Oct
21
Why should I play rugby?
By Morgane Jarles
I started to play rugby in France 8 years ago, when I was 11. This is the best thing I have ever done.
I trained with boys for 6 years, as there was no girls’ team in my town. I even played with them until I was 15, but then I was playing with my region’s U18 team, giving me the opportunity to play in a national competition while still training with the guys.
In Scotland, I’ve played for the Broughton RFC ladies’ team, in Edinburgh, for 2 years now. This is a great experience; the social aspect in my team is just fantastic. I think more women should play rugby, there is space for everyone at every age, and I am going to tell you why.
An unfortunately common assumption is that “girls should not play rugby”. Indeed rugby is often thought of as “a man’s sport”. Because contact is involved, it is seen as unfeminine by too many people.
Even the former French coach Marc Lièvremont once said
“I think there are sports that are more feminine”.
I think that hearing this kind of comment, especially from someone who reached a high level in playing or coaching rugby is unbelievable. There is nothing wrong with girls playing rugby. Even the boys I played with in France had a problem with people questioning why a girl like me would play rugby.
A Team mate of mine, Rebecca, from Broughton RFC in Edinburgh, pointed out:
“Why should women not play rugby? We are in the 21st century, we vote, we have full-time jobs and want to be treated as equals, so why should sport be any different?”
Why choose rugby then, amongst all the sports that exist?
First of all, rugby carries a number of values that are essential in everyday life. Values such as passion, humility, respect, determination, commitment, teamwork, unselfishness, perseverance and loyalty are fostered in rugby.
This is due to the format of the game: in rugby, every single player on the pitch has a role to play, and can’t play this role alone. Constant support to each other is necessary to succeed, hence the development of team spirit. Solidarity is a key value in rugby, on and off the pitch.
In France, these values are so prevalent that rugby is nicknamed “the school of life”, because we learn to respect the rules, the referees, our teammates, our coaches and the opponents. All these values rugby players carry off the pitch. There is a great social aspect to playing rugby as well – a rugby club is like a family where you are sure to get friends for life!
Secondly, even though rugby is a contact sport, skills and technique are also developed in order to go forward. In that respect rugby is a very complete sport, through the efforts players put in to take the hits and the initiative they have to take when doing more tactical things.
Therefore, rugby can let girls develop their confidence as well as their communication skills, since communication is vital for the game to be played well. Before I started playing, I was very shy; now, funnily enough, I am the scrum-half, the one who shouts all the time on the pitch!
Another aspect which must be emphasized concerns the health benefits that rugby can bring to girls.
Another team mate from Broughton RFC, Roz, who also played for Madras in Saint Andrews, said:
“Rugby not only embraces women and girls’ body in all their forms, but positively celebrates it. From strong, solid front rows, tall second rows, faster back rowers out to the half backs, centres and speedy back three, there is a place for every body type and a team needs all of them to work together to succeed. Anyone new to the sport can turn up and find themselves their own space in the team, and if their body changes, there is another place to work towards. Any sport challenges you physically, but once you’ve found your position in rugby, it is easier to focus on your goals fitness-wise. It’s the contact that shows you what your body is capable of and it continues to surprise you as you push yourself that little bit further. It’s at this point, you start seeing your body as a tool and you get out of it what you put in, instead of just being a consequence of your lifestyle”.
Women have fewer opportunities than men to play rugby at an elite level, forcing us to have the capacity to manage our rugby career and our professional life, something that we do brilliantly. Some female rugby players are very successful academically and professionally, sometimes they play other sports at an elite level in addition to rugby!
Phaidra Knight, the USA’s prop for 15 year, winner of the USA’s Rugby Player of the Decade in 2010, is a law school graduate who will be participating in the 2014 Sochi winter Olympic Games in bobsleigh.
English second row Heather Fisher is a sports lecturer at Warwickshire College, whilst studying an MSc in Sport and Conditioning. In addition, she runs her own personal training consultancy business and she is a Sky Sports Athlete Mentor in the Living for Sport programme through the Youth Sport Trust.
Rugby can even help younger girls to find their career path. Myself, I went to the University of Edinburg to study Sport and Recreation Management because I love rugby so much that I want to work in it later, probably doing marketing or something related. Having played for 8 years, I don’t imagine myself doing anything else. It’s actually one of my coaches in France who told me I should work in rugby! And, if it wasn’t for rugby, I would never have moved to the UK!
Regardless of age, fitness level and professional ambition, no doubt rugby is a great sport that can also enjoyed by women! Absolutely no harm in starting at a young age, so parents don’t hesitate to have a wee rugby girl at home if she wants to play!
If you would like more information or have questions on playing rugby or our Girls Rugby programme at Boroughmuir Rugby, please feel free to contact Chris Pacey e-mail boroughmuirdevelopmentofficer@gmail.com
About the Author:
Morgane Jarles is an undergraduate studying Sport and Recreation Management at the University of Edinburgh. Morgane came into Boroughmuir Rugby earlier this year as a student placement researching how to increase customer satisfaction on match days in order to increase attendance at Boroughmuir games.
She now is part of the Marketing and Communications Team here at Boroughmuir Rugby.
Morgane is from France and has been living in Edinburgh for 2 years. Rugby is real passion of hers, playing for Broughton RFC and Watsonians.
Comments on this article can be referred to communications@boroughmuirsports.co.uk
