New programme will help women leaders across both organisations build and develop key skills to support their career ambitions and personal development.
Harlequins Women and Capgemini, a global business and technology transformation partner, have launched Ignite, a personal development programme in the UK that provides women from both organisations with opportunities to develop their leadership skills, progress their careers and achieve their personal goals.
The programme will be facilitated by the renowned learning provider, LHH. Its four modules have been informed by LHH’s research on the topics most likely to help women achieve their career ambitions.
Bringing together women from the worlds of rugby and technology, the six-month programme provides seven players from Harlequins Women and eight mid-level female leaders from Capgemini with the opportunity to broaden their professional network, raise their strategic value and build confidence and resilience to accelerate their careers.
Participants will not only benefit from tailored learning modules but will also have access to Capgemini’s digital training programmes, alongside in-person development sessions delivered by Harlequins Women’s sport psychologist and people development teams from both organisations.
Lucy Elliott, People Director at Harlequins Women said, “Ensuring Harlequins is a great place to work for everyone is at the heart of everything we do, and this collaboration with Capgemini is another important illustration of this.
“The Ignite programme will build on the significant work we have already achieved in this space, providing our players with an excellent platform to showcase the true qualities they have as a Harlequin. It will also allow them to develop in new areas by working closely with Capgemini to become stronger leaders and inspire the next generation of women’s athletes and supporters.”
The collaboration with Harlequins Women is focused on developing the pathway for female leaders in rugby. This programme complements the work that Capgemini is already doing through the Capgemini Women in Rugby Leadership Programme in partnership with World Rugby, to empower women and foster their professional development.
The aim is to drive visibility of female leaders from within the rugby family and help accelerate the development of the women and girls’ game, on the road to Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, which Capgemini is supporting as a Worldwide Partner.
Carolyn Miller, Head of HR at Capgemini in the UK, said: “We are deeply committed to promoting and enabling equal opportunities for women both in tech and in sport. This programme can make a real difference, championing female leaders on and off the field.
“Through our collaborations in rugby, we have built up a wealth of experience in using the power of technology to achieve real value, and we’re looking forward to continuing to support women leaders within Harlequins Women. We’re also excited to see what learnings the scholars can take on their leadership journeys to support and elevate their careers to the next level.”
Harlequins Women use rugby to drive positive change and create an inclusive environment in sport and in the local community. The club also delivers programmes via The Harlequins Foundation, which are designed to develop skills and build confidence in young people and drive social value for underrepresented groups.
Harlequins Women, alongside the club more broadly, also deliver regular initiatives aimed at improving accessibility and inclusion, with a dedicated Access Day fixture taking place each season, alongside an annual LGBTQ+ Pride match.
Harlequins Women have led the way for growing women’s rugby, increasing community participation levels and setting record attendance figures. The bold innovation of The Game Changer match launched in 2019 set a new crowd record for women’s club rugby with 4,387 supporters attending the inaugural event.
Now in its sixth installment and a celebration of all things women’s rugby, this season’s ‘The Game Changer’ fixture follows in a long line of record-breaking matches for Harlequins Women, with Big Game 15 in December 2023 drawing a world-record 16,237 supporters to Twickenham Stadium. This followed Harlequins Women’s previous record crowds of 15,420 at Big Game 14 in 2023 and 9,000 for Big Game 13 in 2021.
Capgemini’s deep heritage in rugby began than 30 years ago supporting French domestic clubs. It was Official Technology and Consulting sponsor for Rugby World Cup 2007 in France.
More recently, Capgemini was Global Innovation Partner for the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series until 2023, Worldwide Partner of Rugby World Cup 2021 played in 2022 and Rugby World Cup 2023.
Capgemini’s sports sponsorship portfolio focuses on leading global events with technology innovation, sustainability, high performance and team spirit at the heart. Capgemini brings to each of these partnerships its broad capabilities in technology and digital to transform the sports experience.
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