Rugby is a game for hooligans played by gentlemen, according to the old saying – but a groundbreaking research project aims to reveal the hidden history of women in the sport.
Cigarette card from 1895
Experts from ºÚÁÏÍø Leicester (ºÚÁÏÍø) have joined forces with the World Rugby Museum at Twickenham to launch the first comprehensive study of women’s involvement in rugby, both on and off the pitch.
The research, which will also chart the modern-day growth of the women’s game from its emergence in universities in the 1960s and 70s, will be overseen by Professor Tony Collins, of the . He expects the study to show women have had a deep involvement in the sport which stretches back more than a century.
“The story of women and rugby has been hidden from history,” said Prof Collins. “Women have played a huge part in the sport, whether it is playing the game, organising it or supporting it.
Women's Varsity game between ºÚÁÏÍø and Leicester Uni at Tigers' stadium
“But nobody has carried out this research before,” he said. “We will start with a blank page. This research is hugely important to the study of the development of the sport.”
A Collaborative Doctoral Award studentship awarded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council will fund a PhD candidate to carry out the research. The successful candidate will scour the treasure trove of material held by the World Rugby Museum and search newspaper archives for evidence of the development of the women&rsq