Jodie Cross - NSWRL - CASE STUDY Women in League Leadership Program

Women in League – Leadership Jodie Cross – Head of Commercial and Community NSWRL

Overview •  The Women in League initiative was established in 2007 to

celebrate and acknowledge the role of women in the game of Rugby League.

•  Rugby League wants women in the game to feel proud of their role in the game and feel proud of what they do. The game also wants to empower, incentivise and inspire women at all levels and in all roles.

•  Women in League also reflects on how much Rugby League is a part of family and social life for so many Australians.

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Overview •  It was noted at the start of the planning process that an internal

review and development of a framework was being carried out and findings from this would be factored into the planning phase.

•  A strong focus for 2014 was to integrate Women in League across all areas of the business with a strong focus on growing the Leadership Program that was introduced in 2013.

•  The decision to remove the charity partner (McGrath Foundation) was implemented along with the introduction of purple to ensure that the true essence of the message was being relayed.

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Themes raised in recent Rugby League research1: •  Recent research highlighted that the NRL has the opportunity to appeal to a wider audience through the way it acts and

communicates, specifically: •  Increase inclusiveness and relevancy to a wider, more diverse audience •  Highlight community contribution & links to communities •  Provide an exciting, shared and easily accessible game experience

Common themes raised in Rugby League consultation: •  the game remains a safe environment for players and fans both on and off the field •  Rugby League brand is recognised by mums as a family friendly sport •  female fans and members have a positive experience when attending games •  more mums and daughters participating as players, game officials, coaches and club administrators •  stronger competitions at all age groups across the game i.e. touch, tag and tackle •  clearer pathways from junior to representative levels •  greater support and recognition of female leaders including executives, Jillaroos and volunteers •  more visibility of families to “normalise” female presence in game •  create a club culture that accepts, encourages, values and recognises women and girls •  more women e in leadership positions across the game including on boards and as senior executives •  Community programs to recognise women more authentically, not seen as “tokenism” in one round •  proactive communication and brand strategies build trust between rugby league and the community

Rugby League Consultation Process

1 Crosby/Textor, Research Strategies Results, NRL Issues & Values Research 2013, November 2013, p56

Stakeholder consultation occurred across rugby league with representatives from the ARL Commission, NRL Executive, State League CEOs and female players, volunteers and executives from NRL, NRL clubs, State Leagues, Indigenous Council and

Junior competitions.

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To reach our destination.. Vision

“Women and girls feel included and engaged in every aspect of the Rugby

League Family”

Based on this consultation process and research, themes were refined into three (3) key strategic priorities to achieve the following

vision.

Vision

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Key Strategic Priorities

Three Strategic Priorities

The three strategic priorities that could have the most significant impact in achieving this vision are:

Positions of Influence

Women on Boards and in Senior

Executive positions

Women and girls

as Fans and Members

Women and girls

in

Participation / Game

Development

Communication and Brand Strategies developed to connect to women across the three strategic priorities

Determine the Measure of Value of Female Contribution Strategy team calculates economic value of women to rugby league

Community programs reflect Rugby League’s respect for women Deliver Community programs to reflect rugby league’s value for women across the three strategic priorities

ENA

BLE

RS

A B C

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DEEPEN THE FEMALE FAN BASE

•  Conversion programs considered priority to build emotional connections with women, girls, mums and families from fans to avid fans to members.

•  Growth initiatives to be considered and delivered though greater priority is to work with current fan base and increase the connection of women from fringe to avid fans.

GAME EXPERIENCE

Make the game experience enjoyable, good value, safe,

exciting, and easily accessible door to door for mothers

and families

RUGBY LEAGUE’S POSITIVE REPUTATION

WITH WOMEN

Improve rugby league’s reputation through safeguarding integrity of the Game; delivering Community

programs, and marketing and communications that connects

women

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Key Strategic Sub-Priorities

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DEEPEN FEMALE FAN BASE

Convert fringe fans and building emotional connection to become

avid fans

Women as Fans and Members Key Sub-Priorities A

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RUGBY LEAGUE SAFEGUARDS ITS

REPUTATION

Rugby League to safeguard its integrity to ensure

women of influence are advocates of the game and

are willing to align their reputations to rugby league

BUILD LEADERSHIP CAPABILITIES

WITHIN WOMEN

Nurture and develop customised leadership programs for a small

number of talented female and male leaders.

Additional to professional development programs

delivered to all staff.

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MORE WOMEN IN POSITIONS OF INFLUENCE IN AND OUTSIDE OF RUGBY LEAGUE

•  Build relationships with women of influence who are outside rugby league. Encourage them to become: •  advocates; and •  women who take on positions of influence inside the game as board members and senior executives.

Women in Positions of Influence Key Sub-Priorities

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NRL AS AN EMPLOYER OF

CHOICE

Understand baseline data of what women expect of NRL as an employer of

choice; develop policies and procedures eg

flexibility and equal pay

INCREASE CIRCLE OF INFLUENCE

Create networks through speaking engagements

and business memberships. Maintain

registrar of female leaders.

B

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BUILD PARTICIPATION BASE •  Broaden the female participation base of rugby league.

•  More at the base, provides greater critical mass to identify talented and willing women to contribute and volunteer at all levels of the game as players, coaches, officials and administrators across touch, tag or tackle.

CULTURE Research and understand the level that women are accepted throughout Rugby League

Determine how women could feel more included and engaged in the rugby league family

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Women and Girls in Participation/Game Development Key Sub-Priorities


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MORE GIRLS IN FUNNEL

Develop girls’ participation programs

and deliver focused recruitment drives

TAILOR FEMALE COMPETITIONS AND SUPPORT

Customise comps to engage girls at the level of their skills.

Ensure infrastructure eg (volunteers,

grounds) can support more female comps

UNBROKEN PATHWAYS

Girls must see pathway from junior to

representative level.

Create girl comps between junior and

12yrs to bridge gaps.

RESEARCH PRODUCTS TO

ATTRACT MORE GIRLS

Consider modified game options to attract more girls (touch/tag/tackle)

INCREASED FEMALE

VISIBILITY IN GAME

Increase female images of girls playing in

comps, elite players.

Recruit more female GDO’s.

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C

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Women leaders on Rugby League Boards

8 women hold Rugby League Board positions: 1 on ARLC (12.5%) (ASC recommends 40% female NSO board rep’n2)

6 on NRL boards (Titans Chair, Broncos, Cowboys, Rabbitohs, Sea Eagles, Warriors)3

1 on the NSWRL Board

Women leaders in NRL, NSWRL and QRL Executive positions 7

73 NRL female staff (including Game Development & Referees) out of 310 (23.5%) 2 females on the NRL Executive

NSWRL- 8 females of 38 paid staff; QRL – 27 females of 47 paid staff 1 Female NRL Club CEO

Female Players 7,076 registered female players of 171,071 total registered players (tag and tackle) (4%) 4

Female Coaches 7% of total coaches are female (1,627 of 24,201); 3 females (of total 273) are high performance coaches 4

Female Officials 8% of referees are female (542 of 6,958) and 14% trainers (5,412 of 38,674) 4

Female Club Administrators – total 4

2,657 of 7,376 filled positions (36%) 15,700 females on 90,000 Volunteers (17%)

All Fans: 5,472,368 5 38% Female 62% Male

Avid Fans: 3,371,466 6 35% Female 65% Male

General Fans: 1,361,829 7 43% Female 57% Male

Fringe Fans: 739,074 8 46% Female 54% Male

Snapshot– Women’s Representation in Rugby League

2.  Australian Sports Commission (ASC) Mandatory Sports Governance Principles (March 2013), Gender Balance on National Sports Organisations (NSO) Boards, p4 3.  2013 Harvey Norman Women in League Round Overview – key statistics, p1. 2014 update - two NRL Senior Female Executives 4.  NRL LeagueNet 2014, Total coaches, officials, club administrators include President, Secretary, Treasurer, Vice President, Publicity Manager, Registrar and others 5.  Repucom, Sponsorlink - Total Sports Fans; ‘13, 18+, NRL (http://stats.rleague.com/rl/crowds/summary.html) & AFL Crowds (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/crowds/summary.html) 6.  Repucom, Sponsorlink -Total Rugby League ‘Avid’ fans;‘07– ‘13, 18+, 2013 Salesforce CRM Membership Data (as at Feb ’14) 7.  Repucom, Sponsorlink -Total Rugby League “General”’ fans;‘07– ‘13, 18+, 2013 Salesforce CRM Membership Data (as at Feb ’14) 8.  Repucom, Sponsorlink -Total Rugby League “Fringe”’ fans;‘07– ‘13, 18+, 2013 Salesforce CRM Membership Data (as at Feb ’14)

A snapshot below shows women’s under-representation across these key areas of rugby league.

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9  Australian Institute of Company Directors Real Time Tracking of Women on ASX200 Boards, (http://www.companydirectors.com.au) April 2014 10  2012 Australian Census of Women in Leadership, p9 11  Women on Boards 2008, http://www.womenonboards.org.au, 12  Parliament of Australia website, http://www.aph.gov.au/

Snapshot– Women’s Representation in the Community

Women’s representation in rugby league currently reflects a similar pattern in the greater community. Rugby League has the opportunity to be a catalyst for change in our community through its

commitment to improving women’s representation across the game.

Women leaders in the Corporate Sector

Women hold 18% of ASX200 Board Directorships 9

5 Chairs of ASX 200 Boards are female 10

9.7% of women are in Key Management Personnel (KMP) across ASX 200 10

Women leaders in Government and Not for Profit sector

Women hold 38.4% of Government Board appointments 9

Women hold 30% of Australia’s largest NFP Board appointments 11

Women hold 75% of all 750,000 NFP board positions 11

Women leaders in the 44th Parliament of Australia 12

Women hold 26% of House of Representatives seats (68 of 150)

Women hold 38% of Senate seats (29 of 76 ). Women hold 30% of 226 Parliament seats in total. 1 woman in Cabinet, 3 women in Outer Ministries;

1 female Speaker of the House

WIL Leadership Program •  A key focus on the WIL is leadership and providing women in the

game with the skills and confidence to take on leadership roles in their local areas/clubs.

•  In 2014 we are running a series of WIL Leadership workshops across NSW and Queensland. The focus of these workshops will be twofold:

•  To provide participants the opportunity to contribute to the implementation of the Women In League framework to ensure they feel included and engaged;

•  To provide participants with the opportunity to better understand “Wellbeing and Balance”. To gain personal insight and gain the knowledge and resources to take the first steps to improving their wellbeing and balance 12

What will success look like?

Our measures of success for the workshop are:

That participants enjoyed themselves, had some fun and broadened their networks;

Participants learned something new and found the information discussed interesting and relevant (irrespective of their current role or role in the Game); Participants leave the workshop with a stronger sense of self-responsibility for making some ‘first step’ changes towards improving their sense of wellbeing and balance.

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Key Learnings:

•  Mixing the messages – removal of Charity Sponsor •  Engagement of grassroots from the start •  Ensuring your own backyard is in check •  Highlighting vs tokenism/ balance •  Advocacy goes a long way •  Bigger not always better

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Questions

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