Women & Girls’ Development Lead - Manawatū Rugby Union – Community Rugby
Bring our community together through rugby.
Join a proud provincial union committed to integrity, connection, and determination as we continue to grow the women and girls’ game across the Manawatū.
About Us
Manawatū Rugby exists to govern, lead, and support the game of rugby throughout our region.
our vision is simple: bringing our community together through rugby.
Our strategic priorities:
COMMUNITY - Inspiring and enabling our people to lead and belong Enabling our people to lead, inspire and belong at all levels of rugby
COMMERCIAL - Building strong, trusted partnerships Establishing and nurturing trusting, mutually beneficial partnerships
PERFORMANCE - Sustaining success on and off the field Sustained performance on and off the field that achieves success
ADVOCACY - Promoting rugby with pride for our future Through our legacy we promote rugby in the Manawatū with pride for our future
Our values drive everything we do O MATOU UARA - Our Values:
MAHIA TE MEA TIKA - “DOING WHAT’S RIGHT RATHER THAN WHAT’S EASY” Integrity and Trust underpin our values system. Forged from more than a century of Manawatū Rugby leaders and communities before us Integrity and Trust will continue to drive our union’s resilience beyond the many challenges facing provincial rugby in Aotearoa.
O MĀTOU HONONGA – “OUR CONNECTIONS” Our union’s strength is seen in our connections across community. At all levels from our grass roots volunteers, players across all grades, all support and technical staff to the unwavering support of our partners. Whanaungatanga describes the relationships born from our connections.
KIA MĀIA, KIA MANAWANUI – “BELIEF AND DETERMINATION” Belief and determination are the laces that tie together the Integrity, the Trust and the connections of the Manawatū Rugby Union.
About the Role
We are seeking an energetic, relationship-driven Women & Girls’ Development Lead to champion and expand the growth of rugby opportunities for women and girls across Manawatū.
This role leads development initiatives across playing, coaching, refereeing, and volunteering, ensuring high-quality experiences and clear pathways for females in rugby. You will work closely with clubs, schools, coaches, referees, NZ Rugby, and our performance programme to build an environment where women and girls can lead, inspire, and belong at every level of the game.
This position is ideal for someone passionate about community sport, capable of building strong relationships, and confident delivering programmes and initiatives that create real impact.
Key Responsibilities
Women & Girls Strategic Leadership
Develop and implement an annual Women & Girls Plan aligned with NZR’s System Strategy.
Provide intentional leadership to grow participation and improve rugby experiences for women and girls.
Deliver key national programmes, including Contact Ready, Ako Wahine, Rugby 101, and initiatives for females in coaching and refereeing.
Collaborate with NZR to accelerate growth of the female game.
Community Rugby Development
Support the wider Community Rugby Plan to grow participation and enhance rugby experiences.
Create new and innovative playing formats (Rippa, Rip, Tackle) to support engagement.
Develop programmes to grow volunteers, coaches, referees, and administrators.
Lead the MRU Women’s Advisory Group.
Women’s Rugby Pathway
Support talent identification from age 14+ and encourage athletes into rugby.
Assist with delivery of age-group training environments.
Support competitions and meaningful game opportunities for female players.
Competitions & Relationships
Assist with competition planning and scheduling for women’s club rugby.
Build strong relationships with clubs, schools, referees, Sport Manawatū, other unions, and regional partners.
Advocate for opportunities for women and girls across all levels of the game.
Programme + Course Delivery
Lead coaching and manager development workshops for female volunteers.
Support schools and clubs with best-practice coaching for women and girls.
Ensure high-quality delivery and reporting for MRU, NZR, and Sport NZ.
About You
You’ll thrive in this role if you have:
Experience & Knowledge
Experience in sport development (rugby preferred).
Strong understanding of rugby structures, coaching, or development pathways.
Ability to support others learning the game.
Skills & Attributes
Strong communication and relationship-building skills.
Confident presenting to groups and facilitating workshops.
Excellent organisation, time management, and project delivery skills.
Analytical and problem-solving abilities; comfortable using data.
Able to work both independently and as part of a team.
A positive, resilient attitude and a sense of humour.
Ability to travel and a full NZ driver licence.
Our Ideal Candidate Is…
Passionate about women’s sport and growing participation.
Confident engaging with people of all ages and backgrounds.