How much does it cost to become a member?

WRCRA offers individual memberships based on your current primary women's rugby affiliation. Details about individual categories and pricing can be found on our Membership page.

What do I get for my membership?

Members receive access to the following:

• Career Center, including a job board and career-related resources
• Mentoring
• Networking with fellow women's rugby professionals
• Discounted rates to the annual Women In Rugby Conference
• Additional events and education through webinars and regional events

Why can't I access certain parts of the website?

Only current members of WRCRA can access members-only content. Visit our Membership page to start the join process or renew. Please contact wrcra.info@gmail.com with issues.

Why do we need a professional organization for women? Can men join?

Yes, WRCRA welcomes men who coach girls and women. However the WRCRA is committed to increasing the number of women in coaching, refereeing and leadership. The combination of discriminatory practices and women's position in society as a whole means women have been historically disadvantaged in sport. Our individual efforts have not and will not result in sustainable changes for girls or women, if we want to change the status quo we need to support programs that are specifically focused on women's experiences. Until now, rugby has been one of the few sports without a professional, membership organization. In other sports these organizations provide women with resources, advocacy, connection and community. Perhaps most importantly, membership organizations provide a structure for members to work toward the goals of access and equity for women and girls. Women’s sports organizations have often relied on social change models that redistribute power. If we hope to redistribute the power in rugby we must organize our constituency, win demands and have more seats at the table. The WRCRA hopes to identify and organize the large constituency of women involved in rugby with the belief that our strength of numbers can be a powerful tool for change.

I'm a current WRCRA member but haven't logged in to the new site. Where do I start?

Current WRCRA members need to create a new log in for our new website. Instructions coming soon.

How are USWRF and WRCRA related?

The US Women's Rugby Foundation (USWRF) is the parent non-profit organization established in 2005 to support the women's game across four area: youth, collegiate, women and Eagles. Learn more. USWRF launched the Women's Rugby Coaches & Referees Association (WRCRA) in 2018 as an affiliate membership organization to help coaches and referees expand skills needed to succeed as professionals. Learn more.

Is it important for female athletes to be coached by female coaches?

Effective coaching is as much about mental and emotional preparation as it is about physical preparation, and the need to understand how an athlete mentally approaches her sport is critical to her success. Female coaches have a unique understanding of the thinking and feeling processes girls and women bring to competitive sport providing them with valuable insight. Moreover, girls and women need role models for coaches and referees that inspire them to pursue leadership positions.

What is the purpose of women-only programming? Isn't this reverse discrimination?

Reverse discrimination is the concern that changes to the current system will take opportunities away from those currently benefiting from the system. Research and experience support that the best way to eliminate imbalances in a system is to target under represented groups and offer them ways to access the system. To achieve an equitable system in which women are represented at every level, special measures are needed to ensure women can access and participate in sport and hold positions of responsibility. WRCRA seeks to develop and deliver programs that encourage women coaches and referees who are novice, experienced and expert. These programs will provide mentored experiences and professional development activities that enable women to accelerate their coaching and leadership development.

Why don't more women become coaches and referees after they stop playing?

There are a number of former women players currently serving in leadership roles throughout the rugby world. However, in comparison to the numbers of women playing the game the overall number of women in leadership roles remains small. The lack of role models may be one reason that women do not go into coaching and refereeing. Many former national team players recall a lack of support throughout their competitive careers and may be reluctant to stay involved or contribute to such an environment. Struggling for many years in a financially impoverished situation dissuades many former players from pursuing a coaching or refereeing career. The financial rewards of coaching rarely match the demands or expectations of the position and many women coaches do not identify as professionals. Perhaps equally if not more troubling is the number of qualified women who are involved yet are simply ‘not invited’ to participate. We believe women would benefit from an organization committed to their professional development and changing the current landscape of opportunity for women.