Cardiff Rugby are pleased to celebrate International Women’s Day on Saturday, by shining a light on the fantastic achievements and contributions of women at Cardiff Arms Park.
Whether in the past or present, women have played an key role in driving excellence at the club.
Today, we pride ourselves on inclusivity and are determined to prove rugby is a game for all, regardless of age, gender, sexuality, race or ability.
International Women’s Day (IWD) continues to stand as one of the most important days of the year to recognise the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.
This global day of celebration is vital to raising awareness of women’s equality, calling for positive change, and accelerating gender parity.
So far, we have celebrated Babs Filer and featured what is believed to be the oldest photograph of a female rugby team.
Now, let us introduce and celebrate some of the influential female leaders at Cardiff Rugby, who work tirelessly in our pursuit of excellence and on-field success.
Hayley Parsons – Non-Executive Director
Hayley was born and raised in South Wales, and began her career at the Cardiff-based Admiral Group. She was a central figure in the launch of Confused.com, which created a multi-million pound industry and left the company in 2006, to establish GoCompare.
In 2015, Hayley sold her shares in the company for £100million and has since become a non-executive director at Cardiff.
Hayley was the first female to be appointed to the board, bringing a wealth of business experience and provides regular support to the off-field team at Cardiff Arms Park.
“I joined the Cardiff board due to the respect and friendship I had with Peter Thomas and I must say, everyone I have dealt with on the Cardiff board has been an absolute gentleman.
“I have always worked in traditionally male-dominated sectors and at no point have I ever felt disadvantaged due to my gender. Anyone that knows me will know I am absolutely happy to go toe-to-toe with anyone in the boardroom.
“I feel listened to and valued, and like I am having a positive impact at the club and the only area I feel I look at things a bit differently is around employee well-being, mental health and that kind of thing. That’s more important to me than the rugby and I feel like I am having a good impact in that area.”
It would be remissible when celebrating International Women’s Day not to mention the impassioned open letter Hayley wrote to the WRU following allegations of sexism, misogyny and racism within the organisation.
“That’s the only time I have played ‘the gender card’ in my career and I felt it was really important to speak out.
“The issues were really deep-rooted but it has been pleasing to see some of the progress made. There is still a long way to go but there has been a huge shift in the way the WRU operate now. We are working with business people, who see commercial value and are open to working in much more collaborative ways.
“In terms of Cardiff, there are some great things going on and the one thing that has always really impressed me is the passion, dedication and hard-work of the work-force.
“I absolutely love being involved in the club and working with, and helping, some great people. I’m looking forward to hopefully getting more involved with the foundation, who do an incredible job.
“Nadine for instance, is absolutely brilliant and the impact the Foundation are making to improve the lives of all people is so inspiring.”
Nadine Griffiths – Cardiff Rugby Community Foundation director.
Nadine has been involved in rugby, virtually her entire life and was one of the founding members of a re-established Cardiff Women’s team in 1991.
She enjoyed an illustrious 10-year career playing for Wales and was one of the first/the first female level three coaches in the UK.
Nadine began her non-playing career as a development officer and has worked her way through various roles in the development and community side of the game, now heading up the Cardiff Rugby Community Foundation.
The Foundation currently engages with 80,000 people inspiring, engaging and improving opportunities for all.
As you can imagine, with more than three decades involved in the game, Nadine has seen it all and she has been encouraged by the positive change across society and the sport.
She said: “Initially was very difficult to get used to. I was the only female in the room but I was able to dig in and prove myself. Things have improved as time has gone by and since being employed by Cardiff I have found senior leadership very supportive.
“There are more and more women working in Welsh rugby and more women in prominent positions. They say you can’t be what you can’t see, so this is obviously really important.
“I always say I have the best job at the club as I get to lead a passionate team who are making a difference to people’s lives on a daily basis.
“Being able to make a difference is something I absolutely love. As a foundation we champion and empower women, with girl-specific sessions and programmes throughout the year, and we continue to ensure there is a strong female presence in our team.”
Carys Moggridge – Senior Physiotherapist / Rehabilitation lead.
Carys was born and raised in Cardiff and qualified with a masters in Sports Physiotherapy in 2024.
During her undergraduate degree at Plymouth University, Carys was fortunate to spend time on placement with Cornish Pirates, which proved an inspirational and seminal moment in her own career.
The Pirates’ head of medical was a young female, who instilled the confidence and drive to pursue a career in professional sport.
Carys then spent time working within amateur and semi-professional clubs in South Wales and throughout the Cardiff age-grade system before moving to London.
For the next five years, Carys amassed a wealth of experience in a variety of environments around the world ranging from the West End, Strictly Come Dancing and Coldplay’s world tour.
Carys briefly returned to Cardiff as Covid-19 struck and spent time with the Scarlets and Wales, culminating in the 2023 Rugby World Cup, before taking a senior role at the Arms Park.
Reflecting on her career journey and working at Cardiff Rugby, Carys said: “I have always strived to become a part of a professional sports team and working in a pressured and sometimes challenging job is made easier when you enjoy and feel supported by the team around you.
“Day-to-day you don’t feel any different to everyone else around you. No matter your gender you are striving to provide the best skills, professionalism and knowledge, and inevitably optimise this for the enhancement of the team around you.
“It can be rewarding as it allows a different dynamic within the team. Whether that is with different communication styles or providing a different perspective that can help with building relationships, care and trust to strengthen the team around you and assist with the best management of players.
“Both staff and players in Cardiff Rugby create a great environment to work in and I feel lucky to call this my job.”
Beth Sheen – Head of Partnerships
Beth joined Cardiff Rugby in 2018 and has worked her way up, predominantly in roles within the commercial department.
Beth is now Head of Partnerships, responsible for leading relationships with all of our sponsors and commercial partners, as well as the partnerships team at the Arms Park.
Speaking of her experiences at Cardiff Rugby, she said: “It’s had its challenges but I’ve found everyone at the club really supportive in my career development.
“Luckily the team we have are wonderful and are advocates for getting the best out of you, always looking to lift each other up. If anything, working in a male-dominated industry has built my self confidence.
“Over the years, I’ve seen a really positive shift with more women entering leadership roles within rugby. There’s a growing recognition of the value that different perspectives bring to the table and that’s reflected in the diversity of our team here at Cardiff.
“The work environment is dynamic, fun, and supportive. Everyone looks out for each other, and no two days are ever the same.
“The office is always lively, making it an enjoyable place to work while still being a space where we get great results. I love how sociable my role is and how it allows me to meet and help so many people from outside the company achieve their goals.”
Kerry Fothergill – Operations and Logistics Manager
Having graduated from UCFB Wembley, with a degree in Football Business and Media, Kerry amassed experience working at iconic sporting venues including Wembley, the Emirates Stadium, London Stadium, the Oval, Edgbaston and Twickenham.
These roles were all focussed around hospitality and events, before seeking a return to Wales and a more varied position.
Kerry now leads on all operations and logistics at the Arms Park and there’s much more than rugby that goes on at the iconic stadium.
Whether it is dealing with broadcasters or the Principality Stadium regarding internationals or concerts, general logistics, maintenance or cleaning at the Arms Park, Kerry is the person in the know.
Having previously worked for the Royal Mail, where less than 10 per cent of employees are female, and part of the initial cohort of UCFB Wembley students, which had 87.5 v 12.5 per cent male v female split, working in a traditionally male-dominated industry has never daunted Kerry.
She said: “I love the challenge that this role offers me, there is always something new to learn and to push myself to be better. The people within Cardiff Rugby are all passionate about the club and doing what they can to improve the experience for fans. It can be a lot of fun
“Leading on Wales Women’s games at the Arms Park has been special on a personal level. We’re all now hoping for them to come back to us and the day when there will again be a Cardiff Rugby Women’s team.”