LAUREN WOLMAN, PhD
“Never let anyone tell you that your dreams are not possible. It may not be easy, but you will get there.”
Meet Lauren Wolman, a sports leader with over 25 years' experience in research, advocacy, policy, and coaching. She holds a PhD and Master’s in Kinesiology from York University and has been instrumental in developing rugby programmes for women and girls in Canada and the UK. Lauren also supports organisations in Toronto focused on increasing sports participation for equity-deserving groups. She currently serves as Chair of Rugby Canada's Governance and Ethics & Integrity Committees.
THE GROWTH AND POTENTIAL OF WOMEN’S SPORT
“Seeing the Canadian Women’s Sevens team win the Silver Medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and witnessing the growth of women’s elite sports over the past five years, has opened my eyes to the potential for women’s sports to attract a wider audience. We are living in such an exciting time!”
RUGBY CANADA’S IDEA INITIATIVE
“Rugby Canada is in the process of developing an Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) framework. This framework aims to establish a consistent approach to decision-making, policy development, and implementation across Canadian rugby. Led by exceptional IDEA specialists in the field, it identifies actions that promote accountability through inclusive governance, emphasiSe a commitment to ongoing EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) training and education, improve pathways for identifying and advancing diverse talent in rugby roles, and ensure that rugby in Canada is a welcoming, accessible, diverse, inclusive, and safe environment for all.”
CHANGES IN SPORT GOVERNANCE
“Governance is ever-changing and it feels like we are going through a significant growth spurt, with advancements in technology (e.g., A.I., social media) and the development of Safe Sport. National sports organisations have to become more professional and transparent in how they govern. This shift is challenging, given that a lot of work is done by volunteers and small bases of employee with limited funding. However, investment in good governance can have a major impact on an organisation.”
LAUREN’S COMMITMENT TO SPORT
“Representation within sports has come such a long way thanks to those who took risks, spoke up and invested their time. However, we still have a long way to go. I hope people recognise my commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion in sports, and that my contributions have had a positive impact on the community and athletes I’ve had the pleasure of engaging with, whether through coaching or mentoring.”
