Department of Applied Sports, Technology, Exercise and Medicine, Swansea University, Swansea, Wales.
PLoS One. 2024 May 21;19(5):e0303972. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303972. eCollection 2024.
Research pertaining to the experiences of women in rugby is scarce, which, coupled with the limited visibility of the sport and difficulty accessing resources, suggest that women's rugby remains undervalued. Indeed, evidence of such gender inequalities remains largely anecdotal, with little rigorous research undertaken to understand the perspectives of women in rugby. This study aimed to explore the experiences of a diverse cohort of rugby players in relation to their participation in the sport and their ability to access resources. Twenty UK-based rugby players (10 men, 9 women and 1 non-binary person aged 29.1 ± 8.3 years) from school, university, club, military, and semi-professional environments, volunteered to participate in semi-structured interviews (36 ± 12 minutes) discussing their rugby experiences in relation to their gender and playing level. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, and a reflexive thematic analysis was undertaken. A widespread under-prioritisation of women in rugby was highlighted. Gender biases were apparent in access to changing rooms, pitches, quality coaches, and playing opportunities, and were reportedly propagated at the managerial level. Irrespective of gender, some amateur players reported difficulty accessing a suitable rugby environment. Insufficient player numbers precluded the formation of second teams, often resulting in inexperienced players competing beyond their ability. Women's rugby players experienced considerable gender bias. This exploratory study highlights a need to address such issues to protect player welfare. Interventions to change the culture in rugby clubs and increased representation of women in managerial positions in rugby are recommended to enact meaningful change.
关于女性参与橄榄球运动的经验研究很少，再加上这项运动的可见度有限以及获取资源的困难，表明女性橄榄球运动仍然被低估。事实上，这种性别不平等的证据在很大程度上只是传闻，几乎没有进行严格的研究来了解女性在橄榄球运动中的观点。本研究旨在探讨来自不同背景的橄榄球运动员在参与该运动及其获取资源方面的经验。20 名来自学校、大学、俱乐部、军队和半职业环境的英国橄榄球运动员（10 名男性、9 名女性和 1 名非二进制人，年龄 29.1 ± 8.3 岁）自愿参加半结构化访谈（36 ± 12 分钟），讨论他们的橄榄球经验与性别和比赛水平的关系。访谈逐字记录，并进行了反思性主题分析。突出强调了橄榄球运动中对女性的普遍重视不足。在更衣室、场地、优质教练和比赛机会方面，存在明显的性别偏见，据报道，这种偏见在管理层面上也有所传播。无论性别如何，一些业余运动员都表示难以找到合适的橄榄球环境。球员人数不足导致无法组建第二支队伍，这往往导致经验不足的球员超出自己的能力竞争。女性橄榄球运动员经历了相当大的性别偏见。这项探索性研究强调需要解决这些问题，以保护运动员的福利。建议在橄榄球俱乐部中进行改变文化的干预措施，并增加女性在橄榄球管理职位中的代表性，以实现有意义的变革。
