Football West is excited to announce that one of WA’s most high-profile female footballers has rejoined the organisation.
Perth Glory A-League Women’s captain Tash Rigby has been appointed the new Manager - Female Football and Advocacy.
Tash’s role will see her heavily involved in all areas of female football in Western Australia, including working with clubs and associations, local government and Football Australia.
“I’m thrilled to be appointed to this role and I cannot wait to get started,” she said.
“I am in a great position to advocate for what I believe many girls deserve, from a playing, refereeing, coaching and governance perspective, both in grassroots and the elite.
“It is important to have females in decision-making roles and positions of influence, but we also need to give them the tools to do that and celebrate their achievements.”
As part of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Tash was last year named one of Football West’s four female football Legacy Ambassadors. She has consistently used her position as a player to promote the advancement of women and girls in football.
“There are so many positives in the game,” she said.
“The registration figures post-World Cup are fantastic and in WA we have 3,000 more girls playing at the competition level than previously. That's massive, and we just have to make sure that the experience we are providing for these girls is positive and helps keep them in the game.
“I have been involved in football for a long time and know a lot of people on the ground in different positions. One of my first priorities is to go and build that relationship and rapport with the main women and girls contacts in each club.
“I think it’s about looking at those leading clubs in regards to women and girls, what are they doing well, and then empowering and educating other clubs about the importance of it.
“I will listen to the people at those clubs at the community level because they're the ones on the ground and they see the day-to-day.”
She added: “The impact the World Cup has had in terms of participation and spectators coming to our games is outstanding. But we still have a long way to go.
“We must stress this isn’t a boys-versus-girls issue. Not at all. It is just that football has been so highly participated in by men and boys for a long time, and we want to show how beneficial investing in women and girls can be, both for the clubs and the female game.
“You have your players that aspire to be the next Sam Kerr, the next Mary Fowler, and there will be more and more of that as the game grows. But you also have girls who are just playing because they love it and it’s fun, and it doesn't necessarily mean they want to be the best of the best. So we need to make sure we are providing inclusive opportunities for all.”
Tash last worked at Football West in 2018, when the organisation was spread across three offices in Maylands. It is not lost on her that it now operates at a state-of-the-art complex in Queens Park named after her former Glory teammate and the country’s greatest female player.
“The Sam Kerr Football Centre is phenomenal and how good to be named after a female football icon,” she said.
“We were lucky enough to play a pre-season match with Glory against the Gold Fields State team and that was my first experience of the facility. As a player, that was amazing, and now seeing the office, it is just incredible. There are a lot of familiar faces around the place, so it's been nice. It feels like it's kind of coming home.”
Football West Chief Executive Officer Jamie Harnwell said: “We are delighted to welcome back Tash to Football West and we cannot think of anyone more suited to this position.
“She has a wealth of experience and is hugely respected in the game. She is also hugely passionate about taking women and girls football forward and she will bring so much to the role.
“This reiterates Football West’s continued commitment to developing female football in line with our Strategic Plan 2023-2026. With the recent announcement of Western Australia hosting games for the 2026 Women’s Asian World Cup, we have a unique opportunity to support the incredible increase in female football participation by building the capacity and capability of our clubs and female leaders off the park.”