By Shani Adesanya
Fifteen players either side, the minimum requirement for a rugby match. This number is needed for a balance of strength, skill and tactical versatility as each member of the team has a specific role to carry out. At LSE, however, there is an under-subscription of members for the Women’s Rugby team, with the club not having enough playing members for a full squad of the 15 player starting team and a substitutes bench. Just why?
A clear reason for the limited membership of Women’s Rugby at LSE is its lack of mainstream exposure. The sport isn’t widely popular, especially in comparison to women’s football which has seen substantial growth in members at LSE as covered in our last issue. Women’s football in general has significantly grown in popularity, and this has led to a growth in members at LSE. The Women’s Football society now has a plethora of members for both a first and second team. This was largely a result of the success of the England’s Women’s National Team at the 2022 Euros and the overall growth of women’s football at a global level following the Women’s World Cup that took place earlier this year.
On the other hand, women’s rugby has not had this type of exposure and so the lack of growth is understandable. However, the LSE Women’s rugby team is the perfect place to access the world of rugby. There is a place for everyone whether you’ve never played before or if you are well accustomed with the sport, it is suitable to all levels. It is totally normal to feel intimidated by it! However there is no need to worry as it is these very characteristics that make the sport really fun.
When I was considering joining, I accompanied the team to training and after speaking with our new coach, Dom, I was convinced to partake in that session. He assured me that there was no need to be scared or intimidated by rugby stating that “injuries are a part of all sports but serious injuries are unlikely at university level and to just give it a try and see if you like it”. Since then, I have continued to go to the weekly training sessions and I am ultimately really glad that I joined.
As well as gaining exposure to a sport that may be out of your comfort zone, joining this team also gives you the opportunity to socialise and make new friends. There are multiple opportunities for bonding experiences from the train journeys to the training ground, winding down at the pub after training and socials every Wednesday. So feel free to come along and give womens rugby a go, it may be out of your comfort zone but it is worth trying something new and joining a team that has a place for everyone.
