The WRU’s head of operations and the most influential woman in rugby says the game has changed but there is still work to do
Julie Paterson is probably the most influential woman in the world of rugby, sitting on every major board the Welsh Rugby Union has a stake in. The 47-year-old joined the governing body in 1989 as a junior accountant, making its executive committee in 2005 at a time when very few
Women held positions of power in a male-dominated sport.
Paterson tells the story of arriving at a Welsh club to give a presentation. A committee man shuffled over and said: “Look, lovely, can you get the tea and coffee on because the bigwigs from the WRU will be here soon?” The reaction would be different today but women at the top table remain the exception, their number reduced after Raelene Castle bowed to pressure and resigned as Rugby Australia’s chief executive earlier this year.