We were delighted to invite girls and young women from local schools to discover the myriad careers available in the world of sport – from finance and talent development to psychology, law, media and marketing – at our inaugural ‘Business of Sport’ conference.
Speakers included all-female leaders from across the industry, such as Sue Day – COO/CFO of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) – and Beth Barrett-Wild – Head of Hundred Women’s Cricket at the England and Wales Cricket Board – among many others. Following an introductory panel led by Headmistress Rebecca Dougall, attendees then broke off into seminar-style discussion groups.
Former English rugby union player and Director of PE and Sport, Charlotte Barras, organised the event to highlight the opportunities for women in the business of sport. She said: “It was a fantastic opportunity for students to witness first-hand the career pathways of women that are at the very top of their game in sporting circles, including business, marketing, development and performance. The students asked poignant questions and took on board key themes to help them in their career choices.”
Sixth Form Sports Captain, Georgie, shared her thoughts on the event: “It was great to see so many girls at the sports careers evening, the speakers were so engaging and the breakout rooms were a fantastic opportunity to have a more personal conversation with such a range of people and careers. For me, the evening made a career in sport seem a very realistic and supported opportunity.”
Head of Marketing at Ascot Racecourse, Ros Robinson, led several group sessions on the role that communications, advertising and marketing play in the world of sport. She commented: “It was great to provide food for thought for the students to think ahead to their bright futures.”
Another of the group session leaders, Stephanie Hilborne, CEO of Women in Sport since 2019, added: “Focusing on leadership, resilience and teamwork will help the students move forward in their careers when the time comes.”
In the past year, we have been ranked 8th girls school for sport in the UK and top in Oxfordshire by School Sport Magazine, and was listed in The Cricketer Magazine’s top 20 girls schools for cricket in the UK for the second year in a row.
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