Elwiss named PCA Vice Chair

The PCA has announced the appointment of Georgia Elwiss as the new Vice Chair of the Association.

The 34-year-old will take up the position on the PCA Board alongside Derbyshire’s Anuj Dal, who remains Vice Chair for the men’s game, to support Chair Olly Hannon-Dalby in leading the PCA Players’ Committee.

The role will see Elwiss apply her wealth of experience from the women’s game to the boardroom whilst continuing her playing career with The Blaze. Capped 54 times for England between 2011 and 2021, Elwiss has been a champion of the women’s game for the last 15 years with Sussex women, Loughborough Lightning, Southern Vipers, The Blaze and Welsh Fire.

Elwiss takes over the role from former England captain Heather Knight who stepped down in May earlier this year. Knight spent five years in the role as a leading voice in promoting equity and representing the views of male and female cricketers to progress standards.

The PCA Players’ Committee ratified Elwiss following a recruitment process that saw candidates apply and progress through interview stages before gaining the seal of approval which she says gave her a huge amount of pride: “In my opinion to be ratified by my fellow peers is one of the biggest honours you can receive and I hope that I can do them justice and do a good job and take their views forward to make some meaningful change, which starts now.

“I’m really excited, when the opportunity came up, I wanted to give back to the game and represent the women across the counties and be that link between the game and the fantastic work the PCA does and hopefully we can make some good movements and get people’s voices heard.”

The Blaze all-rounder has been involved with the PCA for many years, primarily playing a role in the creation of the England Women’s Player Partnership (EWPP), then as a PCA Representative with Southern Vipers and most recently in the EDI space as an Inclusion Champion with the responsibility of educating players.

“This felt like a nice next step, something that I wanted to put my hand forward for and make meaningful change. The game is almost unrecognisable from when I first started, that’s one of the things I’m proud of and as more women come into the game it’s important their views are represented and taken seriously. For a long time we were just grateful with what we were given but now it’s time to change that narrative and push for more and the best and being Vice Chair, I’m well placed to be able to do that.”

Elwiss has immediately started the role ahead of a Board meeting at the end of September before being in attendance at the PCA Summit in Portugal next month, but wants to continue flourishing on the pitch as well.

“I’ve already had some chats with Olly (Hannon-Dalby) and Anuj (Dal), I’ll speak to Heather too, obviously she has a huge knowledge of the game so I’ll tap into what she experienced in the role. Being able to give back to the game is something that I’m really passionate about and being able to do this alongside playing, I think the roles can work nicely alongside each other.”

Protecting the women’s game is of utmost importance to Elwiss and The Hundred competition is a big part of securing the future for women’s players.

“It’s a massive competition for us in this country, making sure the investment is used wisely and making sure that we’re getting enough professionals with support and guidance as they’re transitioning, so making sure the girls are represented and with the support they need, top coaching and facilities is important.”

A combined, collaborative approach is important to Elwiss who wants to hear from as many players as possible, to represent the full women’s cohort.

“Sometimes the informal chats in the dressing rooms is where you get the most powerful conversations. Getting reps talking to each other and understanding the non-negotiables and what we’re striving for as standard is paramount.”

In welcoming Elwiss, PCA Chair Hannon-Dalby, said: “I’m thrilled to welcome Georgia onto the PCA Board, it’s evident from her years in the game that she brings vast amounts of experience and knowledge and will no doubt make the Association stronger.

“Having been involved with the PCA through the creation of the EWPP, as a rep and as an Inclusion Champion, I’m sure Georgia will do her utmost to represent the best interests of men’s and women’s players across the country.”

See the PCA Players’ Committee in full here.