Bird and LJ talk to Aileen Richards, who was the first women on the board of directors of Welsh Rugby Union.
Here are the questions posed to Aileen:
Growing up what were thoughts on a career – did any female role models influence you on your journey?
Why rugby?
What is the most memorable event in your career?
How did you progress to the role of senior exec at Mars? What life experiences provided you with the skills to do this role?
You’ve been a Welsh rugby fan for over 50 years do you think there are any lessons to learn from the men’s game at community, club and International level?
From your experience of working in Mars a global company. In terms of brand what do you think needs to happen for women’s rugby to secure more financial backing and access mainstream media?
What was it like being the first woman on the board of the WRU? How did it happen?
Where do you feel your influence has created the greatest change in Welsh rugby?
What would be your advice to any female with a passion for rugby, who wants to support and make rugby a game for everyone about how to get involved at a strategic level in the game? What qualities/skills would they need?
You’ve just become chair of the new cricket team Welsh Fire. Can you tell us a bit more about this role and set up? What can rugby learn from other sports such a cricket?
What one tip you would give to a young person looking to succeed? What is your next big goal that you would like to achieve?
Aileen Richards is a non-executive Director of WRU. She was a senior executive with Mars until 2015. As executive vice president of Mars, she was responsible for the Human Resources strategy for the company’s 85,000 employees and she also led Mars Global Services (Mars IT, Mars Financial Services and Mars Associate Services). In her 30 years with Mars, she also held senior international roles in procurement and manufacturing and lived in Washington DC and Brussels.
She is currently an independent non-executive director on several boards, including Mars Nederland, Jacob Douwe Egberts, Pret A Manger and Welsh National Opera. She was also the first woman on the board of directors of the Welsh Rugby Union and chairs the Board of the new Cricket Team Welsh Fire.
She has been a Welsh rugby fan for over 50 years, has travelled to many World Cups. Married with two children, all of whom played rugby.
Bird and LJ caught with Rachel Lund, former England international and now a Gloucester-Hartpury player who is studying to become a physio.
They asked her about the following:
Her journey from minis player to premiership.
Combining and juggling her commitments as an international and club player whilst studying full time for a degree.
Whether she would have changed to a full-time contract if she had been offered it.
The importance of having many career options.
Her current degree in physiotherapy.
How her degree combines with her sport. MORE
Bird and LJ catch up with England Women's assistant coach, Amy Turner.
Amy played 59 times for England, at scrum-half, centre and hooker. She played in three World Cups and helped England win seven Six Nations Grand Slams.
She is currently a World Rugby intern. Formerly a police officer, she worked for the RFU as a Performance Pathway Officer and coached men's rugby too. MORE
Bird and LJ talk to Lynne Cantwell, the first high performance manager for the women’s game in South Africa.
Lynne is Ireland’s most capped (86) female rugby player. She was appointed to the South African role in February 2021. She has been a member of Sport Ireland’s board since 2019. She is also a qualified physiotherapist. MORE
Carol was a founder member of the women's RFU, captain Great Britain and England international teams in their games. She was the first woman to achieve a L3 coaching award in England and was performance director of women's rugby in England too.
As well as being awarded an OBE for services to women's rugby, she is in the World Rugby Hall of Fame and consults for World Rugby. MORE
Bird and LJ welcome Vicky Macqueen.
Vicky, who received a British Empire Medal for services to sport, was an England international with 34 caps, plus also representing England at 7s.
She has coach men's rugby with Hinkley, was director of women's rugby at Loughborough University, as well as coaching at Lichfield Women.
In 2015 she founded didi Rugby UK and now has franchises across the UK, New Zealand, Australia and Italy.
MORE
Bird and LJ welcome Kate Burke, Lead Pathway Analyst with England Rugby. Kate has an MSc in Sports Analysis. After working in Wales with academy teams, she moved to the RFU in 2008, working with U18s and covering the men's teams. She then joined Bath for two years as head of analysis, before returning to the RFU to oversee analysis provision across the pathway, women's, 7's and referees' departments. MORE
