Sign of the times: the latest global partnership unveiled by World Rugby concerns the women’s game. And it has been signed with an American company. World Rugby has announced a multi-year agreement with Gallagher, an international insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting firm. The Illinois-based company becomes an official partner of women’s rugby, the 2025 World Cup in England, and the first two editions of the WXV, the new annual three-tier, 18-team women’s global competition, scheduled for 2023 and 2024. The WXV is expected to help secure a minimum of 10 international matches per year for teams, double the current schedule, and thus increase the reach, profile and impact of women’s rugby. Gallagher will also be a founding partner of the High Performance Academy, a fully immersive leadership and development program developed by World Rugby. Its goal is to increase the visibility of high performance female technical leaders, with a focus on talent identification, professional support and the promotion of the next generation of world-class female coaches. The initial focus will be on England, Australia and the USA, which will host the next three Women’s World Cups.
