Appeal to rugby internationals

Many of you will have seen about the doctoral research being undertaken into the history of women in rugby union.

As part of this research, I have begun interviewing former international players and would like to speak to as many people as possible, from as many countries as possible.

The modern women??s game developed in North America in the 60s and really got going in Europe in the late 70s and 80s, which coincides with the earliest known international matches. However, much of what was happening during this time and even into the 90s has not been officially recorded, with the women??s game often being administered separately to the men??s and not receiving the same media attention.

Individuals are therefore being asked to share their personal experience of women??s rugby during this time, so that the truth can be recorded for posterity and some of the amazing work of pioneer women??s rugby players and administrators can be celebrated. To help, I have designed a survey which can be accessed online and takes between 10 and 20 minutes to complete.

Because the PhD is being supported by the World Rugby Museum, it is very important to get responses from women who have played rugby from all over the world, so if you need a translated version of this survey in a different language please contact me, and feel free to share it! Your participation can remain anonymous if you wish, and the questions allow for you to put as much or as little information as you want. If you have an amazing story you would like to share, you can ask me to contact you, or drop me an e-mail at