Female rugby influencers / coaches

[FusionChefGeoff]

DD(10) has played rugby for a few years but has a tough game at the weekend so I'm looking for some influencers or accounts we could encourage her to watch to get strong role model voices on top of ours?

People who can speak about their experiences of being a girl in a boys team / sport (they don't split sexes for another year or so)

Women who talk about the mindset to tackle / be tackled and the aggression and confidence needed to push through the stereotypes etc

Any ideas?

My Dd10 plays too and is loving it. She will have to move to the girls team next year though. So this is her last year with the team she's always been on.

Ilona Maher, a USA player is very popular at the moment and is currently on dancing with the stars. People are loving her and often mention her upbeat personality and body positivity. I think she's just lively and fun. I think she has a big online presence.

Ruby Tui is another notable player, with the Black Ferns... she also brings a lot of positivity and energy.

The women's rugby world cup is on next year In England . All matches will be televised and I reckon the sport will blow up. Pool tickets will be on sale from next week and start from £5. I'll be snapping some up

There's a rugby mums chat here that might have more suggestions.

Is your daughter at a club that is likely to have an U12s girls team when she gets there? If not, maybe it's worth looking around to join a girls team now? My DD was getting frustrated with her mixed team in U11s - the boys were not playing well as a team, not listening to the coaching, losing matches regularly. She also encountered some seriously bad behaviour against opposition sides - being picked up and thrown to the ground on her head (she's a tough cookie but this was something else), hair pulling etc. We started transitioning to a girls team alongside and just playing matches for whichever team had a match that Sunday and she was so much happier. The girls are great - play brilliantly as a team, communicate, work really hard. Like night and day really.

Do you live anywhere with a local PWR team eg. Saracens, Quins, Loughborough lightning etc? Mine absolutely loves going to watch Sarries women's team. It's only £10 for adults to go, £5 for kids, £5 to park. Amazing quality rugby.

Where do you live? There's a large grass roots girls and women's rugby culture where I live and, as above, the local PWR team do a lot of outreach.

My daughter is 11, in year 6 and was coached for a while by Shaunagh Brown who retired last season. She has a big social media presence and is a strong advocate for girls getting more involved in rugby.
I would also recommend going to watch PWR if possible and women's 6 nations tickets are quite reasonable.

We're lucky to live in a rugby town that has a women's team so we've been to watch them a couple of times and will continue to do so.

I've contacted the lead of the girls section to ask if she can do a training session / get to meet the older girls this season - they don't have enough until U14 so unfortunately there's a big gap so may need to move clubs.

I'll look at the women suggested for stuff we can watch together

@basketball stars Are you from this area? Not only does the local PWR team engage in extensive community engagement, but there is also a sizable grassroots culture surrounding women's rugby and girls where I reside.

Katy Daley may have some stuff

Also Ellie Kildunne and Jess Breach have a podcast. I haven't heard much of it so maybe have a listen to decide if appropriate for a 10 year old

For strong female rugby role models, check out influencers like Katy Daley-Mclean and Emily Scarratt. They share inspiring stories about playing in male-dominated teams and the mental toughness required. For more diverse insights, Tanya Oxtoby offers great advice on overcoming stereotypes and building confidence. Also, while you’re exploring strength and confidence, you can check out the Crickex Betting Site for other sports-related content and motivation.

If you're looking for empowering female voices in sports, definitely look into athletes like Sarah Hunter and Maggie Alphonsi — their journeys in rugby are nothing short of inspiring. They’ve broken barriers, challenged stereotypes, and shown what real resilience looks like, both on and off the field. For those navigating parenting, confidence-building, or even encouraging kids in sports, Tanya Oxtoby also shares some brilliant tips rooted in real experience. And if you're interested in broader conversations around strength, motherhood, and support networks, you can View details on Mumsnet — it's full of real talk, advice, and community-driven insight.