WLA HUB

DELEGATE

2026

Alumni

WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

COURSE INFORMATION

Congratulations on your acceptance to the United Rugby Championship Women’s Leadership Academy 2026.

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

DateTimeSpeaker
Wednesday, 21 January18:00 (GMT)WLA Onboarding
Friday, 23 January10:00 (GMT)WLA Onboarding (back-up day)
Wednesday, 28 January18:00 (GMT)Workshop 1 | Hollie Davidson
Wednesday, 4 February18:00 (GMT)Workshop 2 | Matthew Thoma
Wednesday, 11 February18:00 (GMT)Workshop 3 | Elma Smit
Wednesday, 18 February18:00 (GMT)Workshop 4 | Deirdre O’Sullivan
Wednesday, 25 February18:00 (GMT)Workshop 5 | Niamh O’Connor
Weednesday, 4 March18:00 (GMT)Workshop 6 | Sue Butler
Wednesday, 11 March18:00 (GMT)Workshop 7 | TBC
Wednesday, 18 March18:00 (GMT)Workshop 8 | Michaella Snoeck
Wednesday, 25 March18:00 (GMT)Workshop 9 | Ann Austin
Wednesday, 1 April18:00 (GMT)Workshop 10 | Michelle Wilson
Wednesday, 8 April18:00 (GMT)Workshop 11 | TBC
Wednesday, 22 April18:00 (GMT)Graduation & MVP Announcement

*Dates and times are subject to change due to speaker availability

WORKSHOP ETIQUETTE

Please be on time. On time means waiting in the lobby 3-5 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 email [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. If you pose a question to the speaker, please turn your camera on.

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 Zoom or WhatsApp chat. We will invite you to ask the question when the speaker is ready, or when the question session opens. If we run out of time and your question is not answered, don’t worry. The speakers have all agreed to receive additional questions via mail the day after the workshop. These will then be answered when they are available and shared with everybody on email.

Recording. All workshop sessions will be recorded. The recoding will be loaded onto the WLA Hub the day after the workshop. It can be found under “Workshop Recordings”. When the recording has been loaded, a note will be made on the WhatsApp group to alert you. We don’t mind you using an AI tool for note taking, however no other recording platforms may be used. The WLA will be the only recording permitted.

Speakers. Our speakers are accomplished leaders who generously share their time, experience, and insights with the programme. While they are deeply passionate about supporting the next generation of women in sport, many have demanding professional schedules.

We respectfully request that you do not contact speakers in their personal or professional capacity unless the speaker has chosen to share their contact details. Feel free to connect with speakers via their public social media platforms

confirmed speakers

Speaker Position Country
Ann Austin VP Community Development & Charitable Programs, WTA USA
Deidre O’Sullivan Head of Operations & Regional Competitions, World Rugby Ireland
Elma Smit Content Producer and Presenter, Whisper TV / The Good The Scaz & The Rugby UK/ South Africa
Hollie Davidson World Rugby Match Official Scotland
Matthew Thoma Senior Digital Channels Manager, United Rugby Championship UK
Michaella Snoeck Chief Media Officer, Formula E UK/ South Africa
Michelle Wilson Director, Global Sport Group USA
Motshidisi Mohono Presenter, SuperSport South Africa
Niamh O’Connor CEO, Western Force Rugby Australia / Ireland
Shira Kilgallon Podcast Producer, The Good, The Scaz & The Rugby UK
Sue Butler Head of Sport, S4C Television UK

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - FAQs

WHAT ARE OUR EXPECTATIONS OF YOU TO GRADUATE?
  1. You will be expected to attend 80% of the workshops.
  2. If you are unable to attend due to unforeseen circumstances or because of work commitments, it is expected that you excuse yourself in advance.
  3. 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.
  4. Engagement in the workshop sessions.
  5. Engagement with the URC WLA LinkedIn page group.
  6. Acceptance to the URC WLA WhatsApp Group.
  7. Engagement with other delegates on the official WhatsApp page.
  8. 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.

  1. Attend a minimum of 80% of the workshops.
  2. If you are unable to attend due to unforeseen circumstances or because of work commitments, it is expected that you excuse yourself in advance.
  3. 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.
  4. Engagement in the workshop sessions.
  5. Engagement with the URC WLA LinkedIn page group.
  6. Acceptance to the URC WLA WhatsApp Group.
  7. Engagement with other delegates on the official WhatsApp page.
  8. Sharing of content across various platforms.
  9. 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.

  • 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]

Thank you for applying to the URC Women's Leadership Academy. You will receive an email when your application is assessed by the team.

Access to the WLA HUB is restricted.
To gain access, please submit your details through the
Application Form