Name Gemma Hallett | ||
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Gemma Hallett speaks at Digital Festival
Gemma Hallett (born 24 August 1981) is a Welsh rugby union player who has played second row and number 8, earning 35 caps for Wales.
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Hallett started her international career making her appearance in the Welsh Students squad in April 2004 coached by Nadine Griffiths. Hallett along with scrum half Laura Prosser were selected to join the Welsh Development team where they played in fixtures against England A, both Hallett and Prosser were late call up replacements for the injured Mellissa Berry and Beth Gallacher for the national squad tour of South Africa in the summer of 2004. Hallett came off the bench to earn her first taste of senior international rugby to face Eastern Province.
She was part of the Welsh team that won the Triple Crown in 2009 and was involved in the 2010 Women’s Rugby World Cup. and secured qualification for the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup.
Since retiring from rugby Gemma has also been a Sky Sports pundit for the 2014 Rugby World Cup and commentator for the 2015 Women's Six Nations.
A former college lecturer, she founded miFuture in 2015 which aims to reinvent the recruitment process for young adults.
Rugby career
Early Years
After impressing then coach Nadine Griffiths for the Welsh students squad whilst in university, Hallett was invited to join the tour to South Africa in 2004. It is during this time a desire to play for the National squad took hold.
In 2005 following her graduation, she embarked on a season playing in Australia for Sydney's Eastern Suburbs. She enjoyed a season of running rugby where she played at No. 8, and captained the team against a touring Singapore side.
Following her return to Wales, and a switch of positions to second row, she made her full Wales International debut earning her first cap against Italy in the Autumn of 2006 at Cardiff's Glamorgan Wonderer's ground, followed a week later by a starting position against the Netherlands at Llanrhumney playing fields.
She scored her only international try against Sweden in November 2009.
Hallett became a regular international from 2006-2010 where she earned 30 caps, involved in each squad, only missing two games through a knee medial injury during the 2008 six nations.
Hallett played a key role starting in all of Wales's World Cup games at England 2010. A tournament which saw her struggling with an allergic reaction to the antibiotics she was taking to combat a viral infection. She was ordered to bed rest for the days in between matches during the later part of the tournament.
This tournament was said to be her last as she retired from the sport. Yet during her travels and blogging for the WRU whilst following Wales men at the 2010 World Cup, Hallett found herself playing for Nelson, New Zealand. Playing in every game and thoroughly enjoying the expansive rugby, and learning new skills back at no.8 she helped Nelson secure a top the league finish in 2011.
Return to Wales
Having a renewed passion for the game Hallett returned to Wales and her Welsh club Pontyclun to continue playing one more season at amateur level. Following a series of good performances, echoing the style she had enjoyed in New Zealand, she captured the eyes of Regional and National coaches and was called back into the National set up. She was made Vice Captain for the 2013 Six Nations squad and captained the team in their warm up fixtures and game against France for the injured skipper Rachel Taylor. Her last game for Wales was the final 6 nations games against England that year.
The same season Hallett was named Premiership Player of The Year at the annual WRU women's dinner, where she was presented with a trophy by her playing idol; Scott Quinnell.
Hallett also captained the Cardiff Blues squad in 2012 and 2013 campaigns. In 2013, she made history in being the first woman to captain a Cardiff Blues side at the Cardiff Arms Park. During this campaign she led the Blues team to be regional champions after a thrilling match against the Ospreys. She openly expressed this as one of her proudest rugby moments.
Overlooked by Wales
After her most successful season in rugby Hallett was dropped from the Welsh squad and failed to make Rhys Edwards' 2014 Six Nations squad due to what seemed to be a difference in opinion with the coaching staff. Hallett has since proclaimed that she voiced her disapproval over the WRU managements decision to withdraw Wales Women from the RBS 6 Nations tournament and into a second tier competition. In leading a player objection and meeting with senior WRU management on the matter it is thought by many that she sealed her own fate, and as a result would never play for Wales again.
Being out of the international set up allowed Hallett the opportunity to represent invitational team the Nomads in World Cup 2014 warm up matches against Wales at the National Centre of Excellence and two fixtures against South Africa in their World Cup preparations in England.
Her final game came in November 2014 where she led the Cardiff Blues invitational team against the Combined Services, in a special commemorative match marking 100 year anniversary of remembrance, played at the Cardiff Arms Park. It was a game Hallett cherished on Twitter as things came full circle; ending her playing career alongside scrum half Laura Prosser and coached by Nadine Griffiths, in the same circumstances how her career began back in 2004. A fitting end to a 10year journey.
Entrepreneur
Whilst working as a PE teacher Gemma identified a growing need for supporting young adults into suitable employability routes for life after school. Her story was recently featured in the Tech Partnership to inspire other young entrepreneurs to venture down the Tech route She recognised whilst teaching that the careers service and guidance of today isn't fit for purpose and needs to be modernised. The miFuture website was launched in January 2016, and the miFutureApp in September 2016 with the mission to reinvent the recruitment process for 16-24 year olds in Wales. “Our smart algorithm selects relevant candidates for you. No more searching and lengthy pre-selection, no more expensive and generic recruitment campaigns. The whole process now becomes quicker, smarter and easier for all involved”. Gemma Hallett, miFuture CEO & Founder. At the heart of miFuture is revolutionary matching technology that helps young adults discover suitable careers that match their personal profile. miFuture has created an engine that combines big data with small gestures on a small screen to match its audience of young people ready to make career decisions. 2016 has seen Gemma's entrepreneurial spirit along with miFuture's innovative approach being recognised in a series of awards and programmes, namely awarded the 2016 Insider magazine 'Rising Star', Caerphilly Business Forum Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist Blue Rock-ed Dragons Den Runner Up Start-up Accelerator Award
miFuture Business Model
Using industry- disruptive technology miFuture can showcase career opportunities to young people through online and mobile platforms that resonate and engage like never before. In doing so, Gemma has created a more appropriate, time and cost effective business model benefiting both users and recruiters. miFuture has four clearly defined USP's for recruiters and marketers to benefit from using their technology to promote career opportunities to young people, the miFuture brand aims to save time and money, put your brand in their hand, target suitable candidates and send applications direct to your inbox.