In accordance to its strategic blueprint for rugby in Ireland from 2024-2028, the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) is set to recruit a women’s strategy implementation chief. Reporting directly to the CEO Kevin Potts, the appointee will oversee the governance of women’s rugby in the country.
The recruitment drive for this critical position will commence by the end of summer, with the appointment to be finalised in the fourth quarter of the year. Kevin Potts highlighted the urgency to appoint the perfect candidate for this role, bearing in mind the upcoming Women’s Rugby World Cup taking place next year.
The strategic vision, which took over a year to develop and involved consultations with approximately 4,800 rugby associates, pinpointed women’s rugby as a potential growth sector for the sport within Ireland. Potts further elaborated this point, asserting that the advancement of women’s rugby is not only a national goal, but recognized globally.
Noting record attendance at the three Six Nations home games this year, Potts portrayed the increased commercial interest in the women’s game. The growing participation in mini-rugby and rugby programmes among females is also seen as an indication of potential growth.
Potts also drew comparisons to the progress made by women’s football during the Fifa Women’s World Cup about eight years ago. He sees potential for a similar turning point for women’s rugby, expecting next year’s Rugby World Cup in England to have a significant impact on the women’s game. Pledging commitment to this cause, Potts affirmed the IRFU and the provinces’ intent to boost the profile and growth of women’s rugby over the forthcoming four years.
The IRFU’s women’s XV’s impressive third-place finish in the Six Nations and qualification for the Rugby World Cup, coupled with our women’s Sevens team’s impending participation in the Olympics, presents an incredible opportunity over the next year-and-a-half. This is an optimal time for us, as a sport, as the IRFU, and across the provinces, to harness and optimise these prospects, a task we are fully committed to undertake.
The briefing was conducted by Potts and David Humphreys, the IRFU’s freshly appointed performance director; he formally assumed his role a little under two weeks ago after a transition period from March, shadowing his predecessor, David Nucifora. This transition has been made simpler thanks to the assistance from the former Ulster and Ireland halfback.
The immersive experience of spending the past three months with the diverse teams – the men’s 15s, the women’s 15s, the men’s and women’s 7s, and the various under-age squads – has provided a comprehensive understanding of the ongoing dynamics and allowed for the chance to interact with staff and players without decision-making burdens. David Humphreys noted the effectiveness of this approach while adding light-heartedly that any poor decisions can still be attributed to his predecessor, David Nucifora.
Humphreys and Nucifora have collaborated effectively without being overly dependent on each other. Humphreys shared that he already has new ideas to tweak and introduce as part of a recent four-year plan. Unlike previous iterations, there won’t be any explicit KPIs (key performance indicators), as these will be publicised annually.
On looking at the teams and acknowledging the achievements, Humphreys stated that it’s not just about doing things better, but also about exploring different avenues that could yield better results from a performance standpoint, helping the team win more games.
The profound shift in our strategic way of thinking when it comes to winning teams is starkly evident, especially when compared to our mentality two decades ago. A point in time when our main concern was steering clear of last place. Now, our Irish men’s team steps into each new season with a solid expectation of victory. Our provincial teams anticipate winning the URC, triumphing in European competitions – a testament to our unshakeable belief in our capacity to emerge victorious.
This winning savoir-faire isn’t something we plan on relinquishing, despite the varying stages of development other teams in the system find themselves in. We are committed to fast-tracking their progress in whichever capacities they need most urgently.
Turning our attention towards the women’s 15s as we approach a World Cup year, we place immense importance on their success. As vocalised by Kevin, our strategy for the future heavily includes their progression. By providing a strong backbone of support in terms of coaching, playing, and preparation, we are ensuring they are well equipped, placing them in a favourable position for the World Cup.