ChildFund Ambassador Emily Chancellor is advocating for gender equality and girls in sport ahead of the 2021 Women’s Rugby World Cup

Emily Chancellor is thrilled to be stepping back out onto the international rugby stage with the Wallaroos for the Rugby Women’s World Cup 2021, being played in New Zealand in November 2022.

After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wallaroos are back to a full-time training schedule. “It’s nice to be back together as a team, good to be back out on the paddock and blow off some cobwebs,” said Emily.

A fierce competitor on the field, Emily is just as passionate about achieving gender equality for girls and women through sport. She believes that children and young people can overcome gender disparities by learning to play rugby and that, with the right support, women and girls can break free from social gender stereotypes.

“I got an opportunity to go to Laos with ChildFund Rugby, formerly known as ChildFund Pass it Back. It was such an incredible experience to see boys and girls playing rugby for the joy of the game and from any predisposed ideas about gender or biases – but purely for the game and the love of it.”

ChildFund Rugby promotes the right for children and young people to play and learn in their community. The project builds an environment where participants can develop vital life skills, take part in health and education project, and promotes gender equality.

During her time in Laos, Emily was able to experience firsthand the positive impact that playing rugby can have on a child or young person.

“The project builds not only rugby and social skills but builds on education and important health messages that they can teach as well as educating boys and girls on how to be coaches. It’s such a great project and I was so lucky to see and be reminded that rugby is fun.”

Young women who take part in the project have gone onto to become coaches themselves. Through these leadership opportunities, their confidence and leadership skills soar, and they often become respected community leaders and decision-makers.

Emily shares that in countries like Laos, there are limited leadership opportunities for women, and this makes breaking away from social gender norms very difficult.

“There’s some incredible young girls and women I’ve worked with in Laos. I think for so many people have seen a pathway for women in the rugby world. It’s opened an international connection.”

Aside from promoting gender equality, Emily also says that the project is the reason that many children are excited about going to school in the morning.

“It’s a purpose, it’s a reason to come to school. It’s a reason to run around and make friends. It’s a way of bringing developing countries into opportunities that say women have a right to a job and an education and I think that’s really exciting!”

Emily is proud to be advocating for gender equality and girls in sport ahead of the 2021 Women’s Rugby World Cup.

If you’d like the opportunity to meet Emily Chancellor, join us for the ChildFund Rugby Long Lunch – hosted by ChildFund Australia on Friday 9 September 2022.

For ticket purchases or enquiries, please contact Julia Ridulfo at jridulfo@childfund.org.au or here.

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ChildFund is delighted to be the first ever Principal Charity Partner for the Rugby World Cup 2021, taking place in New Zealand in October.

Following a hugely successful partnership for the Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan where rugby fans and commercial partners around the globe pledged more than $3.5 million, ChildFund is delighted to share our appointment as the first ever Principal Charity Partner for the Rugby World Cup 2021, taking place in New Zealand in October. We are particularly honoured to be supporting global efforts to encourage and advocate for women’s participation in sports through this partnership, alongside promoting sport as a means of empowerment, community, and development.

Funds raised from this event and the Rugby World Cup partnership will go towards supporting more women and girls from vulnerable communities, creating strong, collaborative women’s rugby networks in different countries, and building effective pathways for women’s involvement at all levels of the game.