Alphonsi was speaking at an event at Broughton Park Rugby Club in Greater Manchester for Play Their Way. The Play Their Way campaign is funded by Sport England and delivered by UK Coaching on behalf of the Children’s Coaching Collaborative (CCC) and is aimed at transforming the way children are coached through child-first coaching. The former Red Rose and mum of two, who has been involved in coaching herself since her retirement from the sport, took part in a special child-first session for girls from Broughton Park and other local clubs led by the club’s team of coaches. Broughton Park developed a child-first approach to coaching their junior and girls’ teams following the launch of the Play Their Way campaign in May 2023. The event took place as excitement continues to build for what will be the biggest ever Women’s Rugby World Cup with 16 teams from across the globe taking part in eight cities and venues across the country including Manchester and the Salford Community Stadium. With England one of the favourites to lift the trophy, organisers are hoping to see a strong tournament legacy delivered across a range areas including playing and coaching. Today, Alphonsi and Sarah Hunter, who will be part of the Red Roses coaching team for the Rugby World Cup, highlighted how important child-first coaching will be to making the sport more accessible for girls, ensuring a sustainable growth in girls’ participation and overcoming traditional barriers to girls playing the game. Research undertaken by Play Their Way with over 1,000 children and young people revealed that girls felt they were listened to less by their coaches when it came to taking part in traditionally male dominated sports. Exactly three quarters (75%) felt they were listened to by coaches in these sports compared to 87% when it came to coaches in less male dominated sports. With its strong emphasis on supporting children’s voice, choice, and journey when it comes to their sporting experiences and development, child-first coaching is instrumental in making sure that coaches listen to and adapt their sessions based on the needs of children. Former England captain and current Red Roses coach, Sarah Hunter commented: “A home Rugby World Cup is a once in a generation chance to introduce girls to rugby, but we must get that experience and environment right if we want them to develop a love for the sport and the child-first approach is key to achieving and maximising this opportunity. If you’re not providing a fun, enjoyable environment for those girls that could be the difference between them deciding not to carry on playing rugby or worse still not carrying on with sport at all. By joining the Play Their Way movement rugby coaches across the country can get the help and support they need to deliver child-first coaching in a way that really benefits the children and young people they work with.” Alphonsi commented: “I only discovered rugby because my PE teacher encouraged me and showed me how it played to my strengths. Rugby empowered me like nothing ever had before and really changed my life. The Play Their Way campaign is all about giving every child that sense of empowerment and confidence I found through sport. Imagine the impact that could have on the next generation of young girls who try rugby for the first time thanks to the home World Cup. I’d love to see more coaches embracing this approach.” Heather Douglas, Head of Policy, UK Coaching, added: “We know that when children and young people have fun and enjoyable experiences of sport, they are more likely to stay in it and be physically active for longer and that’s the key to creating healthier and happier communities. Coaches have such an important part to play in that but its particularly important for those who are coaching girls taking part in more traditional male sports perhaps for the first time. Making sure that girls feel safe and supported in their environments and feel comfortable to express their voices and be heard is so crucial and where a child-first approach can be especially beneficial.” Graham Higginbotham, Head Coach, Broughton Park Rugby Club, said: “Since we’ve embedded child-first coaching into our approach with our girls’ teams we’ve seen our girls flourish and wanting to come back week after week. For them to take part in a session with Maggie, a trailblazer as a player and most importantly someone who lives and breathes the values of child-first coaching, just reinforces for them why it works and why it matters. We are hoping that having the Women’s Rugby World Cup on their doorsteps will inspire many more girls to try rugby, but we need to ensure coaches allow them to play their way.” The Play Their Way movement was launched in May 2023 to transform the way children and young people are coached by prioritising their rights, needs and enjoyment in a ‘child-first’ approach. The campaign is funded by Sport England and The National Lottery, is delivered by UK Coaching and led by 16 partner organisations that make up the Children’s Coaching Collaborative (CCC). To learn more about Play Their Way, access resources and sign up to join the biggest grassroots movement to transform the way we coach our children and young people visit www.playtheirway.org.