Women’s Rugby

When you hear the word "rugby", what are the first things that come to mind? You’re probably thinking of a football game with players not wearing any pads and helmets. It’s pretty common for people to mistake rugby as American football. And despite rugby’s increasing popularity, many people still consider this as a man’s sport.



Rugby is a contact sport played with strength, endurance, and agility. Despite being labeled as a man’s sport, women’s rugby is also steadily becoming popular in different parts of the world, with having both professional and amateur leagues in many countries. The first documented women’s rugby match was between English schoolgirls in 1913 and was played in secret. The number of female rugby players has also grown significantly over the past few years, with more than a hundred women’s rugby clubs in the United States alone and over 200 clubs in England.



One of the reasons why rugby is slowly becoming popular among women is because of its unique refinement. Like any other sport, rugby requires patience, discipline, and willpower. Rugby teams have a good relationship with each other unlike other team-based sports where players discriminate and show animosity towards certain teams. Anyone is warmly accepted regardless of team affiliation to promote camaraderie and a positive sports culture.



Women’s rugby games are no different from men’s games, even having its own women’s rugby unions and international cups. The women’s rugby league world cup is the biggest women’s rugby competition in the world today. Teams from all over the world come to compete. Participating countries include the United States, New Zealand, England, Australia, Russia, and France



The first women’s rugby league world cup was won by the United States back in 1991. England won in 1994, and New Zealand won in 1998 and has since won every event, dominating the competition. The next world cup will be held in 2014, 4 years after the most recent competition.



Events like the women’s rugby league prove that in sports, it’s not who’s playing it, it’s how you play. Winning is about teamwork, skill, and determination and not about a person’s gender or physical size. Women’s participation in rugby is a good thing and promotes equality.