For wāhine, by wāhine with the support of tāne throughout Aotearoa.

Women in Rugby Aotearoa (WIRA) is 100% about growing our game by ensuring all women, young and old, have a positive experience in our sport, on and off the field. We cannot do this alone. We welcome your support to help us increase women’s engagement in Rugby in Aotearoa in playing, coaching, refereeing (and other officials), administration and governing roles.

Why WIRA exists

Women in Rugby Aotearoa is a not-for-profit grassroots movement; a collective of current and former players, administrators, managers, coaches, directors and volunteers involved in rugby.

We exist to:

Support existing women to progress within their chosen pathway
Provide insight, perspectives, data and motivation to Rugby Inc to drive women’s engagement
Provide resources to women and girls to encourage them to engage in rugby
And to engage with women and girls who are/have Māori, Pasifika, from ethnic minorities, visible and invisible disabilities and LGBTQI to encourage their participation in rugby
We are working in partnership with NZ Rugby to improve the rugby ecosystem with a vision to build a network for any and all wāhine interested in rugby in Aotearoa.

Our role within the rugby ecosystem

Empowerment

Empowerment of our members through information sharing, active support in all facets of the game and networking opportunities.

Advocacy

We will be the entity to hold the mirror up to all stakeholders in the rugby ecosystem to ensure wāhine in New Zealand rugby have and understand the pathways they desire from players and volunteers, through to senior management and directors and that women’s rugby has a footing equal to the men’s game.

Principles of WIRA

Wāhine are wāhine. We do not expect or encourage women and girls to behave other than authentically when they engage with Rugby.

This is a safe space. We support each other and learn from each other.

We don’t reinvent the wheel. We use resources already available and make sure to make them accessible. However, to achieve our purpose it will sometimes be necessary to find or create new resources.

We recognise that progressing in our chosen pathway involves a holistic approach to personal development. We use the Fonofale model to guide us. The Fale (house) – has a roof (cultural values & beliefs); foundation (family), four Pou (spiritual, physical, mental and other health; and sits within a cocoon which includes context, time and environment.