Fiji Rugby Union board Director of Rugby Lailanie Burnes is currently in the United Kingdom representing the FRU in the Women in Rugby Leadership Programme in partnership with Capgemini, which kicked off this week in London.

Burnes is one of 25 scholars from around the world taking part in the summit, which began 18 months ago.

The Capgemini Women in Rugby Leadership Summit brings together inspiring female leaders to drive visibility of women within the rugby family and accelerate the development of the women’s and girls’ game globally.

In addition to the summit, Burnes will also meet with various rugby unions in Europe and the UK, further strengthening Fiji’s international ties and opening new pathways for women in the sport.

Before this programme, the former Fijiana captain took part in the Oceania Rugby Commentary and Mobile Journalism Program — an initiative led by Sheridan Graham-Tupaea of Oceania Rugby in partnership with the ABC International Development team of Sally Eels and Aaron Kearney and supported by PacificAus Sports and World Rugby.

She says it was a great opportunity for the women who participated, noting that more women are needed in these spaces.

“It was an incredible experience to learn from some of the world’s best commentators and content creators alongside other passionate women from the Pacific. I was then selected, alongside Harriet Tuara from the Cook Islands, to take part in the real-world media coverage of the Women’s Rugby World Cup.”

Burnes adds she is excited to bring these learnings back home to Fiji.

She says from improved commentary techniques to mobile journalism skills, she aims to help build and support Fiji Rugby stakeholders by developing programmes that will be delivered locally.

These initiatives, she adds, will help upskill unions to produce engaging digital content for their teams — amplifying the power of storytelling to connect with fans and attract commercial partnerships.

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