12 women including Impala Coach Mary Ochieng will immerse themselves in their high performance management teams as part of the Gallagher High Performance Academy (GHPA) World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger 2025 programme.
The programme has supported 32 female coaches across sevens and 15s since 2023
GHPA continues to expand globally with seven new countries set to take part in the initiative.
Ochieng was one of the pioneering players who represented Kenya Lionesses when they took their first tentative steps in international rugby. Now, she is passionate about developing the next generation of players.
Ochieng took up rugby after picking up a flier advertising for new players at the college she was attending and responded through curiosity.
That was the start of a journey that saw her represent her country in both formats of rugby, before she took up coaching in 2014.
She is now an Intern Coach for the Lionesses and Women’s Head Coach at the Nairobi-based Impala club – Kenya’s National Sevens champions in 2023 and 2024 – roles she combines with a busy job as an electrical engineer.
Life is about to get even busier for Mary with her participation in the Gallagher High Performance Academy, an experience she hopes will help develop and improve the players she works with.
“I want to learn and unlearn on the programme,” Mary told World Rugby.
“To learn better ways, approaches and delivery of content to players; and to unlearn bad or non-effective coaching practices.
“My goal is to help transform players into the best-performing athletes, using my experience to learn, grow and develop better systems for success.
EDITOR’S PICKS:
- Follow us on Scrummage Africa FB
- Mike Friday advice to Kenya 7s
- List of laws to be used in Kenya Cup 2024/25
- 1 step forward, 2 back: A story of Kenya Rugby Referees
“That will create a cycle of continuous improvement for myself and those around me, contributing to the long-term success of the game.”
Although Mary – modestly – has described herself as being only an average player, her experiences at international level helped to shape her coaching ethos.
“It’s important to be patient, have the ability to adapt and be consistent, especially during preparation,” she said.
“You have to build cohesion in the team so that players play for each other and have shared values, teamwork and sisterhood.”
Mary will have the opportunity to share her coaching ideas and learn new ones from her fellow participants at the Gallagher High Performance Academy, which aims to help increase the number of female coaches and other high performance roles at elite levels of rugby.
“That is important because women understand women better,” she said.
“Through this programme, women will be at the forefront and centre stage of change in terms of better performing teams.”
The Academy is an integral part of World Rugby’s strategic plan to advance the global development of women in rugby with the mission to elevate the prominence of coaches and other high-performance roles for women at the elite levels of the sport. Focusing on talent identification, professional support, and championing the next generation of international coaches, the GHPA nurtures existing coaching talent and provides meaningful professional development opportunities.
Off the field, participants receive mentor support and get to take part in a series of workshops, tailored to cover a variety of topics, ranging from game planning, tactics and skill development, to relationships, communication and creating the right culture as well as presenting participants with the opportunity to network, transfer knowledge and further share best practices.
As a result of the programme’s success and impact, World Rugby and Gallagher have announced a further extension of the GHPA. Having expanded the programme in 2024, to support all formats of the women’s game, today’s announcement represents another significant milestone for the Academy as it broadens its global support for women’s rugby, working with more unions, and across different levels of the women’s game.
A number of GHPA Alumni have successfully advanced their coaching careers through the pathway, securing various high-performance coaching roles. Crystal Kaua, head coach of Brazil women’s sevens, made history by being the first woman to coach As Yaras sevens. Previously, she was part of New Zealand’s coaching staff at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, where the Black Ferns Sevens clinched the gold medal. She also served as the Chiefs Manawa head coach in Super Rugby Aupiki, where she also participated in the inaugural GHPA during WXV1 in 2023.
Former Japan player, Yuka Kanematsu was also named as the new head coach of the Sakura Sevens team in 2024, following on from her involvement in the GHPA while serving as the head coach of the Women’s Sevens Youth Academy.
World Rugby’s Chief of Women’s Rugby Sally Horrox said: “We eagerly anticipate welcoming the 12 coaches to the academy in preparation for the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger.
“We are already witnessing the positive impact of the programme. It is a testament to the academy’s success that we now have women coaching half of the women’s teams in HSBC SVNS 2025.
“The Gallagher High Performance Academy continues to create significant learning and development experience through the workshop programme and through being fully immersed in the coaching teams. This will undoubtably equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge to accelerate their coaching careers and help drive the visibility of women in prominent coaching roles across the sport.”
Christopher Mead, Chief Marketing Officer for Gallagher, said: “We are thrilled to reinforce our commitment to women in the rugby space by extending the Gallagher High Performance Academy to the HSBC SVNS Challenger series. We are proud of our work in delivering such an impactful programming, providing meaningful career development and opportunities for women both on and off the pitch. Through this extension, we are able to deepen our connections with the women’s game and continue to build a great bond with the rugby community as a whole.
“We have already seen some amazing success stories from the first two years of the Gallagher High Performance Academy, with alumni taking on leadership roles at the highest levels of the game. We have no doubt that this new cohort will excel in similar ways, and we look forward to following their progress.”
Sarah Hunter, Gallagher Ambassador and GHPA WXV 2023 alumni, said: “Having been through the Gallagher High Performance Academy myself, at WXV 2023, I’ve experienced first-hand the benefits and impact of the programme. It’s fantastic to see the GHPA being extended across all formats and tiers of the game, providing a much-needed pathway for more women in coaching and high-performance roles.
“As the women’s game continues to grow, there’s a natural synergy with the upcoming Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, which is set to be the most accessible tournament yet. With more nations involved than ever before, and some participating for the first time, this year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup will undoubtedly be a huge celebration of women’s rugby and a generational moment for the sport, uniting fans globally.
“It’s exciting to see so many GHPA alumni and participants progressing into full-time coaching and high-performance roles, and I’m hoping we’ll see lots more embedded in their national teams at Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, showcasing the programme’s lasting influence at the highest level of women’s rugby.”
Gallagher, a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, is the founding partner of the Gallagher High Performance Academy, as well as the Official Insurance Partner of Women’s Rugby and Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025.
