Women in Sports Leadership #1: Laura Fernandez — tag rugby captain, coach, organizer and referee — on promoting the sport to women[:zh]「女性體育領袖」系列一: 推廣女子帶式欖球 — 羅拉·費南德斯 ( Laura Fernandez ) — 帶式欖球隊隊長、教練、籌劃人和裁判

This week, we are launching our inaugural three-part “Women in Sports Leadership” interview series. Each Thursday over the next three weeks, we will be sharing an interview with one women in sports leadership in Hong Kong, hearing their stories about being a leader in their respective sports. Our aspiration at WISE HK has always been to get more women involved in sports: not just to participate in, but also to organize, to coach and to lead. In these series we will learn about what it means to these women as they go about being generally bad-ass in their roles!

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Laura is one of the main organizers for tag rugby in Hong Kong; in fact, she’s been instrumental in building the sport of tag rugby in our city. In her role as HKTag Manager, Laura not only organizes social tag rugby events and coaches new players, but also helped coordinate the Copper 88 HKTag Super League that took place from July to August 2017 at King’s Park. She captained the Buffaloos, who were ultimately the Cup Finals winners.

Laura started playing contact rugby in Spain, where she’s from. She’s a huge proponent of women playing tag rugby, and in Hong Kong, has been central to promoting the sport to women. She organized the first-ever all-women’s tag rugby game in June 2017, captaining the Islanders team to the win. Reflecting on that experience, Laura feels proud and happy to be able to get together a group of women to participate in this event; even though many of the players were new to the sport, they all displayed tremendous effort. She is also taking a course to become an official referee in the sport.

By day, Laura is a kindergarten Spanish teacher at Rosary Hill School. She also enjoys traveling, exploring new cities and taking photos.

Tag rugby is a minimal contact version of rugby, where the emphasis is on the attack, a tackle is made by removing the tags from the ball carrier and the defence must get back 8 metres after every tackle. You can follow Hong Kong Tag Rugby on Facebook for information on games and schedules

Can you share a bit about what you do in promoting and organizing tag rugby in Hong Kong?

I am currently part of the official governing body for Tag Rugby in Hong Kong, known as Hong Kong Tag (HKTag). Tag is a very new sport to Hong Kong, but it has a huge following in Australia where it is played very competitively, including an international world cup. My role oversees the whole administrative side of the game that includes promoting the sport, organising social sessions and competitions, referee clinics and managing HKTag social media.

Our social sessions run weekly and are open to all levels and genders. We run sessions for beginners at the same time for those who are new to the sport, so that they can learn the basic skills and rules. This year in March, we saw our numbers increase from 20 to 60 people coming to join us — even people who had never played any sports before. A huge percentage of this increase came from female newcomers – it was amazing to see our work produce these good results.

Our main club competition, the Copper 88 HKTag Super League, is held in the summer. This year was a huge success –we had 8 teams playing this year (2017) compared to 4 last year; thanks to the work of everyone involved in the tag team, the volunteers and the players who come down to Happy Valley and King’s Park every week and support us.

How did you get involved in becoming a sports organizer for tag rugby?

I arrived in Hong Kong in 2016 and I was interested in joining a rugby team. I had played rugby in Spain, after all. But just a few weeks after, the contact rugby season was over and I was looking for a social sport for the summer. I went to Happy Valley for one of the HKTag social session and there were around 30 people – many were beginners like me. I had so much fun, firstly because tag rugby is very fast and intense, and secondly – in my opinion, most importantly – everyone there was really nice and helpful, organizers encouraged everyone to be part of the game. So I kept going back and I even joined a competition a few weeks after that. I enjoyed it so much that I started to get involved with the organisation. Neville Metcalfe, chairman of Hong Kong Rugby League, asked me if I wanted to take it more seriously. And here I am!

I have recently decided to train as a referee. We want to move forward and take tag rugby to the next level. This means increasing the quality of our competitions and having good referees is vital to that. I don’t like asking others to do something I wouldn’t myself, so it was only natural that I train to become one as well.

What’s it like to be the only women as the main organizer of tag rugby in HK?

Until last week I was the only woman in the managing committee. Ideally we’d have more women involved because tag rugby in Hong Kong is mainly a mixed game, so this should be also reflected in the management. Even though I was the only women, I have always felt free and comfortable to share my ideas, vision or concerns with my colleagues, and in fact it’s an important issue for all the team to promote and encourage women to play tag rugby.

Would it be good to have other woman involved at the same level as me? Definitely yes, without a doubt, and I’m happy to say that we have recently welcomed a new member who is also a woman. I think naturally, as we continue to have more women playing, we’ll have more volunteers and more taking managing roles as well!

What do you hope you can accomplish in your role as an organizer or tag rugby?

I am truly proud of what we have done so far: we have come from 20 people attending our social sessions to weekly sessions of 60+ players and a summer season with 8 mixed teams. I personally want us to keep growing, to have as many people from diverse backgrounds playing, to make it even easier for beginners to join us and have a more regular schedule. Then I will be happy!

Can you also share a bit about organizing the first-ever all-women’s game in HK?

In 2016 I participated in the HKTag Origin, a once-off game that we organize every year alongside Hong Kong Rugby League. In that year, it was a mixed game with only two women at all times on the pitch, due to the lack of female players involved in tag. Since then, we have been working hard to change the situation, promoting tag for women who normally have more prejudices against rugby or feel less comfortable to join a new sport. One year later, we had our first ever all-women fixture thanks to the amazing women who were committed and ready to have fun. It was a huge step forward, and if we can do our part to break stereotypes that sport is reserved for a certain demographic or gender then I will consider it a success.

What are your biggest takeaways so far from organizing tag rugby in HK?

That it is possible to build something from the ground up as long as you have committed people around you who share the same passion. That entrepreneurial mindset is really powerful in any walk of life. Of course there are challenges and it does take a lot of personal time and effort, but seeing players, regardless of gender, age, ability – enjoy themselves is always worth it.

I’ve also made some great friendships and learning from my colleagues is a big part of it – we all come from different walks of life and have different day jobs so to see how different people interact and deal with challenges is very insightful.

What value or meaning does being in a leadership role in HKTAG bring to you?

As a player, you just turn up and try to have a good time. You’re not necessarily too concerned about too much else. As an organizer, your concerns are far broader, but the objective is always for everyone to enjoy themselves as much as possible. It’s the only reason why people participate in sport. You become a facilitator and for me, good leadership in this context is about producing an environment that enables others to enjoy themselves.

If other women were interested in pursuing a leadership role within their sports organization, but were afraid of the commitment or just generally feel that it’s a lot of pressure, what words of advice do you offer to encourage them to try?

I would just say go for it, manage your time wisely and make sure that you communicate with your team. It is a commitment and pressure, of course, but that comes with everything and for everyone who is pursuing a post of responsibility. But to see a project grow and to see people enjoying themselves as a result – that is incredibly rewarding.[:zh]一連三輯的「女性體育領袖」系列運動員專訪，將由這天開始，連續三個星期四每次為大家介紹一位香港女運動領袖，由她們分享自己的故事和在運動場上的領袖才能。WISE HK的抱負不單只是鼓勵更多的女性參與體育運動，還希望她們能參與運動策劃和教授等等的領導崗位。在這個系列中，我們將會認識到，在這些女孩眼中，一個普遍認為很難擔當的職位對她們來說又是什麼。

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羅拉是香港帶式欖球的其中一個主要籌劃人，她是帶動香港帶式欖球發展的一顆重要齒輪。身為HKTag 的幹事，羅拉不單止籌劃社交性帶式欖球活動和教授新球員，她還協助舉辦2017年7月至8月於京士柏欖球場舉行的Copper 88 HKTag 超級聯賽。賽事中她亦以BUFFALOOS隊隊長身份落場，帶領隊伍登上盃賽冠軍寶座。

羅拉來自西班牙，由打撞式欖球開始接觸欖球運動，她是香港女子帶式欖球的倡導者，主力於向女性推動這項運動。2017年六月，她舉辦了香港首個女子帶式欖球比賽並且率領ISLANDERS 奪冠。回想起當時的感受，羅拉指，她為能夠組織到一群女孩子一起參與比賽而感自豪和高興，縱使當中有很多球員都是初接觸帶式欖球，但她們都無比的投入和努力。 除了打球，羅拉亦將會成為一位帶式欖球裁判。

平日的羅拉是一位西班牙語教師，在玫瑰崗學校幼稚園任教，她還喜歡旅遊、探索不同城市文化和攝影。

帶式欖球是欖球運動的非碰撞版，它較著重於進攻，防守球員會用取下對方控球球員身上的帶子代替擒抱(tackle)，每次成功攔截後防守隊伍須退後8米。 想知道更多關於球賽和賽制的資訊，可以流覽 Hong Kong Tag Rugby FACEBOOK 專頁。

你可以分享一下你怎樣在香港宣傳和發展帶式欖球嗎?

我現在是香港帶式欖球轄下組織 -Hong Kong Tag (HKTag) 的其中一員。帶式欖球在澳洲是流行的競技運動，己發展到國際水平，例如有世界盃等，但它在香港仍是一項很新穎的運動。我在HKTag的角色，是負責監督這項運動的行政工作，包括運動宣傳、籌劃比賽、社交活動、裁判訓練班，和管理組織的社交媒體。

我們每星期也有社交性的課程，男女老幼均可參加。同時我們亦舉辦新手訓練班給一些未接觸過帶式欖球的人，讓他們學習球例和基本技巧。今年三月，參與人數由20人上升至60人，尤其多了女性，甚至是一些未接觸過運動的人參加。看見我們的工作帶來如此的成果，實在感到既驚訝又高興。

我們主要的球會比賽 – The Copper 88 香港帶式欖球超級聯賽 (The Copper 88 HKTag Super League) 在夏天舉行。今年的賽事舉行得非常成功，有8隊隊伍參加，相比起上年的4隊，增長了一倍。這個實在有賴賽事籌劃組、義工及球員們的努力，每次都來到跑馬地或京士柏欖球場支持我們。

是什麼驅使你在香港發展帶式欖球這項運動?

二零一六年時我來到香港，當時我在尋找欖球隊加入，因為我在西班牙的時候是玩欖球的。那時撞式欖球的球季於幾個星期後便完結了，所以我便想找些暑期運動參加。機緣巧合下，我來到HKTag在跑馬地舉辦的社交性訓練班，那時有三十多人，包括很多像我一樣的初學者。我非常享受帶式欖球帶給我的樂趣，除了因為它本身是一項節奏快，而且高強度的運動；對我來說最重要的，是那兒的人既和善，又樂於助人，不斷鼓勵我們去投入比賽當中。因此，我一試難忘，幾個星期之後我更參與比賽。我很享受這個運動，所以我開始和機構有更多的聯繫。香港欖球聯盟的主席Neville Metcalfe 問我有沒有興趣認真地發展這項運動，那一句就成就了今天的我。

最近，我正在接受裁判訓練 ，我們都希望能將帶式欖球提升到更高的水平，而且，好的球證能確保賽事有質素地進行，對提升運動的整體水平十分重要。自己不喜歡做的事我不會強迫別人做，而當裁判完全事我自己的決定，希望能藉此鼓勵更多運動員投身裁判行列。

你是香港帶式欖球的主要籌委中的唯一一位女性，你對此有什麼感覺?

直至到上個星期為止我都是籌委會的唯一女性成員，但我們應該陸續會有更多的女性加入，因為帶式欖球在香港是以男女混合形式比賽的，所以這個比例理應可以在籌委中反映出來。雖然我是唯一位女性籌委，但我都能夠很自然、自由地向同事們表達我的意見、願景，以及擔憂 。事實上， 鼓勵更多的女性參加帶式欖球都是我們團隊一項重要的項目。

若果你問如果有另一位女性跟我擔當相同的職位會不會是件好事，絕對會。很高興地，我們剛剛已有一位新的女性籌委加入。我想，當帶式欖球有更多女球員參加的時候，我們自然會有更多的女生幫忙做義工或籌委了。

作為帶式欖球的籌委會，你希望帶領這項運動達到什麼的目標?

首先，我由衷的為我們一直以來所做的一切感到自豪。以社交性訓練班為例，從只有20人參加，擴展到現在有60人；夏天的球季裡也有8支男女混合隊參加。我個人希望帶式欖球能繼續擴展、能夠讓更多不同背景人士認識和參與，以及有更多的初學者有興趣發展成常規訓練球員，那我就很高興了。

你可以分享一下你們籌劃香港第一個女子帶式欖球比賽的經驗和感受嗎?

2016年的時候，我參加了香港欖球聯盟一年一度的帶式欖球比賽，那時仍是玩原始的混合賽賽制，但因為缺乏女球員的關係，每隊每場限最多2位女球員上場。由那年開始，我們便致力向女性推廣帶式欖球，尤其是那一群對欖球運動有偏見和不敢嘗試新運動的人，務求改變男性主導的狀況。一年後，感謝一群很有熱誠的女球員，我們終於有了首個女子帶式欖球聯賽，這意未著香港帶式欖球發展又邁進了一大步。其實我覺得，只要我們做的，能夠除去該項運動從前單一社會階層或性別主導的標籤，已經算是成功了。

你在香港籌劃帶式欖球的最大得著是什麼?

它令我感受到，只要你跟一群擁有共同目標和熱誠的人共事，世上便沒有不可能的任務。這是一種企業家思維，而這種思維模式對生活的任何一個細節都有莫大的影響力。當然，在追夢的過程中我們也遇過不少困難，我們犧牲了很多私人時間和付出了很多努力去征服這些挑戰。但是，當你看到球員們，不論男女老幼，都十分享受這項運動的時候，你便會覺得一切都很值得。

除此以外，我在同事身上學習到很多東西，還建立了珍貴的友誼。我們大家都來自不同的背景，而且有自己的職業和工作。在這裡，我看到不同的人處理挑戰和困難的方法，這對我來說十分有啟發性。

作為香港帶式欖球的先導者，這個領袖的角色對你有什麼價值和意義?

當球員的時間，你只會出席訓練和比賽並盡力享受其中，你不需要有太大的顧慮。 當籌劃人的時候，你便得要兼顧更多東西，但目標同樣是去讓所有人都能盡情享受活動，這就是大眾參與體育活動的原因。因此，於我而言，作為球界的搞手，能建立一個良好的活動環境讓球員享受帶式欖球就是對我最有意義的事。

如果有女孩子想在運動項目中擔當領導的角色，幫助體育發展，但擔心很大壓力和要承擔很大責任，你會怎樣鼓勵她去嘗試?

我只會說: 「去吧! 勇於爭取吧!」 你只要妥善管理好自己的時間及確保跟你的團隊有良好溝通就可以了。需耍負起責任和承受壓力是理所當然的，因為這是不論從事任何職業和工種都需要面對的問題，但當你看見體育發展慢慢因你的努力而進步、人們享受你所建立的東西，你會覺得是無與倫比的甜。