A new initiative from Premiership Women's Rugby (PWR) seeks to address the stark underrepresentation of female head coaches in elite women's rugby union. Currently, only one of the world's top 10 women's rugby nations—New Zealand, under Whitney Hansen—is led by a female head coach. Following last year's Rugby World Cup, both Jo Yapp (Australia) and Gaëlle Mignot (France) stepped down from their roles, leaving no female head coaches in the 2026 Women's Six Nations.
The 10-Point Plan
PWR's 10-point plan, set to launch next season, aims to create a pipeline for more women to reach the highest coaching levels. The scheme includes financial investment, training, and development opportunities for female coaches. While enforcing a minimum operating standard for female coaches at each club is under consideration, the primary focus is on providing support and removing barriers.
Genevieve Shore, PWR chair, commented: "There is a huge amount of work to do to change everything from perception, experience, and pipeline of female coaches. Every single piece from 'I have done my coaching qualification' to 'I have got my job' needs intervention."
Research and Insights
The league collaborated with the Rugby Football Union on a 100-page report, interviewing coaches and club owners from both the women's and men's games. Former Exeter Women's head coach Susie Appleby noted the isolation female coaches often face: "The support you need is immense. It is quite solitary at times. You get quite isolated, not necessarily by choice."
Currently, all PWR clubs have male head coaches, and only six of 22 women coaching in the league hold senior roles. Shore hopes that increasing female coaches at the league level will eventually translate to more representation internationally.
Barriers to Entry
Rachel Taylor, assistant coach at Loughborough Lightning, praised World Rugby's internship programmes but stressed the role of home unions: "Just because you are an ex-Welsh player doesn't mean you should go on and coach with Wales, but it is a really good avenue to get in. It is difficult if you don't have your home union championing you from the off."
Siwan Lillicrap, Wales under-18s head coach, highlighted the lack of visible role models: "You have to see it to want to be it. We have been there in a playing sense, but there are not enough women coaches out there for people to aspire or think there is a path."
Changing Perceptions
Former Ireland player Anna Caplice, who coached Laos, emphasised the need to shift societal perceptions: "If you turned around and it was a man with his hands in his pockets, there would be absolutely no question about his ability. Whereas if you turned around and saw a woman who knows her stuff, immediately there are questions."
Different voices proposed various solutions: Caplice advocates for more player-coach roles, Wales development coach Elinor Snowsill suggests paid guest coaching periods in international camps, and Taylor calls for mandated female coaches at all levels. However, World Rugby has stated it does not plan to introduce quotas.
The Missing Generation
The slower professionalisation of women's rugby has also contributed to the shortage. Snowsill explained: "If you look 10 years ago the game was still amateur. There were no full-time players, so they all had full-time jobs. For them to retire and go into coaching was a lot less likely. That is why we have a generation of missing coaches."
Shore added: "Lots of men when they are in academies and are professional rugby players take this pathway and get their 10,000 hours in. 95% of our women have a job as well as playing. They do not have another 20 hours a week to coach."
Unique Contributions of Female Coaches
Female coaches can bring empathetic communication and a deeper understanding of female biology, including the impact of the menstrual cycle on athletes. Snowsill noted: "We have found, as players, it took a toll on us and we weren't well equipped or well supported. So we are massively motivated to make sure the next generation has those other skills."
The PWR plan represents a concerted effort to bridge the gap, but as Shore acknowledged, significant work remains to change perceptions, build experience, and create clear pathways for women in coaching.
