Womens rugby – what is your first thought? A game for butch lesbians, man-hating feminists? Loud-mouthed girls that like to charge about the rugby pitch? It’s okay, I know you were thinking it, and you’re not the only one. It’s the stereotype. It’s the way we’re trained to think and feel towards such sports. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not insinuating that it’s an elegant game that consists of prancing about the pitch, with a few cat fights here and there, but the real point is, it doesn’t fit the stereotype like you imagine it to.
Living at University with 3 girls that took rugby up as a new sport, I thought it would be in my best interests to watch a home game to see what it’s all really like. And as well as acting as the supportive parent on the sideline, I was intrigued to know whether the game lived up to the stigma that derives from the media.
So we turned up to the pitch where they were playing, and I won’t lie I expected at least one chest pump, or hefty thump on the back – but apparently not. Dressed head to toe in their matching kit, the girls filed out into their pre-match training session, whilst I sorted my spot on the side line (a fair few metres back – I was wearing a nice coat, okay!). And so it begins, passing drills, running drills, practise scrums and team talks – all fairly standard procedures that you would expect before a match in any sport.
Game play was much the same, and as you would expect in a rugby match from any sex. Tactics and code words, rolling around on the floor at times (I’m still not sure if this was intentional or not) and team spirit, all the essential ingredients for a team sport. If someone needs help, there’s a body ready and waiting. If the opposition are close to scoring, approaching each tackle with 100% – it’s your basic strategy, really.
First of all, I’m not trying to say that this is fitting for every female rugby team, but it has been proven that playing rugby does not ‘make you gay’. There are just as many homosexual women in everyday life, as there are in everyday rugby. So why the butch lesbian hype? It’s just easy, I suppose. Rugby requires sheer strength and your body can take a serious hounding, but that’s why you train, surely?
However, there is no amount of training that can prepare you for injury. And playing a sport, like rugby, injuries are bound to incur. Saying this, little did I expect to see 2 out of my 3 house-mates laying on the pitch with paramedics surrounding them. Head collision, an unfortunately common occurrence in rugby, but it does come as a bit of a shock when it’s the majority of who you have come to watch and support! Nevertheless, the paramedics did their job and A&E gave them the once over, so nothing too serious apart from a headache – but they should be used to that after the socials! It’s situations like this that give rugby the masculinity, I think. What girl wants to be thrown around and head-butted so hard that they nearly lose consciousness? Not many voluntarily, but it’s a part of what you sign up for!
So, I’m sat here trying to tell you that not all rugby girls fit into this stereotypical image that you have in your head, but one thing you can’t cover up is their ability to shout and motivate each other. “B, what? BU!,” they would shout repeatedly after a try was scored (Bournemouth Uni that stands for). And the facial expressions could say a whole different story when it comes to aggressiveness, but realistically it’s getting in the team spirit and putting your heart and soul into the game you’re playing. Wouldn’t you?
Team socials are much the same as you would expect, so I’m told. Celebrating a winning success by forcing one another to drink copious amounts of alcohol – how charming! But there is always the comradery that you would, perhaps, forget. Fancy dress themes ranging from Disney characters to whatever you can find in a charity shop. The first word that springs to mind is “WTF!” rather than “raging lesbian”.
So whilst this is, honestly, a matter of opinion and self experience, it is important to recognise that not everything is as you expect it to be. I stood on the sideline for the match’s entirety with my SLR camera, acting as team photographer. I felt proud at what I was watching. These girls are passionate about the sport that they play, and each and every one of them has a reason to be there – they’re actually really good (final score 19-0 to us, just saying!) And whilst I’ll always be slightly biased towards my closest friends, and obviously my University team, it made me think beyond what female rugby players are stereotyped to be like.
katiemallalieu 