Growing up in Canada I had never heard of rugby. Canadian kids grew up playing sports like hockey, soccer and baseball. I was one of them until I hit high school. My high school had several boys’ teams and I was drawn to the sport as a spectator wanting to learn the complex “laws” of the game and experience the rich culture that came along with it. I vividly remember visiting the boys’ coach to ask if we could start a girls team. I wrangled some of my friends and promised a fun time even though I wasn’t too sure what I was getting us into. This was 1993 in Brantford, Ontario. At this time no high school female teams existed in Brant County and my school, Brantford Collegiate Institute, became the first. Canada did have a women’s rugby national team at that time but there weren’t opportunities at the high school level and limited club teams for young women. By 1998 there was 110 high school girls’ rugby teams in Ontario, 30 women’s club teams and 8 university league teams. Not very big numbers when you consider that rugby was first played by men in Canada in 1860!
You only need to spend a few minutes with a current or ex-player to understand how passionately we love the sport of rugby. The bruises, blood and broken bones pale in comparison to all that is gained through a female’s involvement in rugby. I literally get teary-eyed just thinking of how much I love the sport, the experiences I had through rugby and of course the people I have met through rugby (including my husband!).
So here are my 3 reasons why I think girls should play rugby:
- Team environment: A rugby team is 15 players on the field with several subs and many clubs and schools have enough players to field multiple teams. No rugby team can win without everyone’s involvement on the field and the team bond transcends off the field as well. You become sisters, you are there for each other because you need to in order to win. The culture of rugby is very different from other sports. The team celebrates after the game together with the opposition. There is a level of respect so high that many non-rugby athletes cannot comprehend it. When a rugby team is engaged in social activities EVERY player is invited and expected to attend. What this means for young girls is that there are no exclusions, everyone is part of the team and we are all there for each other. I have never experienced this in any other activity I’ve been involved in and this is probably why I still keep in touch with my ex-teammates over ten years after I retired.
- There is a position on the field for every body type and athletic ability: I came from a dance background to rugby and I was used to the expectation that you had to have a particular physique to dance. I think the same can be true for other sports such as gymnastics, swimming and soccer. This can have negative effects on young girls as their bodies mature and change. As such their interest in a particular sport may suffer as a result. In rugby there are somewhat specialized positions on the field that might suit one body type over an other allowing for a broader scope and acceptance. Girls who once found it challenging to fit the mold of another sport might just find a great fit with rugby and with their teammates.
- An intense physical sport: Rugby is a contact sport which requires great physical and emotional strength. There aren’t many female sports which involve the same amount of contact as the male version (both sexes play by the same rules/Laws). I never knew what I was capable physically until I endured rugby practices and games. Girls grow with confidence on and off the field and this has broad effects in their lives especially during the teen years. I never even considered myself an athlete until I started playing rugby. And now I know that I can run, tackle and outlast anyone (even a man) if I decide to because of the mental toughness I have learned through rugby.
Most community rugby clubs now have programs for girls starting at age 6 which are non-contact and emphasize ball handling skills and of course the culture of rugby. The future of women’s rugby worldwide and especially in Canada is very bright! And if that wasn’t enough to get you to encourage a young woman to try rugby our Canadian National women’s team is currently ranked 2nd in the world (while the men are ranked 18th) and our Seven’s team is heading to Rio to compete in the summer olympics and are favored to win a medal. This is a great time to be a lady rugger!
A girls-only game often is played at the beginning of tournaments in Ontario. Here are the girls right before their game having some fun together.
You can’t imagine my pride now that my own daughter has started playing. Here she is in the U10 co-ed category running fiercely with the ball. She was reluctant to make the change from soccer to rugby this year but is now hooked and loving the sport.
U10 co-ed players celebrate with the opposing teams after a game.
