29/06/2025
Today we read a blog post by on the importance of language used within women rugby.
We hear it all the time when people refer to women’s rugby/players as “girls”.
Now most of the time this isn’t done in malice or for any negative intention.
But the effects that it has on our sport and our players is a larger issue than just bad grammar or bad English.
Muddyroots states:
“These aren’t teenage players – they’re adult women. Many are in their twenties, thirties, and beyond. They’re juggling careers, mortgages, families, and serious training commitments. They’ve often been playing rugby for years, some are coaches themselves, and plenty are key figures in their clubs.
Calling them “girls” is infantilising, and it often comes with that unintentional tone that makes it sound like they’re being praised for trying hard rather than being recognised for their actual achievements.”
It goes way beyond hurt feelings or our female players being “too sensitive” (🙄🙄)
It affects young players coming through from minis and youth sections and how they view their place within the club and sport as an adult.
New players pick up on the shift in language between the “strong, professional, performance” of the men’s team and the “the ‘girls’ have it all their heart and tried hard” referrals to the women’s team.
Most clubs/members won’t even realise they are doing it and 98% of people doing it, don’t do so with bad intentions, so it’s an easy fix.
A simple change in mindset.
Instead of “our girls team” refer to them as “our women’s team” rather than “the girls” try “the women”.
Don’t be scared to correct people when they say it too, often they don’t even realise.
To read more about it from :
https://www.muddyrootswomensrugby.com/post/pass-it-on-girl-chat-why-language-matters-in-rugby
