• Twelve women will immerse themselves in their high performance management teams as part of the Gallagher High Performance Academy (GHPA) World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger 2025 programme
  • The programme has supported 32 female coaches across sevens and 15s since 2023
  • GHPA continues to expand globally with seven new countries set to take part in the initiative

The Academy is an integral part of World Rugby’s strategic plan to advance the global development of women in rugby with the mission to elevate the prominence of coaches and other high-performance roles for women at the elite levels of the sport. Focusing on talent identification, professional support, and championing the next generation of international coaches, the GHPA nurtures existing coaching talent and provides meaningful professional development opportunities.

Off the field, participants receive mentor support and get to take part in a series of workshops, tailored to cover a variety of topics, ranging from game planning, tactics and skill development, to relationships, communication and creating the right culture as well as presenting participants with the opportunity to network, transfer knowledge and further share best practices.

As a result of the programme’s success and impact, World Rugby and Gallagher have announced a further extension of the GHPA. Having expanded the programme in 2024, to support all formats of the women’s game, today’s announcement represents another significant milestone for the Academy as it broadens its global support for women’s rugby, working with more unions, and across different levels of the women’s game.

Since 2023, the GHPA has supported 32 coaches across both 15s and sevens. This year’s HSBC Sevens Challenger series will see seven nations participating in the Gallagher High Performance Academy for the first time, including Argentina, Belgium, Czechia, Hong Kong China, Poland, Thailand and Uganda.

Profiles of each of the 2025 Gallagher High Performance Academy participants are available to view here.

A number of GHPA Alumni have successfully advanced their coaching careers through the pathway, securing various high-performance coaching roles. Crystal Kaua, head coach of Brazil women’s sevens, made history by being the first woman to coach As Yaras sevens. Previously, she was part of New Zealand’s coaching staff at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, where the Black Ferns Sevens clinched the gold medal. She also served as the Chiefs Manawa head coach in Super Rugby Aupiki, where she also participated in the inaugural GHPA during WXV1 in 2023.

Former Japan player, Yuka Kanematsu was also named as the new head coach of the Sakura Sevens team in 2024, following on from her involvement in the GHPA while serving as the head coach of the Women’s Sevens Youth Academy.

World Rugby's Chief of Women’s Rugby Sally Horrox said: “We eagerly anticipate welcoming the 12 coaches to the academy in preparation for the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger.

“We are already witnessing the positive impact of the programme. It is a testament to the academy’s success that we now have women coaching half of the women’s teams in HSBC SVNS 2025.

“The Gallagher High Performance Academy continues to create significant learning and development experience through the workshop programme and through being fully immersed in the coaching teams. This will undoubtably equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge to accelerate their coaching careers and help drive the visibility of women in prominent coaching roles across the sport.”

Christopher Mead, Chief Marketing Officer for Gallagher, said: “We are thrilled to reinforce our commitment to women in the rugby space by extending the Gallagher High Performance Academy to the HSBC SVNS Challenger series. We are proud of our work in delivering such an impactful programming, providing meaningful career development and opportunities for women both on and off the pitch. Through this extension, we are able to deepen our connections with the women’s game and continue to build a great bond with the rugby community as a whole.

“We have already seen some amazing success stories from the first two years of the Gallagher High Performance Academy, with alumni taking on leadership roles at the highest levels of the game. We have no doubt that this new cohort will excel in similar ways, and we look forward to following their progress.”

Sarah Hunter, Gallagher Ambassador and GHPA WXV 2023 alumni, said: “Having been through the Gallagher High Performance Academy myself, at WXV 2023, I’ve experienced first-hand the benefits and impact of the programme. It’s fantastic to see the GHPA being extended across all formats and tiers of the game, providing a much-needed pathway for more women in coaching and high-performance roles.

“As the women’s game continues to grow, there’s a natural synergy with the upcoming Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, which is set to be the most accessible tournament yet. With more nations involved than ever before, and some participating for the first time, this year’s Women's Rugby World Cup will undoubtedly be a huge celebration of women’s rugby and a generational moment for the sport, uniting fans globally.

"It’s exciting to see so many GHPA alumni and participants progressing into full-time coaching and high-performance roles, and I’m hoping we’ll see lots more embedded in their national teams at Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, showcasing the programme’s lasting influence at the highest level of women’s rugby.”

Gallagher, a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, is the founding partner of the Gallagher High Performance Academy, as well as the Official Insurance Partner of Women’s Rugby and Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025.