Over two days, discussions will centre around critical topics from advancing the women and girls’ game in Wales from injury prevention to female athlete physical development, along with a panel discussion on the shape of the game and the growth potential of women’s rugby.
WRU CEO, Abi Tierney, says,“We’re delighted to launch this pioneering, game changer conference on women and girls’ rugby in Cardiff. It will give a vital platform to hear from leading voices in the industry and contribute to the conversation on the bright future for our game.
“The support we have received from our colleagues at World Rugby, including Atlanta St John and Nicky Ponsford, and the team at Vodafone has been phenomenal. They will be leading some of these core discussions alongside our very own WRU ‘change makers’ who are using data driven technology to lead the way in decision making in the elite female game.
“Wales Women’s final round Guinness Six Nations match against Italy, to be hosted at Principality Stadium, seemed like the perfect occasion to bring the conference to the home of Welsh rugby. This conference is an important part of our continued commitment to advancing Women and Girls rugby in Wales and I look forward to welcoming everyone to Cardiff in April.”
Day one focuses on high performance with informative presentations, Q&A’s and keynote speeches from industry leaders including World Rugby’s Atlanta St John and Nicky Ponsford and Izzy Moore at Cardiff MET.
Day two will be a celebration of our game and the change makers in our community driving women and girls’ rugby forward. Ten heroes within the community game will be celebrated with ‘diolch’ volunteer awards and ten new Welsh caps will be awarded to female players who missed out despite representing Wales in years gone by. A success story which is part of our ‘Missing Cap’ campaign which launched in 2021 and has so far, enabled over 200 former Wales internationals to take their rightful place in Welsh rugby history.
The second day also coincides with Wales’ Guinness Six Nations final round clash with Italy at Principality Stadium and everyone who attends the conference will receive tickets to the game, which kicks-off at 12:15.
A record crowd is expected, with the previous largest Welsh crowd for a Wales Women’s international registered last year at a capacity Cardiff Arms Park, and the match will also be followed by Women’s Bowl, Plate and Cup finals later that afternoon in a stellar day of women’s sport.
Tickets for the Women’s Guinness Six Nations are on sale now, available from WRU.WALES/TICKETS.
