Global rugby brand Canterbury has today revealed the first in a six-part series of mini-films which aims to share the stories of trailblazing women in rugby.
The films will highlight the stories of a variety of players, officials and coaching staff and discuss the barriers they faced and how they overcame them to be a part of the sport as it continues to grow.
At a time when new research by Women In Sport reveals more than one million girls in the UK lose interest in physical activity as a teenager each year, Canterbury is aiming to use these stories to inspire and encourage the next generation of players to take up and continue to play rugby.
To support those women who wish to take up the game, Canterbury is offering up to £10,000 worth of kit and equipment to would-be players, which will be made available throughout the month of March on their social media channels.
Launching on International Women’s Day, the first story focuses on filmmaker and activist Victoria Rush who speaks out about how young girls are not offered the opportunity to play rugby at school, whilst fighting back against stereotypes about how women ‘should’ look and exercise.
Speaking in the video, Rush says: “Rugby is available to boys at a very young age but very rarely available to girls before they are at university. Most people I know didn’t start playing until a PE teacher introduced it to them – usually as a one-off session at school.”
Rush was bullied by boys at her school for wanting to use the same gym facilities as them and was even told by some that it would make her a lesbian. She adds: “We’re given this view on women that we should all look a certain way and the only way to get that is by exercising a certain way when, actually, lifting weights is an incredibly empowering thing to do.”
The remaining films will be published individually on YouTube and Canterbury’s social media platforms throughout the month of March as excitement builds ahead of this year’s TikTok Women’s Six Nations.
Speaking about the campaign Jack Richardson Vice President, Canterbury, said: “In recent years we have seen first-hand the growth of women’s rugby at both grass roots and elite level and are proud to be playing our part in supporting the next generation of female rugby players.
“Many female players face a multitude of barriers to getting into the sport and we wanted to tackle these head-on and try to break down as many as possible. Everybody has their own personal story about getting into rugby, whether you’re just starting your journey or have played all your life, and it is these which can so often be the catalyst a young girl needs to pick up a ball.”