The inclusion and integration of women in sports has been a contentious topic over the years. As the industry continues to open space for women all around the world, the international women’s month is a good time to not only commemorate pioneers such as Abigail Kawonza , who have pushed boundaries and opened doors for other women — but to also celebrate the work done to date. Having been involved in rugby for over two decades — Kawonza has witnessed the industry’s many wins and losses. However, in her role as one of Rugby Africa’s Unstoppables, she has also seen and celebrated many developments, especially in a sport that was largely considered for men. Being part of the Unstoppables, a campaign dedicated to fast-tracking the development of women’s rugby in Africa, Kawonza pridefully notes that one of the major developments in her time is “the widespread acceptance of women taking part in rugby tournaments which has helped to project the sport onto higher platforms and expand its popularity. We have seen a change from just articles to women’s rugby being accepted in Olympics and Commonwealth Games”. Coralie van den Berg, general manager of World Rugby African Association, Rugby Africa, testifies to this, explaining that increasingly “more tournaments including women’s categories are being developed. When unions now launch a new tournament, they tend to always include a women’s category which is a very positive development”. Kawonza notes that some of the major improvements she has also seen on a global scale is “the increase in funding covering the development of the game in both sevens and the fifteens format as well as younger and stronger players emerging”. As the industry increasingly makes provision for women, Kawonza also notes an increase in adequate skill levels to showcase great games at any level due to properly accredited coaches taking time to coach women. “Let’s not forget qualified female technical staff taking the reins”Kawonza said. Her passion for sports and her journey has also opened bigger opportunities for her, allowing her to make even wider strides towards opening the industry for other talented women rooting on the other side of the fence. One of the key achievements being her role as the president of the Zimbabwe Rugby Referees Association which has opened opportunities to better guide younger referees towards maintaining best practice. Beyond the amazing strides, Kawonza has made in her career, her tenure as an Unstoppable has further expanded her impact beyond Zimbabwe’s grounds. “I appreciate that my influence has gone beyond the Zimbabwean borders as I also work closely with regional and international union boards,” Kawonza said. “The recognition as an Unstoppable has opened doors for more women in Zimbabwe, and I intend to ride the wave for as long as I can. Taking young match officials and players with me” she added. In her Scrumqueens Q&A, Maha Zaoui shares the same sentiment as Kawonza, adding that “the creation of the Women’s Rugby advisory committee at Rugby Afrique and its four sub