COURSE INFORMATION
Congratulations on your acceptance to the United Rugby Championship Women’s Leadership Academy 2025.
This document serves as your onboarding information and will outline what you need to know to get started on the programme. Everything outlined here will be addressed in the online onboarding session.
WORKSHOP DATES
| Date | Time | Speaker |
| Thursday 13 February | 18:00 (GMT) | Induction |
| Friday, 14 February | 15:00 (GMT) | Back-up induction |
| Monday, 17 February | 18:00 (GMT) | Opening session | Elma Smit |
| Wednesday, 26 February | 18:00 (GMT) | Session 2 | Karen Poole |
| Wednesday, 5 March | 18:00 (GMT) | Session 3 | Michaella Snoeck |
| Wednesday, 12 March | 18:00 (GMT) | Session 4 | Kara Kelly |
| Wednesday, 19 March | 18:00 (GMT) | Session 5 | Lauren Robinson |
| Friday, 21 March | 18:00 (GMT) | Session 6 | TBC |
| Wednesday, 26 March | 18:00 (GMT) | Session 7 | TBC |
| Wednesday, 2 April | 18:00 (GMT) | Session 8 | Pranita Ghate |
| Friday, 4 / Saturday, 5 April | TBC | Session 9 | TBC |
| Wednesday, 9 April | 18:00 (GMT) | Session 10 | Ann Austin |
| Wednesday, 16 April | 18:00 (GMT) | Session 11 | Christina Mahon |
WORKSHOP ETIQUETTE
Please be on time. On time means waiting in the lobby 5 minutes before the session starts. Our speakers have offered up their time voluntarily and to arrive late would be disrespectful to them. Yes, things happen, and there may be times where you may be late. Please communicate with us by emailing [email protected] in advance so that we can advise the speaker.
Name. Please make sure that your Zoom account has your name and surname when you join the session. It is important for the speaker to know who they are speaking to, especially if you have questions. Let’s try to keep the sessions as professional as possible – but we promise they will be insightful and fun too!
Cameras. Connectivity may be an issue for some delegates attending the workshops. Initially, please can you ensure that your video is turned on so that the speaker can see who she is speaking to. Once introductions have been done, cameras may be turned off.
Mute. Please mute your microphone on arrival to the session. Only un-mute once we invite you to ask a question. The host will mute you if you do un-mute yourself out of turn.
Questions. Each session will have a time allocated for questions. Should you want to ask a question, please raise your hand using the icon in Zoom, or alternatively type your question in the WhatsApp chat. The host will invite you to ask the question when the speaker is ready, or when the question session opens.
Recording. Please note that all workshop sessions will be recorded.
SPEAKERS CONFIRMED TO DATE
- Ann Austin – VP Community Development & Charitable Programs, WTA
- Christina Mahon – United Rugby Championship
- Elma Smit – Account Director, Whisper
- Kara Kelly – Senior Rugby Producer, Iris Productions on behalf of RTÉ & TG4
- Karen Poole – Client Services Director, Openfield Marketing
- Lauren Robinson – Regional Event Director for EMEA, SAIL GP
- Marisa Villa – La Liga F, Spanish Professional Football Referee
- Michaella Snoeck – Head of Media Rights, Formula 1
- Pranita Ghate – Head of Data and Insight at Crystal Palace
- Rene Naylor – Sports Physiotherapist (Former Springboks Physio)
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - FAQs
WHAT ARE OUR EXPECTATIONS OF YOU TO GRADUATE?
- You will be expected to attend 80% of the workshops.
- If you are unable to attend due to unforeseen circumstances or because of work commitments, it is expected that you excuse yourself in advance.
- If you are not able to attend a workshop, we expect that you catch up on the session by listening to the recorded session which will be mailed to all delegates post the workshop.
- Engagement in the workshop sessions.
- Engagement with the URC WLA LinkedIn page group.
- Acceptance to the URC WLA WhatsApp Group.
- Engagement with other delegates on the official WhatsApp page.
- Submission of a final assessment video (a submission video similar to the introductory video where you highlight what you learned from the programme and identify which speaker impacted you most and why. You can also reference how you believe the programme will benefit you in the future).
Don’t worry if you are not an extrovert or don’t feel comfortable to talk in sessions, that you will be marked down. There are other ways to engage – like asking questions in the WhatsApp chat or engaging on social media.
HOW CAN YOU BE SELECTED AS THE URC WLA MVP?
- Attend a minimum of 80% of the workshops.
- If you are unable to attend due to unforeseen circumstances or because of work commitments, it is expected that you excuse yourself in advance.
- If you are not able to attend a workshop, we expect that you catch up on the session by listening to the recorded session which will be mailed to all delegates post the workshop.
- Engagement in the workshop sessions.
- Engagement with the URC WLA LinkedIn page group.
- Acceptance to the URC WLA WhatsApp Group.
- Engagement with other delegates on the official WhatsApp page.
- Sharing of content across various platforms.
- Submission of the final assessment video.
A panel at the United Rugby Championship will evaluate the delegates based on feedback from the various sessions and monitoring of social media and review of the final video submission.
The MVP will be announced at the online graduation ceremony to be held on Wednesday, 7 May.
Every delegate who graduates will receive an official graduation certificate.
WHAT BENEFITS ARE THERE TO BEING VOTED THE MPV?
- Work experience at the United Rugby Championship Grand Final on Saturday, 14 June (venue TBC) including flights and accommodation, if required.
- Work experience tailored to your chosen career path in sport. The final role will be determined in consultation with you.
The URC WLA does not end once you graduate. You will join the WLA Alumni programme and still have access to the URC for guidance and mentorship.
We look forward to being part of your journey in sport!
QUESTIONS?
If you have any questions about this programme or have any accessibility requirements which you would like to discuss with us, please contact [email protected]
