{"id":3181,"date":"2025-04-03T15:35:35","date_gmt":"2025-04-03T15:35:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/OU-Sport\/?p=3181"},"modified":"2025-03-18T13:05:10","modified_gmt":"2025-03-18T13:05:10","slug":"tackling-abuse-the-triumphs-of-women-rugby-players","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/OU-Sport\/?p=3181","title":{"rendered":"Tackling abuse: the triumphs of women rugby players"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n
\n

By Helen Owton<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sportswomen continue to break barriers despite facing a disturbing level of online abuse that goes beyond their athletic abilities.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

From\u00a0body-shaming\u00a0<\/span><\/a>\u00a0to sexist comments, the digital world has become a toxic space where female athletes are frequently targeted for their appearance, strength, or refusal to conform to traditional gender norms and expectations. These challenges, however, highlight the resilience and triumphs of women in sports, as they push back against gender inequality and break down barriers redefining what it is to be an athlete.<\/p>\n

How can we better support women rugby players as they rise as a force of nature, tackling both the physical and mental demands on the pitch and the discrimination and harassment they face off it?<\/p>\n

Dealing with trolls<\/span><\/h2>\n

Ellie Kildunne\u00a0<\/span><\/a>\u00a0a Full Back in International rugby, playing for England and Harlequins, and\u00a0World Player of the Year\u00a0<\/span><\/a>, spoke out about her experiences of dealing with trolls. She has had to deal with sexist trolls who criticise her body and tell her to \u2018get back in the kitchen\u00a0<\/span><\/a>\u2019. Also, she highlights that being in a male-dominated sport means that she probably experiences trolling a lot more.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Ellie<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ellie Kildunne runs with the ball during the England Red Roses training session at SGS College<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sadly, these comments are not new, particularly for women who play rugby. In the 2012 Olympics, Rugby athlete\u00a0Heather Fisher\u00a0<\/span><\/a>, was criticised for her appearance. Fisher experiences alopecia \u2013 or hair loss \u2013 and works as an advocate for others with the same condition. Comments on twitter questioned her womanhood, saying they were\u00a0\u2018not convinced\u2019 that she is \u2018female\u2019 and that she\u2019s \u2018the manliest woman I have ever seen\u2019.\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"Heather<\/strong><\/p>\n

Heather Fisher of Great Britain makes a break past Stacey Flood of Ireland<\/strong><\/p>\n

Studies\u00a0<\/span><\/a>\u00a0reveal that female elite athletes are exposed to\u00a0different forms\u00a0<\/span><\/a>\u00a0of body-shaming and are a form of\u00a0emotional abuse\u00a0<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Widening narrow beauty standards<\/span><\/h2>\n

Rugby is a dynamic game combining elements of skill, strength, speed and team strategy. Yet when women run too fast, kick too hard, or look too muscular, they are subjected to abuse. Rugby is known for its emphasis on respect and sportsmanship, both on and off the field. At the same time as being world-class athletes, sportswomen are expected to be physically appealing\u00a0(e.g., wear make-up, paint fingernails),\u00a0while photographs of sportswomen in the media are generally\u00a0more likely to be sexually suggestive\u00a0<\/span><\/a>. However, there has been a trending movement in football which has been viewed as\u00a0widening narrow beauty standards\u00a0<\/span><\/a>. Those who defend this state of affairs often say it\u2019s a way to attract fans and endorsements to women\u2019s sports \u2013 yet women athletes are still\u00a0paid less than men\u00a0<\/span><\/a>. Additionally, whilst media coverage in women\u2019s sports has nearly tripled, their games are given\u00a0less air time\u00a0<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Men are not immune from discrimination and abuse in sport either. In some ways, men face more limitations on what physical traits are deemed acceptable, thanks to society\u2019s particularly narrow ideas about masculinity.\u00a0A\u00a0<\/span>study by World Athletics\u00a0<\/span><\/a>\u00a0revealed that racism constituted 26% of the abuse directed at male athletes, while female athletes faced a combination of sexual and sexist abuse.\u00a0(<\/span>Neal Maupay on social media abuse: \u2018To ignore it is not the solution\u2019 | Brentford FC\u00a0<\/span><\/a>)<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Neal<\/strong><\/p>\n

Neal Maupay of Brentford celebrates scoring his team\u2019s first goal during the Premier League match<\/strong><\/p>\n

Women and men who do not conform to expectations about their respective genders are often targets for abuse. This is because they\u00a0threaten traditional attitudes\u00a0about the appropriate roles, rights and responsibilities of women and men in society.\u00a0Indeed, human beings can\u00a0feel uncomfortable\u00a0when other people do not fit neatly into categories, because it challenges preconceived ideas about what it is to be \u2018normal\u2019.<\/p>\n

But as more people embrace identities that exist outside the conventional male\/female binary classification system, society is forced to confront the complexity of gender.<\/span><\/p>\n

Has this change resulted in even stricter or more rigid classification, for example in sport, where physical traits are often used to determine eligibility? Rather than broadening the understanding of gender to allow for a more inclusive spectrum, certain systems may have inadvertently reinforced narrow, essentialist ideas of what it means to be \u2018truly\u2019 male or female. It seems that the boundaries of what is acceptable in sport to be a man or a woman has become even narrower. So perhaps it is a cultural reluctance that needs addressing.<\/p>\n

\u2018Lad culture\u2019<\/span><\/h2>\n

While \u2018lad culture\u00a0<\/span><\/a>\u2019 can sometimes foster an environment where unhealthy behaviours, such as bullying, harassment, and discrimination are normalised, it can also create a strong sense of camaraderie and support among friends, fostering loyalty and teamwork. However, when these behaviours cross the line into exclusion or reinforce narrow ideals of masculinity, they can contribute to a toxic atmosphere. In some cases, this culture may trivialise harmful actions, such as dismissing online abuse as \u2018banter\u00a0<\/span><\/a>\u2019.<\/p>\n

Watching women play rugby, however, offers a positive shift. It\u2019s a chance to appreciate the sport itself, the incredible athleticism, and the dedication of the players, regardless of gender. When anyone plays sport, they are judged but Heather Fisher, ex-rugby international player and advocate of resilience says, \u2018Knowing who you are and having emotional intelligence are the most important things\u00a0<\/span><\/a>!\u2019<\/p>\n

As the\u00a0Women\u2019s Rugby Six Nations 2025\u00a0<\/span><\/a>\u00a0kicks off on Saturday 22\u00a0March 2025, it\u2019s important to remember these incredible athletes are not only competing for victory on the field but are also breaking down barriers and challenging outdated norms off the field.<\/p>\n

By watching\u00a0women\u2019s rugby\u00a0<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and supporting these athletes, we play a crucial part in supporting our local teams, our communities, our country and fostering a more inclusive and respectful environment for all sportswomen. Every match is an opportunity to celebrate strength, skill, resilience and determination, and to show that women in sport deserve the same recognition, respect, and admiration as their male counterparts.<\/p>\n

Originally published on OpenLearn<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Helen Owton Sportswomen continue to break barriers despite facing a disturbing level of online abuse that goes beyond their athletic abilities. From\u00a0body-shaming\u00a0\u00a0to sexist comments, the digital world has become a toxic space where female athletes are frequently targeted for their appearance, strength, or refusal to conform to traditional gender norms and expectations. These challenges, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[186,32,31,29,3,159],"tags":[195,194,60,193,192],"class_list":["post-3181","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-e315","category-equality","category-gender","category-helen-owton","category-psychology","category-resilience","tag-abuse-in-sport","tag-online-abuse","tag-rugby","tag-womens-rugby","tag-womens-rugby-six-nations"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/OU-Sport\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3181","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/OU-Sport\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/OU-Sport\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/OU-Sport\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/OU-Sport\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3181"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/OU-Sport\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3181\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3182,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/OU-Sport\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3181\/revisions\/3182"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/OU-Sport\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3181"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/OU-Sport\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3181"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/OU-Sport\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3181"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}