You could not have predicted how quickly women’s rugby union has grown over recent years. Over 25% of all rugby players on the planet and 40% of the entire rugby fan base are women. But how does the women’s game compare to the men’s version?
Women’s rugby is mostly the same as men’s rugby. Both teams play to the same set of rules, do similar training and play to similar strategies. The main differences lie in the professional history, the physicality, and match day subtleties.
Continue reading to explore the similarities and differences between men’s and women’s rugby unions, the subtleties that make the games different but also the traditions that bind them together as one.
Men’s and Women’s Rugby: Similarities And Differences
A different vibe
The first thing you notice at a women’s rugby match, especially at international level is that the atmosphere and ambience is much different to a men’s rugby match. There is a more fun vibe to games and this is largely due to the younger audience.
Remember, in a traditional men’s rugby match the crowd at Twickenham, is primarily upper class, middle aged white males. Nothing wrong with that (I am one!) but they bring a certain way of being and atmosphere.
In comparison, a women’s international has a lot more children in attendance who bring the fun and excitement and also a lot more, well, err, women in attendance and I’m going to go out on a limb and say the women bring less ego with them which just helps let everyone enjoy themselves a bit more. People just seem happy to be there!
Handshake v Cheek-shake
Rugby is a game of respect and before, during and after a men’s game there are normally handshakes all round as well as players forming a tunnel and clapping eachother off the pitch.
In the women’s game the same level of respect is there but if you watch on television there is more of an embrace between players before and after games. Players tend to shake hands and go in for a cheek to cheek embrace. Not a major difference but it is noticeable.
Power and pace
Whilst the rules and pitch size are identical, the power and pace are simply not, however, the top level of women’s rugby is no joke! Those ladies are not messing around. They can hit hard, and run fast.
I don’t have any fitness stats as of now but the very fact that a lot of them are full time pros tells you they must be in good shape.
In fact, I’d hazard a guess that some of England’s women international players could play among professional men’s players and not look out of place. Sure, I wouldn’t fancy any of them up against Laws, Itjoe, Marler etcetera… but they’d put a lot of males to shame in the second tier I’m sure.
Match day programmes
If you have been to any first class rugby someone will have no doubt tried to sell you the matchday programme. These are full of things such as: player profiles, tour stories, club news, match preview, league tables, sponsor pages and so on.
In contrast, in the women’s game match day programmes tend to be ‘wafer’ thin. All you are likely to get is a list of the two teams and that is about it. It is definitely a ‘work on’ for the women’s game right now.
Place kicking
There are some very proficient women place kickers out there showing good technique, for example, the Italian women’s fly-half caught my eye with her accuracy scoring all the points against Wales recently.
However, they do struggle with distance. A kick from the touch line is about the limit of most kickers so I don’t think we are going to see many kickers taking shots from the halfway line like we do in the men’s game.
I don’t see this as a big loss though, if anything it is going to keep the ball in play time higher as teams will kick to the corner and play off the top of the lineout more.
You might be interested in: How To Kick In Rugby – Pro Tips And Advice
Touch kicking range
Again kicks from hand are about 20% less than in men’s rugby but the variety of kicking is still there and it does not detract from the game in any shape or form.
The lack of distance comes from women inevitably having that bit less power and the fact that they have not been professional for anywhere near as long as their male counterparts so they have had considerably less practice and coaching over the years.
If anything, the less distance on touch kicks leads to the ball being kept in hand a touch more as there is less to gain than in men’s rugby.
Ball in play time
It might surprise you to know that in women’s rugby the ball in play time is in play for up to 10% longer source.
Yep, that’s right folks, you get batter value for money as a spectator in women’s rugby. Maybe it is down to scrum collapses being less common, or that women are just more organized (tongue in cheek, no gender bias here!).
Phase play
Women’s and men’s rugby follow similar phase plays depending on the team’s intention. In both sports you can see pods, runners out the back, hit ups, hard lines, miss passes and so on. Especially at international level the games are remarkably similar in this respect.
I have been impressed by the passing in the games I have seen in the recent 2022 Six Nations. Scrum-halves have been whipping the ball away with the same tenacity and vigor as the men.
Brian Moore
Brian was the England men’s hooker way back in the 1990s and was a real character of the game. Subsequently, he went on to become a popular, if at times divisive commentator with the BBC.
He has also been a big advocate for women’s rugby for decades now and whilst he no longer commentates on the men’s rugby internationals he can now be found commentating on women’s rugby which will hopefully win over a few more males to watching the women’s game.
Apparently, he went out drinking with the women’s team after their final victory against France in the 2022 Six Nations and let himself down badly. It seems something else women’s rugby has in common with the men’s is a love of the social side and a beer afterwards, great to see!
Growth in popularity
The women’s game is growing at a dramatic pace:
Women’s rugby is one of sport’s great success stories, experiencing unprecedented growth around the world.
Participation levels are at an all-time high with 2.7 million players globally – making up more than a quarter of the global playing population – and a 28 per cent increase in registered players since 2017.
– World Rugby
Contrast this to the men’s game which whilst it was growing in popularity pre-covd, is now struggling to get player numbers back whilst the women’s game is on fire!
Women’s Rugby Union is a full-contact team sport that shares the same rules as men’s rugby union. Originally a “men’s sport,” it’s only since the late 90s that people have accepted rugby union as a women’s sport, allowing its popularity to grow.
In more recent years, international tournaments and growing financial investments have given the sport some much-needed exposure and increased its popularity.
Suggested reading: Is Rugby Popular? World Sports Ranked
The Salary Difference
How much does a women’s rugby union player get paid?
England’s women’s rugby players are paid an average salary of £24,000 per year. By comparison, England Men’s squad are paid around £20,000 a game. This means many women rugby players have a regular career too.
So, in terms of salary the women’s game has a long way to go, but it has come a long way in a short space of time and the future looks bright for women’s rugby.
Recommended reading: How Much Does A Rugby Player In The UK Earn?
Same size and shape
There are many similarities between women’s rugby and men’s rugby – they both play on the same size field, go through the same rigorous training procedures, and spend the same length of time on the pitch.
The ball is the same size and weight as the men’s game although there were moves to get women playing with a smaller ball to aid skill levels but this never came to pass.
History
The main difference between women’s and men’s rugby is the game’s history. This close contact team sport originated in England during the early 19th century, at a time when any close contact sport would be frowned upon for women.
The first documented evidence of an entirely female rugby union team came from New Zealand in 1981, but their tour was canceled due to a public outcry. There is further evidence that women engaged in rugby union in England and France during the early 20th century, though they kept these practices a secret.
It wasn’t until the 1960s that women’s rugby finally started to put down roots as it appeared across Western Europe’s universities. As this generation grew into young adults, the game followed their maturation – though competitive games were still limited to charity matches.
In 1983, the UK formed the Women’s Rugby Football Union as other countries followed their lead and began to organize a more formal basis for women’s rugby. In 1990, the first international tournament was held in New Zealand.
Check out: Who Is The Highest Paid Female Rugby Player?
Which Women’s Rugby Teams Are Professional?
As women’s rugby continues to generate interest and passion worldwide, the number of countries with professional women’s rugby teams grows.
The continent of Oceania is famous for its rugby culture, which extends to the women’s game as well as the men’s. You can find the world’s number one (or two) women’s team in New Zealand, where the Black Ferns reside as one of the world’s most well-known teams.
In Europe, the annual Women’s Six Nations Championship hosts increasingly professional teams from England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France, and Italy, with England and France as the dominating teams. England, however, are the only team that are fully professional, even then players often have a standard career.
The sport is popular in Asia, where countries like Hong Kong and India have professional women’s teams competing in international matches.
And in America, the USA Rugby Women’s Premier League is an annual event to showcase competitive women’s rugby – it was founded in 2009.
Overall, it is interesting and exciting times for women’s rugby. How long will it be before the England Women’s Rugby team is playing in front of a 80,000 crowd at Twickenham?
If you are sat there and wanting to know more about women’s rugby then World Rugby Women is a great place to start. Don’t be shy get down your local club, make a few enquiries and get involved!
You might also be interested in reading: 14 History Facts Every Rugby Fan Should Know
Image Credits
2010 England Women Rugby Team – Steve, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
