The Welsh Rugby Union has appointed Belinda Moore as head of women’s rugby.
The union announced it would introduce a women’s football manager position – the first such role within the governing body – after being embroiled in a scandal involving the treatment of its players last year.
This comes after a Telegraph sport The investigation found the union threatened to withdraw its women’s team from the 2025 Rugby World Cup if the players did not sign new contracts. Ioan Cunningham resigned as head coach of the team due to contractual chaos, while executive director of rugby Nigel Walker left the organization weeks later.
The off-field saga prompted a study published by the WRU last month. He described the negotiations as “failing process, governance and leadership”, with the creation of a new leading role for women being one of the key recommendations.
The WRU said the position would provide “new and clear lines of accountability to be established within the senior management team and a high performance structure” within the governing body.
Moore will set and implement the women’s national team strategy, and will directly manage the New Wales women’s head coach.
“Senior football in Wales has only been professional for three years and is progressing at an exponential rate,” Moore said.
“These rapid advances of course come with their own teething problems and I have my eyes wide open to the challenges ahead, but I am extremely optimistic about what can be achieved. »
Moore resigned as chief executive of Premiership Women’s Rugby last October, just a week into the new season, to “focus on other opportunities”.
Her unexpected departure came 22 months into her tenure, although during her tenure at the helm of PWR she secured the league’s broadcast deal with TNT Sports.
Telegraph sport It appears that the WRU have interviewed several candidates for the position of women’s head coach currently working at PWR clubs. An announcement is expected to be made in the coming days, with the Women’s Six Nations starting at the end of March and the Women’s Rugby World Cup taking place in England in August and September.