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We can no longer excuse women's rugby players wearing men's kits

By Stella Mills
Jess Breach of Harlequins celebrates with teammates after scoring her sides first try during Big Game 13 (Photo by Paul Harding/Getty Images)

What players wear matters. Rugby kit, from boots right through to shirts, is not unisex. Any female player who has played at grassroots level in oversized men’s kit will tell you it isn’t fun, so why are we still seeing this issue at the elite level of the game?

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Women need to be in kit that is specially designed for their job, you wouldn’t send a female firefighter into a blaze with protective gear that was 3 sizes too big, so why are we doing the this on the pitch?

Over Christmas, both Harlequins and Adidas where criticised across social media for their use of unisex kit at the Big Game 13, a double header which saw both the men’s and women’s squads run out at Twickenham. The kit, which was supposedly designed for both teams saw the women’s team run out in oversized ill-fitting shirts. Players even took to Twitter after the match to joke about playing in their “Khaki Dresses”.

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Often with women’s sportswear the “Shrink it and pink it” way of thinking is applied to design and development of kit. However, as Exeter’s Jess Thomas explains below, the size difference between props alone in the Premier 15’s highlights why this isn’t suitable. Women need kit that is specifically designed for them, and that takes into consideration not just the differences between men and women but the differences amongst women too.

To those who say the poor fitting kit should be overlooked, I would say that kit isn’t just a superficial item, its evocative of so much more for both the players and the audience. This isn’t about a piece of clothing, its bigger than that, its about basic respect for players and the wider game.

The Big Game 13 was a career-defining moment for many players, players who would have run out at Twickenham for the first time live on BT Sport in front of a strong crowd. We shouldn’t be talking about the kit, but it’s a fundamental basic that unfortunately in this circumstance has been obviously overlooked.

This subsequent conversation doesn’t take away from the quality of play on show from both teams on the day, but it is an issue that we must acknowledge, discuss, and subsequently learn from.

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When contacted for comment, Harlequins told RugbyPass: “Harlequins is glad to have seen both the Women’s and Men’s sides play in the official Big Game 13 jersey at Twickenham Stadium. The current jersey is manufactured in one fit, for both Men’s and Women’s teams by Adidas. The club is glad to confirm that as of next season, Harlequins Women will have a women’s fitted kit.”

I spoke exclusively to Sue Anstiss MBE, author and women’s sport activist.

“The oversized kit took us back to a time when the women’s team played in hand me down men’s jerseys, and that just wasn’t a great advert for the sport to those tuning in for the first time,” Anstiss told RugbyPass. “The bit I love about rugby is the variety of strong and powerful women you get to see, and that gets lost when it’s put under one big jersey – it’s not comfortable or flattering. Some of them even had their sleeves rolled up, which doesn’t look good and proves the kit wasn’t technically adequate for the women.”

“I wanted to be so positive about everything in the Big Game 13, but then you see things like this and it’s hard to be.”

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These issues also extend far beyond time on the pitch and into supporter wear. England Rugby released their women’s jersey to fans and came under heavy scrutiny for not offering the jersey in a male cut. This works both ways, as research has shown that men make up a heavy portion of women’s sports fans, therefore the products on offer need to cater for this. As the sport grows and interest develops, we must ensure that products created reflect the growing development of the fan base.

It seems this issue isn’t specific to women’s rugby and has indeed made its way into women’s football too, with one common theme: Adidas.

Arsenal’s Beth Mead took to Twitter to criticise the clothing company for a lack of women’s fit kit, the Tweet was later deleted but did prompt discussion among players and fans regarding the quality of women’s kit. Specifically, players explained how jackets in the FA Cup Final where only available in men’s sizing which subsequently made them look like a bag of potatoes.

For all of Adidas’s failings, they aren’t the only kit provider out there for women’s rugby stash. Ruggette RFC, founded by Premier 15’s player Stef Evans, specialises in female-specific rugby kit. The company is known for its well-fitting shorts, which feature a flat lay thick waistband and specifically designed variable leg openings which give full coverage to players whilst also looking great.

In a first, the brand designed a female-focused kit that could be worn by both men and women for the Bournemouth Sevens festival last summer. Olympian and Wasp’s player Abi Burton lead the team ‘Bryan’s Lions’ out and the complements of the kit kept flowing strong. It begs the question, if one company can do this and do it so well that it’s orders skyrocket the next day, why couldn’t the same be done for the Big Game 13?

 

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Participation in women’s rugby is already restricted enough as it is, we do not need yet another factor to limit this participation.

Barriers into sport have never been so high, so I would urge every team from grassroots upwards, to speak and communicate with their players to ensure the kit they are expected to run out in is suitable for purpose. The days of wearing men’s hand-me-downs are over, so why are we still accepting it in 2022.

Times have changed and the management of the women’s game needs to keep pace.

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Trevor 58 minutes ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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B
Bull Shark 4 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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