Her World, Her Rules: Basketball Wales Marks International Women’s Day with Cardiff Met

Nearly 100 girls from across South Wales came together to mark International Women’s Day 2024 at a special event hosted by Cardiff Met Archers Basketball Club. The celebration formed part of FIBA’s global Her World, Her Rules initiative, which is committed to increasing female participation in basketball—whether as players, coaches, officials, or administrators.

The event was made possible thanks to the support of GB Basketball and funding from the FIBA Youth Development Fund. Its aim was to unite young girls from across the Welsh basketball community to celebrate women in sport and offer inspiration through direct involvement in the game—and the opportunity to watch Wales’ only professional female basketball team in action.

The day kicked off with fun, energetic basketball activities including games, skills sessions, and drills. In the afternoon, participants heard from Cardiff Met University staff about career opportunities within sport, showing that it’s possible to have a successful future on and off the court. This was followed by strength and conditioning sessions where the girls tested their speed, strength, and agility using Cardiff Met’s state-of-the-art equipment, before finishing with a workshop on sports psychology and injury management for young athletes.

The atmosphere was buzzing throughout the day, with many of the girls particularly enjoying the strength and conditioning testing—racing to be the fastest sprinter or jumping to reach the highest score. It was fantastic to see their competitive spirit and confidence shine in such a positive setting.

In the days that followed, we received plenty of positive feedback from both participants and parents. Many spoke about how much fun the day was, and how great it was to meet girls from different clubs across Wales. It was heartening to see new friendships form, and for club rivalries to be set aside as everyone came together to celebrate the sport they love.

Cardiff Met Archers and Basketball Wales have a long history of working together, and the Archers Arena—one of the finest facilities in the country—provided the perfect setting for this event. Both organisations share a commitment to growing the women’s game in Wales and offering meaningful opportunities for young girls.

The day concluded with a live SLB game between Cardiff Met Archers and Durham. For many of the girls, it was their first time watching a professional women’s basketball match. Seeing young Welsh athletes compete at this level gave them a glimpse of what’s possible and reinforced the message that playing professional basketball is a real possibility in the UK.

Sarah Wagstaff of Cardiff Met Archers said:

“It was fantastic for us to host this event in collaboration with Basketball Wales and FIBA’s Her World, Her Rules initiative. Seeing so many young females come together—not only to experience the sport but also to engage in off-court activities—was terrific. A lot of fun was had.

A huge thanks to Elen, who really drove the event, and, of course, all our volunteers. It was also great to have the crowd behind us to see our SLB team secure a nail-biting win against Durham. We’re excited that this has become a key event in our annual calendar and love engaging more young women and girls through our sport.

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