Hunter, the former England captain and current Red Roses defence coach, was part of the first Gallagher High Performance Academy (GHPA) cohort in 2023. The partnership between Gallagher and World Rugby aims to have female coaches making up at least 40 per cent of coaches at the World Cup that is being hosted in England from August. “The importance the Gallagher High Performance Academy will have through the support of getting female coaches into high-performance teams means that there is a visibility,” said Hunter, who played 141 times for England. “Whether that be on the TV where you see females in the coaching box or on the sideline where they are sending tactics on. You are being seen, and it is that old age saying of you have got to see it to be it. “In those second-tier nations where rugby is a developing sport, you can now see female coaches aspire to become part of programmes and initiatives like the Gallagher High Performance Academy or they can see a pathway in their own country that they can do it. “That is the great thing about the Gallagher High Performance Academy and having female coaches at global events. “Whether they are Tier One nations, Tier Two nations, actually they can go, 'I want to be a female coach and I know I can do it because these females are leading the way.'” The GHPA aims to elevate the prominence of coaches and other high-performance roles for women at the elite levels of the sport by focusing on talent identification, professional support, and championing the next generation of international coaches. It does this through embedding coaches in their respective nations before and during major tournaments, like WXV, where Hunter was first part of the Red Roses coaching staff, or the upcoming Rugby World Cup. Mentor support and workshops are also provided to help coaches develop their skills in a wide range of areas, including communication and game planning. Hunter added: “At the time in my career it was really beneficial because the workshops don’t necessarily look directly at the technical and tactical aspect, they look at the more holistic point around your strengths and your areas to improve on around coaching. “It covers all the things that make up the skillset that a coach might need when they are in that high-performance environment. “They place you with your union at a tournament, so you can fully embed and put all those learnings into practice. “Having that opportunity to have that support right from the beginning has been a huge benefit to me. “It is like a little network and community that actually yes, you are competitive on the pitch but how as females can we support each other in that environment so it is a great partnership and initiative to try and get more females in the coaching world.” Gallagher is right here for rugby; right here for business; and right here for you.