‘A missing generation’: why are there are no female head coaches in Women’s Six Nations?

A new scheme will attempt to address the glaring lack of diversity among top coaches in elite women’s rugby union

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10-point plan will be introduced by Premiership Women’s Rugby next season that aims to increase the number of female coaches at international level, with only one top-10 nation currently being led by a woman.

The scheme aims to create a springboard for more women at the elite tier of the sport, where there is a glaring lack of diversity among top coaches. Whitney Hansen is in charge of New Zealand, but, Jo Yapp and Gaëlle Mignot stood down from their positions after last year’s Rugby World Cup, with the Wallaroos and France respectively.

At the groundbreaking 2025 tournament there were three female head coaches, but there are none in the 2026 Women’s Six Nations. At PWR clubs all the head coaches are men, and of the 22 women coaching in the league, just six hold senior roles.