In this episode, Ishreen Bradley and guest Flo Williams, a Welsh international rugby player, discuss the challenges and barriers faced by women in the sport. They explore the lack of recognition and respect for women's rugby, both at the elite level and grassroots level. Flo shares her experiences and highlights the need for women's rugby to be celebrated and promoted as its own entity, rather than constantly being compared to the men's game. They also discuss the importance of challenging societal norms and assumptions, and how individuals can be allies for women in sport by attending games, asking questions, and supporting women's teams. Overall, this episode sheds light on the power dynamics and privilege within the world of rugby and offers insights on how to create a more inclusive and equitable environment. KEY TAKEAWAYS Women's rugby faces challenges in terms of perception and recognition, with the men's game often being seen as the default and more celebrated. The professionalization of women's rugby is still in progress, with contracted international players earning a salary, but many club players receiving minimal financial support. There is a need to balance the scales of power and privilege in women's rugby by carving out its own space and promoting it as a version of rugby equal to the men's game. Allies can support women in sport by challenging assumptions and biases, asking questions about gender representation, and actively engaging in women's sports events and stories. Increasing the fan base and investment in women's rugby can contribute to its growth, leading to more opportunities, quality, and success in the sport. BEST MOMENTS"Rugby is a brutal and violent sport and women should not relish its physical challenge."  "It's tough at the moment, like even the most recent World Cup that's happened, there's lots of stats that have come out. People said, oh, this is the first player ever to play in four World Cup finals. It's like, no, it's the first male player ever."  "I think there's two ends of the scale that needs to be balanced. At the elite level, I think we need to carve our own space and stop trying to be men's rugby and just be unashamedly women's rugby." "I think we need to stop sort of feeling like lucky to be there, like lucky that we've got a changing room, lucky that we've got kit, lucky that we've got a team, like it should be seen as actually women's rugby is the biggest opportunity for local clubs to grow in the future."  "I also think just turning up, watching it, going to the games, following the stories, becoming more invested in any way that we can really helps the growth and it increases the fan base, which then increases the amount of people who want to play, which then increases the amount of quality in the team, and then you win more successful and then there's more money." VALUABLE RESOURCESPrivilege Survey https://intelligentlinking261447.typeform.com/to/SNkQvD0vWebsite: https://privilege-eruption.comEmail: [email protected] links: https://linktr.ee/BelongingPioneers ABOUT THE HOSTSIshreen Bradley, a Strategic Pioneer, excels in guiding Professional Leaders through complex challenges with clarity, confidence, and courage. She focuses on cultivating inclusive cultures and authentic leadership, offering senior leaders advice, consultancy, training, and coaching. Kami Nuttall, a workplace culture expert with over 20 years of experience, delves into governance, risk management, and the human experience in organizations. Trained by the Anti-Discrimination Foundation and a qualified hypnotherapist, she's passionate about fostering psychologically safe, inclusive workplace cultures. Kami champions accountability, believing organizations should prioritize both employees and customers, creating environments grounded in inclusivity and trust. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaminuttall-cultureguru-cultureauditor/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ishre