playing dirty
Defying the pre-existing bounds of femininity
Rugby requires a certain set of skills, but none of them include being a man. You play in snow, in sleet, in mud and on astroturf. Sometimes you get socked in the face by a crazy opponent, sometimes you'll almost break your friend's arm by accident. Your body becomes an adaptable, well-oiled machine, trained to push past previous limits of pain.
Echoes of "I don't need stiches" or "Please for the love of God, seriously, I don't need EMS" can be heard across the fields whenever injury occurs. Not all ruggers are the same, but this level of physicality allows women in particular to not be limited by their fears of taking a hit, of being fragile. Your body and mind become resilient in the face of an impending tackle from a linebacker or as a drunk idiot spits homosexual slurs in your face.
Rugby is considered, subconsciously, by many to be sexinappropriate because of this physicality and aggression.
Society plays an equally dirty game.
The reason that I, and many others, hesitated in joining such a sport was because of the social stigmas attached to it. Because of this, women's rugby experiences lower rates of player retention and recruitment versus other 'traditionally feminine' sports. Many speculate, and I can support from my year off, that at some point the homosexual harassment, body policing, and constant participation in what society deems deviant, becomes too much. Quitting seems to be the only viable option.
Playing dirty and being dirty are just part of the game.
Rugby requires a certain set of skills, but none of them include being a man. You play in snow, in sleet, in mud and on astroturf. Sometimes you get socked in the face by a crazy opponent, sometimes you'll almost break your friend's arm by accident. Your body becomes an adaptable, well-oiled machine, trained to push past previous limits of pain.
Echoes of "I don't need stiches" or "Please for the love of God, seriously, I don't need EMS" can be heard across the fields whenever injury occurs. Not all ruggers are the same, but this level of physicality allows women in particular to not be limited by their fears of taking a hit, of being fragile. Your body and mind become resilient in the face of an impending tackle from a linebacker or as a drunk idiot spits homosexual slurs in your face.
Rugby is considered, subconsciously, by many to be sexinappropriate because of this physicality and aggression.
Society plays an equally dirty game.
The reason that I, and many others, hesitated in joining such a sport was because of the social stigmas attached to it. Because of this, women's rugby experiences lower rates of player retention and recruitment versus other 'traditionally feminine' sports. Many speculate, and I can support from my year off, that at some point the homosexual harassment, body policing, and constant participation in what society deems deviant, becomes too much. Quitting seems to be the only viable option.
Playing dirty and being dirty are just part of the game.
A possible explanation for this finding could be that individuals often avoid activities deemed sexinappropriate because of the negative thoughts, feelings, and stigmatizations they experience, such as body image insecurities, homophobic harassment, and anxiety about not conforming to societal norms (Blinde & Taub, 1992; Dworkin, 2001; Krane et al., 2004). Therefore, women who do not participate in gender-appropriate sports are at greater risk for quitting or choosing a “feminine” sport from the start (Halbert, 1997; Koivula, 1995).