Gallagher has announced a multi-year partnership with World Rugby, making the global brokerage an official partner of Women’s Rugby and Rugby World Cup 2025.
Under the sponsorship agreement, Gallagher will be an official partner of World Rugby WXV 2023 and 2024 – a new, annual global women’s competition that features 18 teams.
Launching later this year, WXV will provide a meaningful pathway for all unions and a competitive springboard toward the expanded Rugby World Cup in 2025, Gallagher said.
WXV aims to increase the depth and competitiveness of the game in the lead-up to Rugby World Cup 2025. It will help ensure a minimum of 10 international fixtures per year for teams, doubling the current fixture program.
Under the deal, Gallagher will also be the founding partner of the High-Performance Academy, a development and leadership program that aims to increase the prominence of female coaches and other high-performance roles at rugby’s elite levels. The program will develop existing talent and identify new women coaches and other high-performance roles in the sport. Its initial focus will be on England, Australia, and the US, the next three host countries for the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
“We are extremely proud to partner with World Rugby and to provide a pathway for women aspiring to work at elite levels of the sport through the Rugby World Cup, WXV, and the Gallagher High-Performance Academy,” said J. Patrick Gallagher Jr, chairman, president and CEO of Gallagher. “Gallagher has deep roots within rugby and a rich history in sports partnerships, sharing the core values of driving high performance through teamwork, integrity, inclusivity, respect, and professional excellence.”
The launch of the partnership included support from former New Zealand Rugby player and three-time Rugby World Cup winner Kendra Cocksedge, as well as Sarah Hunter, England Rugby’s all-time most-capped player, Rugby World Cup winner, and former captain. Cocksedge and Hunter have been named ambassadors for Gallagher’s World Rugby partnership.
“We are excited to be partnering with Gallagher to accelerate the growth of women’s rugby,” said Alan Gilpin, World Rugby chief executive. “This is an endorsement of the compelling and undeniable opportunity that we have in front of us to grow the game as a whole. All the evidence shows that by leading with women and girls, we can propel the sport to new levels, unlock new markets, attract new audiences, and develop impactful partnerships. Gallagher shares our vision. This partnership is action-oriented, aligns with our plan, and we look forward to working together to drive forward the competitiveness, reach, and impact of women in rugby.”
