‘More than just a game’

When Evan Konwá:wi Stacey boards a plane to Sunderland, England next month, she’ll be carrying far more than a passport and a playbook. In a major step for women’s representation in sport, Stacey has been selected to represent Western Australia in Rugby WA’s Grassroots to Global Connect initiative in the UK, a national leadership program aimed at amplifying the voices of women in rugby coaching.

For Stacey, a Kanien’kehá:ka woman from Kahnawake now living in Perth, Australia, it was more than just a professional milestone, it was a cultural mission. Stacey is using her voice and experience to break down barriers for women in sport, both in her home community and across international fields.

Stacey was unanimously chosen to represent WA from a group of around 10 women who participated in Rugby WA’s Grassroots to Global Connect forum earlier this year. The program brought together coaches, volunteers, and team managers to share experiences and develop solutions to the challenges women face in coaching.

“It was a really, really good day,” she said. “We spent the whole time discussing issues that women face in the coaching sector. It wasn’t just about strength and conditioning, it was about our journeys, how we got to where we are, and how to open doors for the next generation.

“This isn’t just about sport. This is about building something that lasts, something that represents who we are, where we come from,” Stacey said.

“I think what stood out was the collective understanding that it’s not just about the individual, it’s about community. WA had to choose someone they thought could represent not just one voice, but all of our collective voices and ideas. That felt huge.”

Her journey in rugby started as an openside flanker in high school. In Australia she earned a bachelor’s degree in Sport and Exercise Science and reconnected with rugby during professional development with the Western Force in Australia.

“I still play ice hockey, I love so many sports, but rugby has always held a special place in my heart,” she shared.

Stacey joined the Southern Lions Rugby Union Club first in a strength and conditioning role, then as an assistant coach. That season, the women’s team earned a promotion back to the Premier Division.

“For us, it’s all about seven generations, right?” she said. “So, everything I do is to make sure that these opportunities exist, and that the future generations don’t have to push as hard.”

“There’s almost no research that exists around First Nations people in sport. Not in Canada, not in Australia, not anywhere. We have health funding; we have health statistics. But when it comes to sport-specific performance, elite training, and athlete development? We’re not even part of the picture.”

She’s currently completing a Master’s in Applied Human Performance at the University of Western Australia, developing a thesis that merges elite athlete development with Indigenous identity. Now she works with the National Rugby League of Western Australia, managing both league and union teams as a coach.

Though her work keeps her in Australia for now, her long-term vision is to bring that knowledge home. There’s no rugby team here yet but that’s something she’s long considered.

“It’s been on my mind since I was a teenager,” she said. “It would take a lot of meetings, a lot of community support, and we’d need funding but it’s possible. It just needs the right people behind it.

“I want to give back to my community. I’ve been away for so long, and I want to make sure our little girls, even our little boys, have the chance to get to the next level. I want to help our people reach higher levels of performance that open doors, because I got that growing up. I got to try every sport.”

Despite her growing influence, Stacey knows about the inequities women still face in sport particularly around funding, recognition, leadership, visibility, investment, and consistency.

“Women do so damn much,” she said. “And it’s not just coaching or managing teams. It’s moms driving everyone to practice. Moms getting the skates sharpened. Moms picking up the new balls. It’s women holding everything together. Yet, few of those women are visible in coaching roles,” she said.

“How amazing would it be to see an all-female coaching staff? A head coach, assistant coach, physio, strength coach - all women, coaching women. That would be so powerful. We give birth and come back better athletes. You see it all the time women who come back stronger, faster, more focused,” Stacey said.

“We need people championing women. If I have the opportunity to be that person, even from the sidelines, I’m going to do it.”

As she prepares to take the global stage in the UK, Stacey’s vision remains grounded in the grassroots.

“If we don’t push and make these opportunities happen from the ground up, it’s never going to happen,” she said. “So yeah, I’m going to keep showing up. Because the future should be better than this.”

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