She’ll manage: Canadian

Alana Gattinger is helping plot against the All Blacks and the trailblazer hopes other women can get similar opportunities.

The 30-year-old has created history as the first woman to manage a team at a men’s Rugby World Cup, filling that role for Canada at the tournament in Japan.

The All Blacks play Canada next Wednesday in their second pool match.

Gattinger started as an intern with Rugby Canada seven years ago. She was part of the logistics team at the last World Cup in England and progressed to being manager two years ago.

‘‘I’m lucky I work in Canada and live in a country where opportunities like this exist for women in sport,’’ she said.

‘‘It’s a testament to our union and our country. I am not treated any differently, and that’s exactly what I want. I hope this serves as an inspiration to young girls that anything is possible.

‘‘I am really proud to represent the Canadian team and I’m really proud to be the first female to do it. I’m sure I won’t be the last.’’

With a background in softball and basketball, Gattinger poured her endeavours into rugby, seeing a career pathway.

‘‘My goal from the very beginning was to learn as much as possible about the game and the players so I could anticipate what was needed when they’re on the pitch training, or in a game,’’ Gattinger told her local news outlet at durhamregion. com.

‘‘A managers’ job at the end of the day is to make sure that the players and coaches can focus on the task at hand.

‘‘My main role is to make sure that I reduce every distraction possible, to help the team perform on the field.’’

Gattinger said World Cup responsibilities were next level.

‘‘Going to my first World Cup was eye-opening,’’ Gattinger told rugbyworldcup.com.

‘‘It’s one of the biggest sporting events in the world and to see rugby embraced at that level was a totally new experience for me.

‘‘The pressure is so much greater because the stakes are as high as they can get. These players have worked their whole lives to get here, and every single aspect of the planning and execution matters.

‘‘Being there with the team in 2015 lit a fire in me.

‘‘I decided then and there that I loved touring with the team and working in this role, and I set a goal for myself that someday I was going to be the team manager at a Rugby World Cup.’’

The ground-breaking Gattinger earned praise from Canada coach Kinglsey Jones as the squad battled through to be the 20th and final team to qualify for World Cup 2019 after winning the repechage tournament in Marseille last November.

Canada has a rich World Cup history – they and Japan are the only two tier-two nations to have qualified for every tournament since it started in 1987.