Sport unites us like nothing else. The passion. The power. The edge-of-your-seat, heart-pounding excitement that comes when your favourite team wins a close match.

In recent years, more sports fans have been able to look onto the pitch and see themselves represented as women’s sports — and women’s rugby — have gained popularity. Young girls used to struggle to find their favourite teams on TV, and now we’re witnessing sold out stadiums.

This isn’t a stand alone phenomenon, but a hard-fought and hard-won representation of societal progress and it wouldn’t have been possible without the excellence and commitment of the incredible women celebrated in this book.

Mastercard has been incredibly proud to be a part of this journey, sponsoring and supporting female athletes and teams. In 2021 we became the first and founding global partner of World Rugby’s Women in Rugby program. We understand that there are many elements to a more equitable sports environment — one that fosters female athletes today and into the future. That’s why we’re focusing on growing youth participation and raising the global profile of women’s international competitions.