Kelowna Crows RFC’s Jenn Lemon is one of six successful applicants of the Rugby Canada 2022 Women in Leadership Fund.

In its second year of existence, the 2022 edition of the fund extended to a wider range of eligible applicants in comparison to the inaugural Women in Leadership Fund that was launched in 2021. This year, eligible applicants were required to currently be involved in Rugby at an administrative or governance level within a provincial union, provincial Board of Directors or a Member Club of Rugby Canada.

The adjustments to the eligibility criteria brought an increase in applications in 2022 and the Women in Leadership fund has now received applications from eight different provincial unions over the program’s two-year existence.

“By widening the scope of the fund to include female administrators in clubs, we’re hoping to have a greater impact not only across more provinces but right down to the community level. The more we can increase diversity across leadership roles at all levels of the game, the more we will see our game grow.”

“The intention of the application process is to ensure the recipients of the fund take ownership of their own learning and development right from the start. What we are learning is that many applicants aren’t aware of what kinds of opportunities are out there and available to them. This is something we will take into account for next year to improve the program.” Jackie Tittley, Training and Education Manager with Rugby Canada

The 2022 Women in Leadership Fund will award six new recipients funding of up to $2000 to pursue development opportunities that will enhance their ability to lead from within our sport. It is the goal of the program to provide a strong and diverse leadership base in Canada and a pipeline to the World Rugby Scholarship Program and beyond.

Find the full Women in Leadership Fund Overview

All six recipients were required to submit an application that included a high-level summary of their background in Rugby and a personal impact statement on their leadership aspirations. Also required was a development plan outlining the activities, courses or programs each applicant planned to attend along with a letter of endorsement from their provincial union’s Executive Director, CEO, President of the Board or the President of their Club.