Dubai, United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2021: Two senior female officials from Asia - Iran and Syria - are among 12 new recipients of the 2021 World Rugby Women's Executive Leadership Scholarship programme.
Nahid Biyarjomandi, who is a member of the Asia Rugby Executive Committee and a Board member and head of the Development Committee of Iran Rugby, and Sarah Abd Elbaki, head of women’s rugby development in Syria and a member of the Asia Rugby Competitions Committee, were picked by World Rugby as scholarship recipients.
Asia Rugby President Qais Al Dhalai said: “A well deserved congratulations to Nahid and Sarah on being awarded World Rugby Women’s Executive Leadership Scholarships for 2021. They are truly leaders within their respective unions and Asia Rugby in general.
“We at Asia Rugby are committed to accelerating the potential of female members of our rugby community and to achieving the desirable gender balance in the biggest continent,” he added.
To mark International Women’s Day on March 8, World Rugby announced its latest list of scholarship holders from across the globe.
World Rugby Chair Bill Beaumont said: “On International Women’s Day 2021 we are proud to be announcing 12 new recipients of our transformational Women’s Executive Leadership Scholarship programme. We are fully committed to advancing women in leadership positions in rugby, and this is a key initiative that will have a significant impact on the future growth of our sport.”
The World Rugby scholarship programme began in 2018 and is now entering its fourth year with 49 recipients worldwide benefiting. Successful candidates receive financial grants to support professional development and are connected with inspirational leaders, both male and female, from the wider global rugby family.