longer daylight hours. The pool phase will be played on the weekends of 8-9, 15-16 and 22-23 October, 2022 at Eden Park, Northlands Events Centre in Whang\u0101rei and Waitakere Stadium.

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The quarter-finals will take place on 29-30 October followed by semi-finals on Saturday, 5 November. The bronze final and RWC 2021 final will be played on Saturday, 12 November, with Eden Park set to create history by becoming the first stadium to host both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s Rugby World Cup finals.

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A detailed match schedule and broadcast timings will be announced at a later date.

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\"Women's

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In addition to the revised tournament dates, World Rugby has also unveiled new tournament brandmarks retaining reference to 2021, the year the tournament was originally intended to take place, while conveying to fans and audiences that the tournament will now be played in 2022. A bespoke te reo M\u0101ori version of the new brandmark has also been designed for tournament promotion in New Zealand. This reflects the importance of te reo as an official language of Aotearoa, New Zealand and to signify the desire to celebrate the unique M\u0101ori culture for all those connected with the tournament.

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World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: \u201cWe are fully committed to accelerating the women\u2019s game at all levels and while the postponement was disappointing for everyone, it has provided the unique opportunity to review every aspect of the event to ensure it is the best it can be for the players, fans around the world and the wonderful and enthusiastic New Zealanders.

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\u201cLonger rest periods between matches for all teams is further commitment to delivering comprehensive player welfare standards at RWC 2021.

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Hong Kong vs Japanese in Asia Women’s Rugby Championships 2016 at Hong Kong Football Club, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong on 6 May 2016, Hong Kong, China Photo by Ike Li / ikeimages
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\u201cI would like to thank all stakeholders for their support and open-minded approach to this process and we can now look forward to a truly spectacular Rugby World Cup 2021, playing in 2022.\u201d

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International Rugby Players appointee to the RWC Board, Melodie Robinson, said: \u201cWhile it\u2019s disappointing that the 2021 tournament had to be postponed, the positive is that we\u2019ve been able to ensure the 2022 event and subsequent Rugby World Cups will have a minimum five-day turnaround for players.

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\u201cJust like the men\u2019s tournament, this will hopefully help to level the playing field for all sides and see an increase in competitive matches.\u201d

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Rugby World Cup 2021 Tournament Director Michelle Hooper\u00a0said: \u201cWe are delighted that together with World Rugby we have been able to further super-charge the women\u2019s game here in New Zealand with the confirmation of the new dates in 2022 and the amendments to the tournament format. We are excited to be hosting Rugby World Cup here in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

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\u201cThe momentum for women\u2019s sport is continuously building and we look forward to demonstrating this to the world through the unstoppable energy that will be on display during Rugby World Cup in 2022. We can\u2019t wait to welcome the world\u2019s best women\u2019s rugby players to our shores and share the Manaakitanga so intrinsically linked to our people and our place and rugby in Aotearoa, New Zealand with them and their fans.\u201d

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\"Japan

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In a commitment to delivering an outstanding Rugby World Cup 2021, playing in 2022, earlier this year World Rugby announced a \u00a32 million funding package to support a Rugby World Cup 2021 high performance preparation and competition programme for qualified teams and teams still competing in the qualification process.

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The programme will focus on providing teams with additional monetary support to deliver additional team training camps and coordinating international competition to give them the greatest opportunity to be at their best in New Zealand next year. Further details will be announced at a later stage.

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The post Scene set for super-charged Rugby World Cup as new dates in 2022 confirmed appeared first on Asia Rugby.

\n", "content_text": "Rugby World Cup 2021 will feature increased rest periods for all teams following World Rugby\u2019s confirmation of the revised tournament dates which will now see New Zealand host the tournament between 8 October-12 November 2022.\n\nMatches will take place between 8 October\u201312 November 2022 in Auckland and Whang\u0101rei\nRWC 2021 tournament window increases from 35 to 43 days\nMatch schedule prioritises player welfare with five-day minimum rest days\nRevamped format with all fixtures to be played on weekends with triple-header matches scheduled per day\nNew Rugby World Cup 2021 brandmark unveiled, including bespoke te reo M\u0101ori version for tournament promotion in New Zealand\n\nRugby World Cup 2021 will feature increased rest periods for all teams following World Rugby\u2019s confirmation of the revised tournament dates which will now see New Zealand host the tournament between 8 October-12 November, 2022.\nRelated Link:\u00a0Unstoppable Asia\nWith the ambition of super-charging the schedule for players, fans and the host nation, the tournament window will be extended from 35 to 43 days resulting in all teams having a minimum of five rest days between matches. This aligns with the approach recently approved for the men\u2019s competition.\nRelated News: \u00a0New Global Competition To Supercharge The Women\u2019s 15s Game\nThe extension of the tournament window, also allows for a revamped tournament format that will see all matches take place on Saturdays and Sundays, with no overlap, meaning fans will not miss a moment of the first women\u2019s edition of a Rugby World Cup to be hosted in the southern hemisphere.\nWith the tournament starting later in the year, players and fans will benefit from warmer weather and longer daylight hours. The pool phase will be played on the weekends of 8-9, 15-16 and 22-23 October, 2022 at Eden Park, Northlands Events Centre in Whang\u0101rei and Waitakere Stadium.\nThe quarter-finals will take place on 29-30 October followed by semi-finals on Saturday, 5 November. The bronze final and RWC 2021 final will be played on Saturday, 12 November, with Eden Park set to create history by becoming the first stadium to host both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s Rugby World Cup finals.\nA detailed match schedule and broadcast timings will be announced at a later date.\n\nIn addition to the revised tournament dates, World Rugby has also unveiled new tournament brandmarks retaining reference to 2021, the year the tournament was originally intended to take place, while conveying to fans and audiences that the tournament will now be played in 2022. A bespoke te reo M\u0101ori version of the new brandmark has also been designed for tournament promotion in New Zealand. This reflects the importance of te reo as an official language of Aotearoa, New Zealand and to signify the desire to celebrate the unique M\u0101ori culture for all those connected with the tournament.\nWorld Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: \u201cWe are fully committed to accelerating the women\u2019s game at all levels and while the postponement was disappointing for everyone, it has provided the unique opportunity to review every aspect of the event to ensure it is the best it can be for the players, fans around the world and the wonderful and enthusiastic New Zealanders.\n\u201cLonger rest periods between matches for all teams is further commitment to delivering comprehensive player welfare standards at RWC 2021.\nHong Kong vs Japanese in Asia Women’s Rugby Championships 2016 at Hong Kong Football Club, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong on 6 May 2016, Hong Kong, China Photo by Ike Li / ikeimages\n\u201cI would like to thank all stakeholders for their support and open-minded approach to this process and we can now look forward to a truly spectacular Rugby World Cup 2021, playing in 2022.\u201d\nInternational Rugby Players appointee to the RWC Board, Melodie Robinson, said: \u201cWhile it\u2019s disappointing that the 2021 tournament had to be postponed, the positive is that we\u2019ve been able to ensure the 2022 event and subsequent Rugby World Cups will have a minimum five-day turnaround for players.\n\u201cJust like the men\u2019s tournament, this will hopefully help to level the playing field for all sides and see an increase in competitive matches.\u201d\nRugby World Cup 2021 Tournament Director Michelle Hooper\u00a0said: \u201cWe are delighted that together with World Rugby we have been able to further super-charge the women\u2019s game here in New Zealand with the confirmation of the new dates in 2022 and the amendments to the tournament format. We are excited to be hosting Rugby World Cup here in Aotearoa, New Zealand.\n\u201cThe momentum for women\u2019s sport is continuously building and we look forward to demonstrating this to the world through the unstoppable energy that will be on display during Rugby World Cup in 2022. We can\u2019t wait to welcome the world\u2019s best women\u2019s rugby players to our shores and share the Manaakitanga so intrinsically linked to our people and our place and rugby in Aotearoa, New Zealand with them and their fans.\u201d\n\nIn a commitment to delivering an outstanding Rugby World Cup 2021, playing in 2022, earlier this year World Rugby announced a \u00a32 million funding package to support a Rugby World Cup 2021 high performance preparation and competition programme for qualified teams and teams still competing in the qualification process.\nThe programme will focus on providing teams with additional monetary support to deliver additional team training camps and coordinating international competition to give them the greatest opportunity to be at their best in New Zealand next year. Further details will be announced at a later stage.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe post Scene set for super-charged Rugby World Cup as new dates in 2022 confirmed appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2021-05-12T04:59:09+08:00", "date_modified": "2021-05-12T04:59:09+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/RWC-2021-Brand-Mark-.jpg", "tags": [ "Womens Rugby", "WXV", "Featured", "Rugby World Cup 2021" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=7894", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2021/03/16/wxv-womens-15s-game/", "title": "World Rugby Launches New Global Competition And Aligned Calendar To Supercharge The Women\u2019s 15s Game", "content_html": "

Sixteen-team, three-tier WXV global competition set to begin in 2023

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World Rugby has announced details of a new annual global women\u2019s 15s competition model and international playing windows that will supercharge the women\u2019s game.

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Underscoring its commitment to increase competition, commercial and fan engagement opportunities while raising competitiveness of the women\u2019s game on the road to an expanded 16-team Rugby World Cup 2025, World Rugby has launched WXV, a three-tiered annual competition model that will start in 2023.

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Supported by an initial \u00a36.4 million World Rugby investment, the three WXV competitions will feature 16 teams and will be hosted within a new September-October global competition window, except in a Rugby World Cup year.

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\n
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Teams will qualify annually into the WXV competitions courtesy of their finishing positions within the respective existing annual regional competitions, such as the Women\u2019s Six Nations. These regional competitions, played within a new regional window, must be completed by June each year.

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To support the implementation of the WXV competitions, a new annual cross-region competition will be established which will act as one of the principle qualification routes for the top tier of WXV. This will feature Australia, Canada, New Zealand and USA. This represents a huge step forward, providing a regular annual international competition for these teams, where previously there was none.

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How it will work

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Related News : @World Rugby committed to delivering spectacular Rugby World Cup in 2022

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WXV 1

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WXV 1\u00a0will consist of six teams and be played in a cross-pool format, at a standalone tournament in one location, which will be determined on a year-by-year basis.

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Participating teams will include the top three teams from the Women\u2019s Six Nations (Europe) and the top three teams of the cross-regional tournament featuring Australia, \u00a0Canada, New Zealand and USA (Oceania/Rugby Americas North (RAN)). Each team will play three matches.

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There will be no promotion or relegation in the first cycle of WXV 1.

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WXV 2

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The WXV 2 competition will consist of six teams, playing in a cross-pool format, as a standalone tournament in one location, which will be determined on a year-by-year basis.

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Participating teams for 2023 will include two teams from Europe, the fourth-placed team from the cross-regional tournament featuring Australia, Canada, New Zealand and USA (Oceania/RAN) alongside one team from Oceania, Asia and Africa.

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The sixth-placed regional position in the WXV 2 competition at the end of each season will be relegated to WXV 3.

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WXV 3

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WXV 3\u00a0will be hosted in one venue as a round-robin format and will consist of four teams with the winner and rankings determined by a points table. Participating teams will include two teams from Europe, one team from Asia and the winner of an Africa v South America play-off.

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The top ranked regional position in the WXV 3\u00a0competition\u00a0will be promoted to the WXV 2 competition\u00a0at the end of each season.

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A play-off between the fourth-ranked team and next best ranked team from the World Rugby Women\u2019s Rankings will determine regional position for the next year.

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Supporting all unions

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Recognising that globally women\u2019s high-performance programmes are currently at differing levels and stages, World Rugby is committed to work in partnership with unions to support collective ambitions to progress women\u2019s high-performance programmes forward in a realistic and appropriate pace of development to ensure optimal performance within the WXV.

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Collaborative commercial model to grow the sport

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World Rugby has also announced that the competition programme will be supported by a dedicated Women in Rugby commercial programme that sets out to actively further profile, engagement and sustainable growth, driving revenue back into the development of the game, supporting another key objective of the Women in Rugby Plan 2017-25.

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World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: \u201cThis is a landmark moment for the sport. Today\u2019s announcement of a new, global international 15s calendar will underpin the future success and accelerate the development of the women\u2019s game.

\n

\u201cBy establishing a unified international 15s calendar and introducing WXV we are creating a platform for the women\u2019s international teams to compete in more consistent, competitive and sustainable competitions at regional and global level. At the same time, we are also growing the profile, fanbase and commercial revenue, generating opportunities for women\u2019s rugby through the new Women in Rugby commercial programme.

\n

\u201cThis is an ambitious, long-term commitment to make the global game more competitive, to grow the women\u2019s game and support the expansion of Rugby World Cup to 16 teams from 2025 and beyond.\u201d

\n

\"Kazakhstan

\n

World Rugby Vice-Chairman Bernard Laporte said: \u201cThe new international 15s calendar will provide a consistent, long-term competition pathway and increased international playing opportunities. For the first time ever, women\u2019s high-performance programmes will, in essence, be able to plan from Rugby World Cup to Rugby World Cup with certainty as a result of the new unified global international 15s calendar.\u201d

\n

World Rugby Competitions Operations Manager, Alison Hughes added: \u201cWe have been working in collaboration with our member unions, regions and other key stakeholders over the past two years, developing the unified global international 15s calendar and competition offering.

\n

\u201cTo grow the game at elite level we need to ensure our member unions have quality, competitive and consistent playing opportunities so they can continue to develop and invest in their women\u2019s high-performance programmes.

\n

\u201cAs part of the international 15s calendar development we have focused on strengthening existing regional competitions and also established an exciting new cross-regional competition to increase annual playing opportunities for some of the top teams in the world where it simply did not exist before.\u201d

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Driving the participation of women in rugby

\n

World Rugby\u2019s support of the women\u2019s game is driven by its truly global ambitions for the sport as set out in its 2017-25 women\u2019s strategic plan.

\n

Women\u2019s Advisory Committee Chairman, Serge Simon said: \u201cThis is momentous for the women\u2019s 15s game. As part of the women\u2019s strategic plan we are committed to delivering world-class high-performance programmes that will produce inspirational results for the women\u2019s game. The new global 15s calendar will enable unions to plan long-term while also increasing quality competition opportunities.\u201d

\n

\"Unstoppable

\n

Related Page: Asia Rugby Unstoppable\u00a0

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World Rugby will work with all remaining high-performance teams, outside of the global competitions, to coordinate matches, should they wish to do so, within the global competition window, either in their own region or cross-regional.

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World Rugby General Manager of Women\u2019s Rugby, Katie Sadleir said:\u00a0\u201cThe new global 15s calendar and establishment of WXV is another major step forward for women\u2019s rugby and women in rugby. The unified calendar will support the high-performance goals of World Rugby\u2019s transformational 2017-25 women\u2019s strategic plan to deliver a more competitive regional and global game.

\n

\u201cThrough consultation and partnership we will work with unions to support the development of high-performance pathways as they develop their women\u2019s programmes, while supporting the overarching ambition of global growth. In addition, with WXV as a key component of the Women in Rugby commercial programme, it is opening up diversified investment opportunities to grow investment into the women\u2019s game.\u201d

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The post World Rugby Launches New Global Competition And Aligned Calendar To Supercharge The Women\u2019s 15s Game appeared first on Asia Rugby.

\n", "content_text": "Sixteen-team, three-tier WXV global competition set to begin in 2023\n\nWorld Rugby to invest \u00a36.4 million in its first two years\nUnified international 15s calendar to comprise of two playing windows on an annual basis, optimising player welfare and performance\nGround-breaking global international 15s calendar set to accelerate development of women\u2019s game ahead of expanded RWC 2025\nCalendar reflects World Rugby\u2019s long-term commitment to establishing a highly competitive and global test calendar to elevate standards\nWXV will be supported by new Women in Rugby commercial programme\nWXV offers hosts diversified revenue-generating opportunities\n\nWorld Rugby has announced details of a new annual global women\u2019s 15s competition model and international playing windows that will supercharge the women\u2019s game.\nUnderscoring its commitment to increase competition, commercial and fan engagement opportunities while raising competitiveness of the women\u2019s game on the road to an expanded 16-team Rugby World Cup 2025, World Rugby has launched WXV, a three-tiered annual competition model that will start in 2023.\nSupported by an initial \u00a36.4 million World Rugby investment, the three WXV competitions will feature 16 teams and will be hosted within a new September-October global competition window, except in a Rugby World Cup year.\n\nhttps://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/WXV_Aneweraforwomensrugbycompetition.mp4\nTeams will qualify annually into the WXV competitions courtesy of their finishing positions within the respective existing annual regional competitions, such as the Women\u2019s Six Nations. These regional competitions, played within a new regional window, must be completed by June each year.\nTo support the implementation of the WXV competitions, a new annual cross-region competition will be established which will act as one of the principle qualification routes for the top tier of WXV. This will feature Australia, Canada, New Zealand and USA. This represents a huge step forward, providing a regular annual international competition for these teams, where previously there was none.\nHow it will work\nRelated News : @World Rugby committed to delivering spectacular Rugby World Cup in 2022\nWXV 1\nWXV 1\u00a0will consist of six teams and be played in a cross-pool format, at a standalone tournament in one location, which will be determined on a year-by-year basis.\nParticipating teams will include the top three teams from the Women\u2019s Six Nations (Europe) and the top three teams of the cross-regional tournament featuring Australia, \u00a0Canada, New Zealand and USA (Oceania/Rugby Americas North (RAN)). Each team will play three matches.\nThere will be no promotion or relegation in the first cycle of WXV 1.\nWXV 2\nThe WXV 2 competition will consist of six teams, playing in a cross-pool format, as a standalone tournament in one location, which will be determined on a year-by-year basis.\nParticipating teams for 2023 will include two teams from Europe, the fourth-placed team from the cross-regional tournament featuring Australia, Canada, New Zealand and USA (Oceania/RAN) alongside one team from Oceania, Asia and Africa.\nThe sixth-placed regional position in the WXV 2 competition at the end of each season will be relegated to WXV 3.\nWXV 3\nWXV 3\u00a0will be hosted in one venue as a round-robin format and will consist of four teams with the winner and rankings determined by a points table. Participating teams will include two teams from Europe, one team from Asia and the winner of an Africa v South America play-off.\nThe top ranked regional position in the WXV 3\u00a0competition\u00a0will be promoted to the WXV 2 competition\u00a0at the end of each season.\nA play-off between the fourth-ranked team and next best ranked team from the World Rugby Women\u2019s Rankings will determine regional position for the next year.\nSupporting all unions\nRecognising that globally women\u2019s high-performance programmes are currently at differing levels and stages, World Rugby is committed to work in partnership with unions to support collective ambitions to progress women\u2019s high-performance programmes forward in a realistic and appropriate pace of development to ensure optimal performance within the WXV.\nCollaborative commercial model to grow the sport\nWorld Rugby has also announced that the competition programme will be supported by a dedicated Women in Rugby commercial programme that sets out to actively further profile, engagement and sustainable growth, driving revenue back into the development of the game, supporting another key objective of the Women in Rugby Plan 2017-25.\nWorld Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: \u201cThis is a landmark moment for the sport. Today\u2019s announcement of a new, global international 15s calendar will underpin the future success and accelerate the development of the women\u2019s game.\n\u201cBy establishing a unified international 15s calendar and introducing WXV we are creating a platform for the women\u2019s international teams to compete in more consistent, competitive and sustainable competitions at regional and global level. At the same time, we are also growing the profile, fanbase and commercial revenue, generating opportunities for women\u2019s rugby through the new Women in Rugby commercial programme.\n\u201cThis is an ambitious, long-term commitment to make the global game more competitive, to grow the women\u2019s game and support the expansion of Rugby World Cup to 16 teams from 2025 and beyond.\u201d\n\nWorld Rugby Vice-Chairman Bernard Laporte said: \u201cThe new international 15s calendar will provide a consistent, long-term competition pathway and increased international playing opportunities. For the first time ever, women\u2019s high-performance programmes will, in essence, be able to plan from Rugby World Cup to Rugby World Cup with certainty as a result of the new unified global international 15s calendar.\u201d\nWorld Rugby Competitions Operations Manager, Alison Hughes added: \u201cWe have been working in collaboration with our member unions, regions and other key stakeholders over the past two years, developing the unified global international 15s calendar and competition offering.\n\u201cTo grow the game at elite level we need to ensure our member unions have quality, competitive and consistent playing opportunities so they can continue to develop and invest in their women\u2019s high-performance programmes.\n\u201cAs part of the international 15s calendar development we have focused on strengthening existing regional competitions and also established an exciting new cross-regional competition to increase annual playing opportunities for some of the top teams in the world where it simply did not exist before.\u201d\nDriving the participation of women in rugby\nWorld Rugby\u2019s support of the women\u2019s game is driven by its truly global ambitions for the sport as set out in its 2017-25 women\u2019s strategic plan.\nWomen\u2019s Advisory Committee Chairman, Serge Simon said: \u201cThis is momentous for the women\u2019s 15s game. As part of the women\u2019s strategic plan we are committed to delivering world-class high-performance programmes that will produce inspirational results for the women\u2019s game. The new global 15s calendar will enable unions to plan long-term while also increasing quality competition opportunities.\u201d\n\nRelated Page: Asia Rugby Unstoppable\u00a0\nWorld Rugby will work with all remaining high-performance teams, outside of the global competitions, to coordinate matches, should they wish to do so, within the global competition window, either in their own region or cross-regional.\nWorld Rugby General Manager of Women\u2019s Rugby, Katie Sadleir said:\u00a0\u201cThe new global 15s calendar and establishment of WXV is another major step forward for women\u2019s rugby and women in rugby. The unified calendar will support the high-performance goals of World Rugby\u2019s transformational 2017-25 women\u2019s strategic plan to deliver a more competitive regional and global game.\n\u201cThrough consultation and partnership we will work with unions to support the development of high-performance pathways as they develop their women\u2019s programmes, while supporting the overarching ambition of global growth. In addition, with WXV as a key component of the Women in Rugby commercial programme, it is opening up diversified investment opportunities to grow investment into the women\u2019s game.\u201d\nThe post World Rugby Launches New Global Competition And Aligned Calendar To Supercharge The Women\u2019s 15s Game appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2021-03-16T17:42:57+08:00", "date_modified": "2021-03-17T05:41:34+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/final.jpg", "tags": [ "WXV", "Womens Rugby", "Unstoppable", "Featured" ], "attachments": [ { "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/WXV_Aneweraforwomensrugbycompetition.mp4", "mime_type": "video/mp4", "size_in_bytes": 38597306 } ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=7622", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2020/12/01/rugby-world-cup-2025-set-to-break-new-ground-as-tournament-expands-to-16-teams/", "title": "Rugby World Cup 2025 set to break new ground as tournament expands to 16 teams", "content_html": "

World Rugby has confirmed that the women\u2019s edition of the Rugby World Cup 2025 will expand to 16 team

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World Rugby has confirmed that the women\u2019s edition of the Rugby World Cup will expand to 16 teams from 2025 onwards.

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Related News:\u00a0Rugby World Cup host selection process (Men & Women)

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The landmark decision, taken by the Rugby World Cup Board earlier this year, reflects World Rugby\u2019s commitment to accelerating development of the women\u2019s game globally through its transformational women\u2019s strategic plan 2017-25.

\n

With women\u2019s rugby interest and participation going from strength to strength, the decision supports a core pillar of the plan in increasing the global competitiveness of women\u2019s international rugby, providing the opportunity for more teams to be more competitive on the biggest stages.

\n

Women\u2019s rugby has experienced record growth in recent years, with women and girls now accounting for 28% of the global playing population.

\n

Interest in Rugby World Cup hosting continues to grow ahead of the formal process beginning in February 2021 and today\u2019s announcement follows recent confirmation of key elements relation to the\u00a0evaluation, publication and voting process\u00a0for the 2025 and 2029 editions, which will be awarded at the same time as the men\u2019s in May 2022.

\n

Rugby World Cup continues to go from strength to strength and New Zealand 2021 is set to feature a\u00a0host of exciting new format changes\u00a0which prioritise player welfare and event promotion.

\n

World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said \u201cWomen\u2019s rugby is the single greatest opportunity to grow the sport globally. In 2017 we set out an ambitious eight-year plan to accelerate the development of women in rugby, with a core pillar focussing on high-performance competition and an ambition to improve and expand the number of teams competing in pinnacle events. We have seen in recent years that more teams are making a statement at international level and unions are continuing to develop their women\u2019s high-performance programmes.

\n

\u201cThis is a milestone moment for the women\u2019s game, expansion of the Rugby World Cup opens additional aspirational and inspirational playing pathway opportunities for unions at the highest level of the game and creates added incentive for unions worldwide to continue to invest and grow in their women\u2019s programmes.\u201d

\n

The post Rugby World Cup 2025 set to break new ground as tournament expands to 16 teams appeared first on Asia Rugby.

\n", "content_text": "World Rugby has confirmed that the women\u2019s edition of the Rugby World Cup 2025 will expand to 16 team\n\nWomen\u2019s edition of the Rugby World Cup to increase from 12 to 16 teams from 2025 onwards\nDecision directly delivers against core pillar of the transformational women\u2019s rugby strategic plan 2017-25\nFuture RWC host selection process opens in February 2021 and will conclude in May 2022 with a Council vote\nWorld Rugby Council has approved a progressive host selection awarding process featuring a risk-based evaluation and open, published vote\n\nWorld Rugby has confirmed that the women\u2019s edition of the Rugby World Cup will expand to 16 teams from 2025 onwards.\nRelated News:\u00a0Rugby World Cup host selection process (Men & Women)\nThe landmark decision, taken by the Rugby World Cup Board earlier this year, reflects World Rugby\u2019s commitment to accelerating development of the women\u2019s game globally through its transformational women\u2019s strategic plan 2017-25.\nWith women\u2019s rugby interest and participation going from strength to strength, the decision supports a core pillar of the plan in increasing the global competitiveness of women\u2019s international rugby, providing the opportunity for more teams to be more competitive on the biggest stages.\nWomen\u2019s rugby has experienced record growth in recent years, with women and girls now accounting for 28% of the global playing population.\nInterest in Rugby World Cup hosting continues to grow ahead of the formal process beginning in February 2021 and today\u2019s announcement follows recent confirmation of key elements relation to the\u00a0evaluation, publication and voting process\u00a0for the 2025 and 2029 editions, which will be awarded at the same time as the men\u2019s in May 2022.\nRugby World Cup continues to go from strength to strength and New Zealand 2021 is set to feature a\u00a0host of exciting new format changes\u00a0which prioritise player welfare and event promotion.\nWorld Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said \u201cWomen\u2019s rugby is the single greatest opportunity to grow the sport globally. In 2017 we set out an ambitious eight-year plan to accelerate the development of women in rugby, with a core pillar focussing on high-performance competition and an ambition to improve and expand the number of teams competing in pinnacle events. We have seen in recent years that more teams are making a statement at international level and unions are continuing to develop their women\u2019s high-performance programmes.\n\u201cThis is a milestone moment for the women\u2019s game, expansion of the Rugby World Cup opens additional aspirational and inspirational playing pathway opportunities for unions at the highest level of the game and creates added incentive for unions worldwide to continue to invest and grow in their women\u2019s programmes.\u201d\nThe post Rugby World Cup 2025 set to break new ground as tournament expands to 16 teams appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2020-12-01T07:58:15+08:00", "date_modified": "2020-12-01T07:58:15+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Womens-Rugby-world-cup-2015.jpg", "tags": [ "World Cup", "Womens Rugby", "womens world cup", "Featured", "Rugby World Cup 2021" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=7179", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2020/06/07/the-unstoppable-nahid-biyarjomandi/", "title": "The Unstoppable Nahid Biyarjomandi", "content_html": "

\u201cThink about your passion, face your barriers\u201d – Nahid Biyarjomandi

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Nahid Biyarjomandi is one of the \u201cUnstoppables\u201d who were chosen for the \u2018Try and Stop Us\u2019 campaign that was launched by World Rugby last year to promote women in rugby. This campaign features 15 inspirational women and girls with unstoppable qualities from around the globe, four of them were from Asia Rugby including Nahid. The 32-year-old Iranian

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\u201cUnstoppable\u201d is also a coach and head of women\u2019s and men\u2019s rugby development in Iran, besides being on the Women\u2019s Advisory Committee in Asia Rugby 2020.

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\"Unstoppable

\n

Sport has always taken a huge part in Nahid\u2019s life, as she went to the physical education high school in Iran where she played many sports with track and field being her major sport. She also played basketball and cricket for a short period of time before discovering her passion for rugby.

\n

\u201cNear 11 or 12 years ago, I got introduced to rugby by a friend of mine who asked me to try playing rugby, back then I used to live in a city near Tehran the capital of Iran, in that city rugby was more popular amongst boys than girls\u201d Nahid said.

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She played rugby for almost 8 years, after that she had to take off her rugby boots so she could focus only on coaching and developing women’s rugby in her country.\u00a0 \u201cI love playing rugby, but it was not possible for me to continue playing and being a coach at the same time, I needed to focus only on coaching\u201d she tells me.

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Alongside her coaching journey Nahid was invited by Iran Rugby Association to join them in developing women\u2019s rugby in Iran.

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\"Unstoppable

\n

\u201cWe had many women teams, and many women players but we did not have the right structure to develop women\u2019s rugby, therefore it was a part of my job to work hard and build the appropriate structure to develop women\u2019s rugby in Iran, and I think after two years of working with Iran Rugby Association on women\u2019s rugby development I was assigned as Head of Rugby Development for Men and Women in Iran\u201d Nahid added.

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\u201cI didn’t do it by myself, there were many people beside me\u201d

\n

When I asked Nahid how she managed to develop rugby and inspire more women to join rugby in her country and make the game grow more each day her first answer was that she was not alone. \u201cI was not alone to make it happen, many people helped me and still are\u201d Nahid said.

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Nahid and everyone who is involved in Iran rugby worked together and helped each other by believing that teamwork is essential to achieve their goals.

\n

With everyone\u2019s effort Iran rugby was able to grow the game in the country by undertaking the \u201cLong-term player development pathway\u201d and starting rugby in schools and making it more popular within clubs and universities, besides managing national tournaments and making it grow in many provinces in the country, in addition to that, media coverage had a huge impact in developing rugby in Iran.

\n

\u201cWe did lots of media issues and lots of rugby events and news were covered by many Iranian governmental TV channels, besides working on social media, all of that led to many girls and women getting to know rugby more and more\u201d Nahid said. She also made sure to thank her husband who is also a rugby player and has been very supportive of her journey.

\n

Being \u201cUnstoppable\u201d means facing many barriers and difficulties in your journey, but not letting these challenges stop you from achieving your goals. Nahid talked about her challenges saying \u201cI lived in Karaj and my work was in Tehran so every day I had to go to Tehran to work and help Iran Rugby Association and then go back home, I had to travel for two hours every day. It was not easy, it was hard for me, but because of my rugby passion I didn\u2019t let it stop me\u201d.

\n

\"Iran

\n

Nahid also mentioned that girls and women in Iran have challenges and face many barriers, but she is willing to help them in every way possible.

\n

\u201cBeing unstoppable is a huge responsibility for me\u201d\u00a0 – Nahid Biyarjomandi

\n

After choosing Nahid amongst the \u201cUnstoppables\u201d and joining the \u201cTry and Stop Us\u201d campaign with other inspiring women, she feels that there is a huge responsibility on her now that she is in a place where many young women and girls look up to her.

\n

\u201cI think being unstoppable in this huge project is a difficult and a heavy responsibility for me towards Iran Rugby and Asia Rugby and all women and girls around the world.

\n

Many people helped me to get here, so now it\u2019s my time to help others\u201d, Nahid said. \u201cAfter the Unstoppables project I believe that my duty and my mission is finding a new generation of Unstoppables in Asia and a new generation of Unstoppables in World Rugby\u201d, she added.

\n

Nahid\u2019s passion for rugby was evident when she talked about the sport and how it makes her believe that everything is possible, as she went on from playing to coaching to developing rugby and that only showed her how rugby opens many doors to her, learning from each one of them.

\n

One of the milestones that had a huge impact on her and added to her confidence as she claims was Iran Rugby winning the Women\u2019s Rugby Development Award 2018 after being invited by Asia Rugby to participate in \u201cWomen in Rugby Leadership Forum\u201d that was held on 13 December in Bangkok, Thailand as part of Asia Rugby\u2019s 50th-anniversary celebration.

\n

\"Nahid

\n

\u201cIt was an honor to all of our women and girls, and I think they can see themselves in the future in my shoes and even bigger than that. It\u2019s so good and I am so happy about that, I think it affected all girls in Iran and not just me\u201d.

\n

One thing Nahid sounds ultimately sure about is that she wouldn\u2019t change anything in her past, because she believes that everything happens in the right time, whether it\u2019s good or bad, and everything she has been through made her who she is today.

\n

\u201cIf time goes back and I have the chance to advise my younger self, I would say to myself that you need to keep going because you can achieve it, and to be kind to others\u201d.

\n

Nahid\u2019s success did not come on a silver spoon, she worked so hard to get where she is today, and she believes that in order to achieve something huge you need to go for it step by step without rushing and jumping ahead. It may take time but eventually when you reach the top you will have this valuable feeling of pride and satisfaction that you overcame every obstacle on your way up.

\n

\u00a0\u201cThink about your passion, face your barriers\u201d – Nahid Biyarjomandi\"Iran

\n

Nahid\u2019s message to women not only in Iran or Asia Rugby, but to all women over the globe is an empowering one: \u201cAlways think about you passion, face your barriers and problems, because nothing is easy but if there\u2019s something you want to achieve and you work hard for it, you definitely can catch it, and always think outside the box with no negative thoughts and doubts, and always be supportive to each other because I believe in karma, I think when we help someone it gets back to us, life shows me that every day\u201d.

\n

 

\n

Nahid\u2019s story is an inspiring message on its own, it is one that assures all women and girls who have big dreams that there are no limits they cannot break and that they need to keep going after their dreams and goals without letting any challenges stop them.

\n

 

\n

 

\n

The post The Unstoppable Nahid Biyarjomandi appeared first on Asia Rugby.

\n", "content_text": "\u201cThink about your passion, face your barriers\u201d – Nahid Biyarjomandi\nNahid Biyarjomandi is one of the \u201cUnstoppables\u201d who were chosen for the \u2018Try and Stop Us\u2019 campaign that was launched by World Rugby last year to promote women in rugby. This campaign features 15 inspirational women and girls with unstoppable qualities from around the globe, four of them were from Asia Rugby including Nahid. The 32-year-old Iranian\n\u201cUnstoppable\u201d is also a coach and head of women\u2019s and men\u2019s rugby development in Iran, besides being on the Women\u2019s Advisory Committee in Asia Rugby 2020.\n\nSport has always taken a huge part in Nahid\u2019s life, as she went to the physical education high school in Iran where she played many sports with track and field being her major sport. She also played basketball and cricket for a short period of time before discovering her passion for rugby.\n\u201cNear 11 or 12 years ago, I got introduced to rugby by a friend of mine who asked me to try playing rugby, back then I used to live in a city near Tehran the capital of Iran, in that city rugby was more popular amongst boys than girls\u201d Nahid said.\nShe played rugby for almost 8 years, after that she had to take off her rugby boots so she could focus only on coaching and developing women’s rugby in her country.\u00a0 \u201cI love playing rugby, but it was not possible for me to continue playing and being a coach at the same time, I needed to focus only on coaching\u201d she tells me.\nAlongside her coaching journey Nahid was invited by Iran Rugby Association to join them in developing women\u2019s rugby in Iran.\n\n\u201cWe had many women teams, and many women players but we did not have the right structure to develop women\u2019s rugby, therefore it was a part of my job to work hard and build the appropriate structure to develop women\u2019s rugby in Iran, and I think after two years of working with Iran Rugby Association on women\u2019s rugby development I was assigned as Head of Rugby Development for Men and Women in Iran\u201d Nahid added.\n\u201cI didn’t do it by myself, there were many people beside me\u201d\nWhen I asked Nahid how she managed to develop rugby and inspire more women to join rugby in her country and make the game grow more each day her first answer was that she was not alone. \u201cI was not alone to make it happen, many people helped me and still are\u201d Nahid said.\nNahid and everyone who is involved in Iran rugby worked together and helped each other by believing that teamwork is essential to achieve their goals.\nWith everyone\u2019s effort Iran rugby was able to grow the game in the country by undertaking the \u201cLong-term player development pathway\u201d and starting rugby in schools and making it more popular within clubs and universities, besides managing national tournaments and making it grow in many provinces in the country, in addition to that, media coverage had a huge impact in developing rugby in Iran.\n\u201cWe did lots of media issues and lots of rugby events and news were covered by many Iranian governmental TV channels, besides working on social media, all of that led to many girls and women getting to know rugby more and more\u201d Nahid said. She also made sure to thank her husband who is also a rugby player and has been very supportive of her journey.\nBeing \u201cUnstoppable\u201d means facing many barriers and difficulties in your journey, but not letting these challenges stop you from achieving your goals. Nahid talked about her challenges saying \u201cI lived in Karaj and my work was in Tehran so every day I had to go to Tehran to work and help Iran Rugby Association and then go back home, I had to travel for two hours every day. It was not easy, it was hard for me, but because of my rugby passion I didn\u2019t let it stop me\u201d.\n\nNahid also mentioned that girls and women in Iran have challenges and face many barriers, but she is willing to help them in every way possible.\n\u201cBeing unstoppable is a huge responsibility for me\u201d\u00a0 – Nahid Biyarjomandi\nAfter choosing Nahid amongst the \u201cUnstoppables\u201d and joining the \u201cTry and Stop Us\u201d campaign with other inspiring women, she feels that there is a huge responsibility on her now that she is in a place where many young women and girls look up to her.\n\u201cI think being unstoppable in this huge project is a difficult and a heavy responsibility for me towards Iran Rugby and Asia Rugby and all women and girls around the world.\nMany people helped me to get here, so now it\u2019s my time to help others\u201d, Nahid said. \u201cAfter the Unstoppables project I believe that my duty and my mission is finding a new generation of Unstoppables in Asia and a new generation of Unstoppables in World Rugby\u201d, she added.\nNahid\u2019s passion for rugby was evident when she talked about the sport and how it makes her believe that everything is possible, as she went on from playing to coaching to developing rugby and that only showed her how rugby opens many doors to her, learning from each one of them.\nOne of the milestones that had a huge impact on her and added to her confidence as she claims was Iran Rugby winning the Women\u2019s Rugby Development Award 2018 after being invited by Asia Rugby to participate in \u201cWomen in Rugby Leadership Forum\u201d that was held on 13 December in Bangkok, Thailand as part of Asia Rugby\u2019s 50th-anniversary celebration.\n\n\u201cIt was an honor to all of our women and girls, and I think they can see themselves in the future in my shoes and even bigger than that. It\u2019s so good and I am so happy about that, I think it affected all girls in Iran and not just me\u201d.\nOne thing Nahid sounds ultimately sure about is that she wouldn\u2019t change anything in her past, because she believes that everything happens in the right time, whether it\u2019s good or bad, and everything she has been through made her who she is today.\n\u201cIf time goes back and I have the chance to advise my younger self, I would say to myself that you need to keep going because you can achieve it, and to be kind to others\u201d.\nNahid\u2019s success did not come on a silver spoon, she worked so hard to get where she is today, and she believes that in order to achieve something huge you need to go for it step by step without rushing and jumping ahead. It may take time but eventually when you reach the top you will have this valuable feeling of pride and satisfaction that you overcame every obstacle on your way up.\n\u00a0\u201cThink about your passion, face your barriers\u201d – Nahid Biyarjomandi\nNahid\u2019s message to women not only in Iran or Asia Rugby, but to all women over the globe is an empowering one: \u201cAlways think about you passion, face your barriers and problems, because nothing is easy but if there\u2019s something you want to achieve and you work hard for it, you definitely can catch it, and always think outside the box with no negative thoughts and doubts, and always be supportive to each other because I believe in karma, I think when we help someone it gets back to us, life shows me that every day\u201d.\n \nNahid\u2019s story is an inspiring message on its own, it is one that assures all women and girls who have big dreams that there are no limits they cannot break and that they need to keep going after their dreams and goals without letting any challenges stop them.\n \n \nThe post The Unstoppable Nahid Biyarjomandi appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2020-06-07T15:49:36+08:00", "date_modified": "2020-06-08T14:45:32+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Sarah Abd Elbaki", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/sarah/", "avatar": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/STUL1519-e1590112946584-600x600.jpg" } ], "author": { "name": "Sarah Abd Elbaki", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/sarah/", "avatar": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/STUL1519-e1590112946584-600x600.jpg" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/head-naheed-1.jpg", "tags": [ "Womens Rugby", "Iran", "Unstoppable", "Women in Rugby", "Featured", "Sarah Abd elbaki" ] } ] }