Magali Fazzi is something of a pioneer in Argentinian rugby. She was the first woman in the country to coach a men’s side, and now she has become Argentina’s first representative on the Gallagher High Performance Academy.
Such accomplishments seemed unlikely for the first 19 years of Magali’s life as she was a talented footballer, good enough to be called up into the national Under-20s squad, only for rugby to become her sporting passion when she moved from La Plata to Buenos Aires to start a university course.
“My brothers played rugby at a club in my city, but I played football because there was no women’s rugby,” Magali told World Rugby.
“When I finished school and moved to another city to study at university, I started a women’s rugby team, training in a park.
“Six months later, after several meetings, we managed to get the team into one of the best clubs in the Buenos Aires Rugby Union.
“We began competing officially and were champions of Buenos Aires and the country for several years.”
Magali went on to play international Sevens rugby before she retired at the age of 28. She is now focussed on helping to nurture the next generation of players – male and female – as an intern coach at the high performance academy in Buenos Aires.
Her own development as a coach will benefit from involvement in the Gallagher High Performance Academy, where Magali will have the opportunity to share ideas with other female coaches with different backgrounds and experiences in rugby.
“From the programme, I hope to learn more about the role of a coach in high performance Sevens rugby,” Magali said.
“I would also like to dedicate time to analysing video footage of my team and deepen my knowledge of my fellow staff members’ playing style.
“Additionally, I look forward to meeting coaches from other countries who are also starting this journey and sharing experiences and lessons with them.”
The lessons that Magali will share with her fellow participants are shaped by her experience of coaching men’s teams at club level.
“When coaching the men’s team, I gained knowledge about game models and plans, playing systems and more complex strategies and tactics than in youth rugby,” she said.
“My growth as a coach with this team was significant. However, the most important part of this experience was being in charge of 40 adult male players and, in just one month, earning their respect as a coach.
“The initial prejudices about me being a woman quickly faded in the face of capability, serious work and dedication.”
