Women’s Rugby World Cup Sevens bronze medallist hopes that the Gallagher High Performance Academy will lead to more elite coaching roles for women
Irene Gardner already has an impressive coaching CV, but the former USA Eagles Sevens player would like to see more women taking on similar roles.
Gardner is currently USA Rugby’s women’s pathway head coach, with responsibility for the development of Under-23 and Under-18 players. She is also assistant coach for both men’s and women’s rugby at Stanford University, head coach of the Rocky Mountain Experts Premier Sevens side, and founder of the Legends Rugby Academy - a not-for-profit organisation aimed at increasing access to sevens rugby for women and girls in the United States.
To add to her growing experience, she is now an alumnus of the Gallagher High Performance Academy.
“It is incredibly important to support a shift that focuses on more female coaches, and in fact all support roles in elite sport,” Gardner told World Rugby.
“Many female coaches at present take on multiple coaching roles simultaneously, to ensure a female presence for athletes.
“There is so much value to our athletes having female coaches and support staff. Programmes like this can help close the gap of where a coach is, to where they need to be, in order to succeed in high performance roles. It helps to create a network of coaches which otherwise might not exist.”
Although Gardner did not start playing rugby until her second year at university, she made rapid progress and was a member of the Eagles Women’s side that beat Spain in extra-time to win the third-place play-off at the 2013 women’s Rugby World Cup Sevens, in Moscow.
Gardner took on coaching roles while she was still playing and discovered she had an aptitude for what is now her chosen career.
“Saying ‘yes’ to coaching opportunities as a young adult led to me seeing and understanding the potential of another person through sport,” she said.
“On the Gallagher High Performance Academy there is so much to learn from others, and even more to be discovered together.
“I have learnt how to best utilise staff, and develop in the weekly, monthly and annual planning of a programme.
“A journey rich in discovery and intention will drive success, and ultimately joy. When determination and grit are at the foundation, learning is limitless,” said Gardner.