Ponsford Becomes World Rugby's First Female Director of High Performance

Subheadline: Former England Hooker Takes on Key Role in Raising Standards for Rugby World Cups

In her interim period, Ponsford worked with unions to materialize the Nations Cup in 2026 and establish a new pathway to the Men’s Rugby World Cup /

By Priscilla Jepchumba

Nicky Ponsford has made history in rugby after her appointment as the New Director of High Performance at World Rugby. She became the first woman in this post at the international federation.

In her new position, Ponsford will be tasked with improving the presentation of both the men’s and women’s Rugby World Cups and improving Rugby World Cup standards for both men and women.

Ponsford expressed her excitement about the historic appointment. “This is an era-defining time for a sport with a clear growth mandate over the next decade,” said Ponsford.

“I am excited about working across the business, and more broadly with unions and regions to provide targeted solutions that sustainably support increases in competitiveness within a calendar that includes new competition models and expanded men’s and women’s Rugby World Cups and beyond,” she stated.

In her other role, she will also hold discussions with the union and region. Ponsford, who was previously acting Director of High Performance, played a crucial role in re-establishing the international calendar for women's rugby, developing new coaching methods, and generally improving standards with the help of performance specialists.

In her interim period, Ponsford worked with unions to materialize the Nations Cup in 2026 and a new pathway to the Men’s Rugby World Cup.

In 2021, she moved from RFU to World Rugby, having been appointed as Women’s High Performance Manager. In this capacity, the governing body has pointed out that she made an immense contribution of “resetting the approach for targeted unions to prepare for pinnacle events, including Women’s Rugby World Cup 2021 and WXV”.

Meanwhile, World Rugby has announced the new qualification process for the Men's Rugby World Cup 2027, aiming to provide more preparation time and increased opportunities for teams aspiring to participate in the tournament.

With the sport entering a crucial and exciting phase marked by new men's and women's calendars and competitions, expanded Rugby World Cups, and a clear growth mandate, Nicky's appointment is expected to drive the support for targeted unions to reach their potential, enhance global game competitiveness, and facilitate new revenue opportunities for all stakeholders.