It’s something rarely done in sports – at least on this scale, anyway.
The leaders of the four global sporting events hitting New Zealand’s shores over the next two years have been meeting regularly to share their knowledge and experiences with each other.
The four women – Andrea Nelson, Michelle Hooper, Jane Patterson and Rachel Froggatt – talk about their special collaboration in the final episode of LockerRoom’s series, The Big Four.
“I think for all of us, when we realised that the three women’s World Cups and the IWG [Women in Sport] conference were coming to New Zealand, we all knew that we wanted it to be connected and we wanted something special with collaboration,” says Nelson, the CEO of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2022.
“We’ve been kind of working together in a way that doesn’t normally happen for sports events in my experience. Normally you’re very independent and if anything, you’re kind of patch protective.
“We get together for a social catch-up every now and then when the diaries allow, and talk regularly. And I think it’s made a big difference to our ability to plan for the events.”
All four share a common goal, says Hooper, head of the 2022 Rugby World Cup: “To inspire people through sport.”
* In the first four episodes of The Big Four series, LockerRoom speaks to each of the women at the head of their major sporting events.
You can watch the first video with Andrea Nelson, CEO of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2022, here; part two with Michelle Hooper, 2022 Rugby World Cup tournament director here; part three with Jane Patterson, COO of the 2023 FIFA World Cup here, and the fourth episode with Rachel Froggatt, the secretary general of the IWG Women in Sport Conference 2022 here.
