Welcome back to the podcast, bribes, Windle, or Steel.

I'm Alexandra Rogge, and today we're talking about sports governance again, this time in the world of rugby.

My guest is Sally Dennis, who was until a few months ago, chair of the board of Rugby Canada,

the first woman to hold that role,

and she currently represents Rugby Canada on the Council of World Rugby. That's World Rugby's

highest decision-making body, but she notes that she is here in her personal capacity and not

speaking on behalf of Rugby Canada. A lawyer by training, Sally has led a number of major

governance reform initiatives at Rugby Canada, and we by training, Sally has led a number of major governance reform

initiatives at Rugby Canada, and we are delighted to have her here with us today. Sally,

thank you for joining me and for fitting this in before we both head to the Olympics next week.

Well, thank you very much for having me. It's a pleasure to be here.

Can you talk a little bit about your background with rugby and how you came to be involved in

rugby governance or sports governance more generally?

I was born in a country where rugby is not only the national sport, it's almost a religion,

a country where the local rugby club is the social center of the community and where on international

rugby days the whole nation kind of comes to a halt stores are empty or closed restaurants empty or

closed because people are watching the rugby where i'm speaking of is wales and specifically south wales

which is where i was born and grew up.

So that's the environment in which I grew up.

I guess that means that because of that, I've got rugby in my blood.

And it's a passion for me and has been right from a very, very early age.

That's how it all started.

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