Hong Kong Rugby Union’s U19 girls programme focusing on real world skill development
- World Rugby says the women’s game is expanding much more rapidly than the men’s in various emerging markets as sport is hit hard by coronavirus
- HKRU programme helps girls through various educational sessions on a range of topics including body image, stress at school and nutrition
The latest figures from World Rugby show the women’s game is growing much faster than the men’s. Participation levels are at an all-time high in the sport with an estimated 2.7 million female rugby players across the planet.
This is close to a quarter of the sport’s playing population, a 28 per cent increase in registered players since 2017.
As the world starts to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic, it appears the future of rugby is female as the women’s game is expanding faster than the men’s in 81 of 100 countries surveyed by World Rugby.
The HKRU’s under-19 girls programme, part of its larger National Age Grade Programme, looks to be a bright spot. The programme has taken a fulsome approach by placing an onus on “developing young women that can handle the real world”, said Samantha Feausi, the head of Women’s Rugby Development.
