While surfing the air like a bird at about 300m above ground, Luhabe made the decision to open her mind to possibilities miles outside her comfort zone. It wasn't long before Egon Zehnder, a global executive talent recruitment firm, called her about joining World Rugby's executive council."God has a sense of humour," she said."At the beginning of the year I decided to do something scary, challenging and thrilling. I jumped off Signal Hill in Cape Town and flew above Sea Point. After surviving that I decided 2016 would begin a chapter in my life to take on audacious challenges. Little did I know how prophetic that was.story_article_left1"When I received an e-mail from Egon Zehnder in February asking me if I would be interested [in joining World Rugby's board], I thought why not? I could not have wished for anything more removed from my reality."Luhabe joined rugby's global governing body carrying a catalogue of women's historical firsts, or as she put it "herstory" - a play on the words her and history.Best known as the co-founder of South Africa's first female-owned company to list on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Women's Investment Portfolio Holdings (WipHold), Luhabe also founded the first equity fund for women, Women Private Equity Fund.The 58-year-old was the black woman chancellor of a South African university (University of Johannesburg) and the first to receive the Lieutenant of the Victorian Order, given to her by Queen Elizabeth II.She's genetically predisposed to breaking barriers where women have barely tread before."I consider myself a pioneer, I absolutely love the challenge of exploring the road less travelled because it is the best way to show the world what women are capable of," said Luhabe."Being first has become second nature because I have been doing it for more than 30 years, it has now become a habit."My late mother [Boniwe] is probably responsible. She was a trailblazer for her generation of women. She left her marriage in the 1960s when women did not entertain the thought. She learnt to drive in her 50s and went to night school so she could achieve her lifelong ambition to have a matric certificate, not that she needed it."Luhabe was appointed to the World Rugby executive council the same week Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura of Senegal was named the Fifa general secretary - a ground-breaking week for women and sport.story_article_right2Luhabe slipped through the net of South African rugby, who have not yet awoken to the need to diversify their board structure.SA Rugby has an all-male general council, its highest decision-making body, made up of the 14 union presidents, and president Oregan Hoskins, deputy president Mark Alexander and vice-president James Stoffberg.Mandisa Kalako-Williams and Viwe Qegu have, however, served in SA Rugby's president's council as co-opted members.Luhabe has an athletics background from her youth - and is a keen golfer - but has no previous ties to rugby. But she said there are enough rugby brains on the World Rugby panel and she will bring unique and much-needed corporate acumen."In my various discussions with World Rugby I developed a fascination with the sport," she said."I am busy brushing up with my scrummaging and have no doubt Madiba would have been proud."World Rugby has been run over the years by people who have a vested interest in the sport. They are now looking to bring in independent voices to strengthen governance and provide objective decisions to help grow and develop the sport to become inclusive."..