HONG KONG CHINA RUGBY WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME COMPLETES SECOND YEAR

Hong Kong China Rugby (HKCR) are delighted to confirm that the LIFT Programme, which provides leadership development for women in the rugby community, has now completed a successful second year.

As with the initial cohort of 17 women in 2023/24, the further 13 graduates of the 2024/25 LIFT Programme will now be eligible to apply for the World Rugby Executive Leadership Scholarship Programme – taking the total to 30 in all.

Over the last nine months participants of the programme, which for 2025 was run by the HK Women’s Rugby Committee, have taken part in training sessions, workshops and networking events aimed at helping participants develop skills in leadership, management, personal branding and communication. The ultimate goal remains to build a pipeline of female talent for senior roles within teams, clubs and the HKCR organisation.

HKCR’s Independent Director Gill Meller, who supports LIFT, reflected on the success of the programme to date: 

“It’s been fantastic to see the LIFT Programme go from strength to strength.  In March of this year, we were given the chance to showcase the Programme to the World Rugby Executive Board, giving the first two cohorts the opportunity to network with and learn from people working at the highest levels of rugby globally.  

“For the second cohort, with the continued strong support from our sponsor and supporters, we added a mentoring element to the Programme, supporting participants as they think about what next and we’re now planning ahead for cohort 3 and looking forward to seeing some of the participants take on leadership roles within our sport.”

The LIFT Programme was once again sponsored by Hong Kong-based law firm DLA Piper and supported by EY, HSBC and The Women’s Foundation.

Female leaders from the Hong Kong rugby community attend World Rugby events at Women’s Rugby World Cup 

The Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, hosted in England in August and September, created a historical moment for the women’s game, with 440,000 tickets sold and a record-attendance for a women’s match of 81,885 at the Final – as hosts England beat Canada to lift the trophy for a third time.

Two female leaders from the Hong Kong rugby community were invited by World Rugby to take part in events in England around the tournament.

Firstly Constance Lowcock, who serves as a Vice Chairman at the University Rugby Football Club in Hong Kong, represented HKCR at the ‘Grassroots to Global Connect’ forum held in Sunderland in August 2025, ahead of the opening match. Constance had been chosen by her peers to make the trip, following the Hong Kong Grassroots to Global forum which was attended by 18 young local female leaders. She commented on her experience and learnings:

“My biggest takeaway from this experience was the network and the connections made from not just the delegates, but meeting people from World Rugby, from other stakeholders like the IOC, and even just getting to know what ChildFund does a lot more.

“I think we’re in a position from Hong Kong where the streamlining of grassroots to elite level is much more distinct and distinguished, than in some other communities. It’s been a very humbling experience to learn and hear from all these other communities that may not be as fortunate, and it really gives me the inspiration and drive to want to help.”

Secondly, Tanya Young, who earned representative caps for Hong Kong from 2012-14 was invited to The Women's Rugby Global Summit 2025 as the Chairperson of the HK Women’s Rugby Committee. This took place from 25-26 September in London, immediately prior to the Women's Rugby World Cup Final and Bronze Medal Matches, which Tanya also attended as an extension to the summit. She spoke about her trip to England:

“After working around the typhoon in Hong Kong, I was lucky enough to make it to England for an action-packed and deeply insightful second day of the Summit. 

“It really showcased key aspects of the global development of the women’s game, and I’m excited to explore how we can adapt and apply some of these global strategies within the Hong Kong environment.”

At the Summit, World Rugby became the latest signatory to the International Working Group (IWG) on Women and Sport’s Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration.