Women in Rugby

This is the first book to introduce key themes in the study of women's rugby from multi-disciplinary perspectives, including history, sociology, gender studies, sport development and sport science. Featuring contributions from leading researchers and former international players from across Canada, England, France, New Zealand and the USA, the book opens with a global history of women's rugby, locating the game in the wider context of the development of women's sport and exploring important social issues such as race, gender and violence. The book then looks at training and performance analysis at pitch level, helping the reader get a sense of the game from the ground up, before focusing on women's rugby through the eyes of others (such as rugby coaches), women's experiences of rugby's culture and promotional culture. This is fascinating reading for anybody with an interest in women's sport, rugby, sport and social issues, sport development, or sport history.

Helene Joncheray is Associate Professor at the University of Paris, France, on secondment as Researcher at the Sport, Expertise and Performance Laboratory of the French Institute of Sport (Institut National du Sport, de l'Expertise et de la Performance). She is Vice-President in charge of International Relations of the International Sociology of Sport Association.

Part I: Women on the Rugby Pitch, 1. A Brief History of Women in Rugby Union, 2. The Development of Women's Rugby in the US: A Challenging Climb, 3. Whiteness and Gendered Violence on the Rugby Pitch, Part II: Women's Rugby and Performance, 4. Training Women's Rugby Union and Sevens: Not a Simple Copy-Paste of Men's Practices, 5. Collective Efficiency and Performance in Women's Rugby Sevens, 6. Evolution of Social Cohesion Within a National Rugby Union Team, Part III: Women's Rugby Through the Eyes of Others, 7. The Journey of a Women's Rugby Coach: Passing Through Capillarity, 8. Women's Experiences of Rugby Culture in Aotearoa/New Zealand: Naked Women Talk About Sport, 9. Beer, Promotional Culture, and Women's Rugby: Guinness's "Liberty Fields"