Rugby Union
Rugby Union participation overview
8,600 women play rugby union at least once every four weeks, with 6,500 playing at least once a week.
72% of female rugby players play as a club member – no other sport has such a high proportion of its sports participants playing formally.
Men outnumber female rugby union players 29:1. This is a larger difference than seen in 2008-09.
Rugby union has seen a decline in female participation over the past year.
Celebrating Silver, Going for Gold
Celebrating Silver, Going for Gold marks WSFF's 25th birthday with a look back at a quarter century of records from women's sport.
From Tessa Sanderson winning Olympic gold in 1984, to the IOC's decision in 2009 to add women's boxing to the London 2012 programme, the report charts both administrative and athletic milestones. Its pages are brought to life through a striking spread of photography and montage of memories from leading figures in sport.
In the report you will find both stories of WSFF and the past 25 years of women’s sport – presented in a way which we hope fulfils two objectives; firstly, to explain who we are, where we came from and where we are heading and secondly, to give you goose bumps.
We want you to feel the same shiver which travelled down our spines when we relived moments like Tessa Sanderson standing proudly atop the medal podium at the 1984 Olympic Games, Dame Kelly Holmes’ wide eyed shock at winning the second of her two gold medals in Athens, and the moment when England midfielder Jill Scott rose above a crowd of defenders to send England into the final of a major championship for the first time in 25 years.
While looking back fills us with joy, it is looking forward which really excites us. We are now operating in a time when more doors are being opened for women in sport and the amount of people working towards that same goal is growing. So while we’re proud to be celebrating our 25th birthday this year, we are already planning for the years ahead which we hope will bring even more reasons to be proud and of course, more goose bumps.
Women in Sport Audit 2007/2008
Backing a winner: unlocking the potential in women's sport
The Women in Sport Audit 2007/2008 looks at the inequalities faced by women's sport. The Audit works across the three core areas of Leadership, Investment and Profile to provide an overview of the sector and uncover where sport is missing out when it comes to women.
The audit exposes just how uneven the playing field currently is when it comes to men and women. Across leadership, investment and promotion in sport, women are on the back foot. It’s time to take these learnings and drive positive change.
In learning from where women’s sport is a success story and capitalising on the current prominence of sport, there’s huge potential.
In order to inspire real and lasting change it does, however, need to be a team effort.
Across several years the Commission on the Future of Women’s Sport will be spearheading a shift across the sector, inviting all of its colleagues to join forces in tackling the three big issues to give women more of a sporting chance.
We hope that this is the first step towards a big change in women’s sport, one that all members of the sport shall champion.
