Women's Rugby Safety: Why Female Players Need Better Protection

You're probably here because you care maybe about your daughter lacing up her boots for the first time, or perhaps you're the one running onto the field with a mix of excitement and that familiar pre-game jitters. Women's rugby is experiencing something beautiful right now: explosive growth, record-breaking performances, and a community of fierce athletes who are rewriting what's possible.

But let's be honest with all that excitement comes worry. Those hard tackles, the sudden collisions, and the nagging question: "Is this really safe?" Especially when you start digging, you realize that the safety protocols we rely on were largely built with men in mind.

Here's the reality that's been keeping us all up at night: women are 2.6 times more likely to suffer concussions than their male counterparts in rugby. And yet, when governing bodies design new safety rules or update training protocols, they're often using data collected from male athletes. It's like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole the passion is there, but the fit isn't quite right.

I've watched my best friend from university take up rugby in her thirties (braver than I'll ever be!), and while I admire her grit and determination, I also can't help but notice how she's constantly playing catch-up with technique and recovery protocols that were never really designed for someone who didn't grow up playing tackle sports.

The love of the game is real and powerful it builds confidence, creates unbreakable bonds, and shows women what they're truly capable of. But love alone can't prevent injuries. We need systems, knowledge, and protection that actually work for the female body and experience.

So what do we do about it? Let's dive into what's really happening in women's rugby safety, why it matters, and most importantly, how we can make the sport both thrilling and safe for everyone involved.

Growing Fast, Staying Safe?

Picture this: 2.7 million women and girls worldwide are playing rugby right now, and that number is growing by a staggering 38% each year. That's not just impressive it's revolutionary. In Canada alone, the women's sevens team brought home silver from the 2024 Paris Olympics, cementing their place as a global powerhouse.

A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine shows we're witnessing what could only be described as a rugby renaissance for women. Professional leagues are popping up across the U.S., England, Australia, and Ireland. Stadia are filling up with fans cheering for their heroes watching players like Canada's Alysha Corrigan score spectacular tries in front of 20,000 roaring supporters.

But here's where it gets tricky. While the spotlight on women's rugby is brighter than ever, the infrastructure supporting player safety hasn't quite caught up to the hype. Think about it if elite men's teams have dedicated medical staff, physiotherapists, and cutting-edge concussion protocols, shouldn't women have the same?

The harsh truth is that many women's teams are still crowdfunding trips to World Cups, and sideline medical support can be embarrassingly sparse. It's like having a grand celebration but forgetting to build proper foundations beautiful from a distance, but shaky underneath.

And the research gap? It's shocking, honestly. According to BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, only about 4% of rugby tackle studies have focused specifically on women. That means 96% of our current safety understanding is borrowed from male athletes like using a recipe for extra-large pizza to make a personal pan crust.

Why Concussions Hit Women Harder

Let's get straight to what's probably on everyone's mind: head injuries. The numbers are sobering but important to understand. Women face a concussion risk that's 2.6 times higher than men in rugby settings. I know what you're thinking that statistic alone should be enough to demand immediate action.

And it's not just one study saying this. Multiple research efforts, including critical work published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, confirm that rugby consistently ranks among the sports with the highest concussion rates for young women. But here's what really gets me despite these elevated risks, resources for proper concussion management in women's rugby are often inadequate.

What's causing these injuries? The simple answer is tackling, which accounts for the majority of player injuries in women's rugby according to research. But let's dig deeper, because the "why" is equally important as the "what."

Many women come to rugby later in life compared to traditional male pathways. They might be university students discovering the sport, working professionals seeking a new challenge, or mothers looking for community and fitness. All fantastic reasons to play! But this means they often have less experience with contact sports, which can lead to less refined tackling and defensive techniques.

It's like learning to drive stick shift it's perfectly doable, but it takes time, proper instruction, and practice. Rushing into contact without adequate preparation is where problems often arise. The myth that "toughness" prevents injury simply doesn't hold water. True protection comes from skill, timing, and understanding your body's capabilities.

So when World Rugby rolls out new safety initiatives like "Tackle Ready" or contact load guidelines, are these actually effective for women? The honest answer is: we don't have enough data specifically about women to know for certain. These programs were developed primarily using male athlete research, which means women are essentially participating in a grand experiment and that's a position no player should be in.

The Research We're Missing

Here's something that really opened my eyes: how little we actually know about women's rugby from a scientific standpoint. It's not because researchers aren't interested or capable it's largely a historical issue. For decades, sports science research either excluded female athletes entirely or lumped them in with men, assuming the results would translate.

Try this thought experiment: if you searched PubMed for peer-reviewed studies specifically about women's rugby since 2015, you'd find fewer than 200 studies. Compare that to over 3,000 studies about men's rugby in the same period. We're literally operating with one-tenth the amount of information we should have.

But it's not just about quantity it's about relevance. What specific aspects of women's rugby haven't been properly researched? The list is surprisingly long and deeply personal.

Think about menstrual cycles and their impact on performance and recovery. What about pregnancy, postpartum return to play, or the unique physiological changes women experience throughout their lives? These aren't just academic curiosities they're real-life factors that affect every female athlete.

And let's talk about something that's rarely discussed openly: breast and pelvic floor health in contact sports. A 2024 study in the European Journal of Sport Science found that many female rugby players don't report breast injuries even when they're painful, often due to embarrassment or fear of not being taken seriously. That's not just a safety issue it's a culture issue.

Add mental health considerations around injury, athletic identity, and retirement from the sport, and you realize we're missing enormous pieces of the puzzle that could help keep female players safer and more supported.

Building Smarter Solutions Together

The good news? Awareness is growing, and solutions are emerging. We're moving away from "one size fits all" approaches and starting to recognize that women's bodies, experiences, and needs are unique and deserve specific attention.

Let me share some strategies that are showing real promise in preventing injuries while keeping the game as exciting as ever:

Strategy	What It Is	Why It Works for Women
Progressive tackle training	Skill-building drills starting from basic fundamentals	Builds confidence, especially crucial for players joining later in life
Gender-responsive coaching	Coaching that considers female anatomy and development	Creates safer technique while maintaining engagement and buy-in
Instrumented mouthguards	Technology that measures actual head impact data	Provides real evidence of concussion risks rather than estimates
Video analysis	Breaking down tackle mechanics using recorded footage	Helps identify form issues and blind spots that might cause injury

One exciting development is how World Rugby's "Contact Confident" program is being adapted specifically for female beginners. It's about taking the intimidation out of contact while building genuine, safe skills something every player, regardless of when they started, can benefit from.

But we also need to acknowledge that current safety tools assume male bodies. Women have different neck strengths, hormonal cycles, body compositions, and injury responses. Using generic guidelines isn't just outdated as we've seen, it's potentially dangerous.

Some of the most innovative solutions emerging right now include pelvic floor training specifically designed for contact sports (not just pregnancy), frameworks for safe return-to-play after childbirth, and biomechanics research focused exclusively on female athletes.

Organizations like Canada's Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre are leading the charge in female-focused studies, ensuring that actual athletes are involved in every step of the research process. This isn't just about collecting data it's about creating solutions that real women can actually use.

Beyond Science to Real Culture Change

Here's what I've come to realize after talking with players, coaches, and researchers: safety isn't just about perfecting rules or having the latest equipment. It's about creating a culture where women feel supported, heard, and truly valued.

Many female players describe their coaching experiences as feeling like they're getting the "bare minimum" programs borrowed directly from men's rugby without considering how women learn, move, or recover. But empowerment matters just as much as technique. Female athletes want coaches who are supportive and understanding, not just technically proficient.

I'll never forget what one player told me: "We're not weak but we're not men. Why are we trained like we are?" That simple question captures so much about what needs to change in how we approach women's rugby development.

But it's not just about coaching styles equity is a major factor in safety too. When we talk about marginalized groups in sport, we often overlook how Black women, LGBTQ+ players, and those in lower-income clubs frequently receive even fewer resources and support.

Rural clubs face particular challenges limited access to physiotherapists, proper concussion testing equipment, or quality protective gear that actually fits female bodies properly. If we want to grow the game, we need to grow equity alongside it. You can't build a strong rugby community on a shaky foundation.

The research community is starting to catch on too. There's increasing recognition that studies must include marginalized voices, or they simply cannot be considered representative of women's experiences in rugby.

What You Can Do Right Now

Feeling overwhelmed by all this information? Don't be there are concrete steps you can take today, whether you're a parent, player, coach, or administrator.

If you're a parent or new player, start by asking the right questions: Who's checking for concussions on our team? What coaching certifications do our coaches hold? Do we have proper medical coverage during games? These aren't picky concerns they're essential safety inquiries.

Take advantage of skill-building programs like "Contact Confident" before diving into full contact play. It's the equivalent of learning to drive in an empty parking lot before hitting the highway confidence built on solid foundation.

Coaches and clubs, your role is pivotal. It's time to audit your safety plans and ask honestly: are these based on female-specific data, or are we assuming what works for men will work for women? Training in gender-responsive coaching isn't just politically correct it's practically essential for keeping your players safe and engaged.

Normalize conversations about the full spectrum of women's health in sport. Talk openly about menstrual health, pelvic floor concerns, and the mental toll competitive sport can take. Creating space for these discussions makes everything safer.

For governing bodies and policymakers, the call to action is clear. We need funding specifically for women-focused research, not just adding women to existing male studies after the fact. Every rugby science study should include female athletes from the beginning, not as an afterthought.

Professional and elite teams deserve paid medical staff, period. And youth programs shouldn't be left scrambling to fund basic safety equipment. The inspiration we can draw from initiatives like England's "Keep Your Boots On" toolkit shows what's possible when female health is prioritized in sports programming.

Safety as the Foundation, Not an Afterthought

Women's rugby isn't just experiencing growth it's undergoing transformation. The strength, skill, and visibility reaching new heights is genuinely inspiring to witness. But here's the thing about true progress: it means building a game where every single girl and woman, regardless of her background, body type, or experience level, can play confidently and safely.

We're not asking rugby to become softer or less thrilling. That's not what this is about at all. We're asking the sport to become smarter to finally invest in knowledge, care, and systems that actually serve female players rather than assuming borrowed male frameworks will work.

The science is catching up, slowly but surely. The resources are beginning to balance out. And most importantly, the movement toward truly equitable women's rugby is real and growing stronger every day.

Because the future of rugby is female, and that future deserves better than assumptions. It deserves tailored protection, thoughtful research, and a culture that celebrates strength while prioritizing safety.

So what happens next? Well, it starts with questions the ones you're asking now, the conversations you'll have with your club, the changes you'll advocate for with your coach or governing body. Change has always begun with someone willing to ask: "How can we do better?"

The field is calling. Your teammates are waiting. And now, armed with knowledge and determination, you can answer that call with confidence that you're not just playing hard you're playing smart, safe, and strong.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.