Aggressive, dangerous and violent are all words that spring to mind when discussing full-contact sport. News outlets are often littered with articles discussing the roughness of rugby and barbarity of boxing. The physicality involved categorises them as ‘masculine sports’ which heavily affects the gender representation and societal attitudes towards their respective female athletes. Over 65% of girls stop playing sports during their teen years out of fear of being ‘too masculine’. Girls are more likely to face barriers to participation than boys, especially during the transition from primary to secondary school. A rise in disengagement from girls in sport roots from not only a fear of judgment but lack of confidence. Pressures around performance levels perpetuate intense anxiety about trying new things and in particular sports.  

As an athletic teenager growing up, I’ve experienced misogyny & peer pressure from all sides, most of which went straight over my head. I grew up with two older brothers so the concept of ‘boys being better’ was not on my radar, anything they did I could do, simple as. This all changed once I came across the ‘Like A Girl’ advertisement campaign ran by Always, as for first time I became aware of how subtle prejudice could be. The 3-minute video has different girls, boys, women & men stand in-front of the camera with the director asking them to do something ‘like a girl’. It starts off with running, fighting and throwing as it cycles through the candidates on-screen. The campaign highlights how you are perceived ‘like a girl’ within society. The idea that doing something in a ‘girly’ way is sub-par or lacking effort and being told ‘wow you’re actually good for a girl’ is the highest form of compliment one could achieve.  

Young girls are exposed to these attitudes from an early age, which are not exclusive to sports. This results in a form of internalised sexism, as displayed by the adult women in the Always campaign video.  In a subconscious effort to be better than whatever a ‘girl’ does, the women in the video use lack lustre and pathetic behavioural stereotypes when acting out the directions. Despite once being girls themselves, these women are not even aware of their internalised sexism and feel exposed once they are confronted for their behaviour. The director spins the spotlight round on the subjects by asking; 

“When did doing something ‘like a girl’ become an insult?” 

The harsh reality of what was once a joke to everyone on screen spreads across their faces. One little boy is asked if he just insulted his sister to which he replies ‘no, I've insulted girls but not my sister’ as if they are not one in the same thing. Once the participants realise the stereotype they have been perpetuating, which so negatively affects women in sport, they are visibly distressed. But despite societal views, women are in sport and have been for a while. From Billie Jean King to Jessica Ennis and Simone Biles, the role models for little girls are ever growing with World Record holders and female Olympic athletes alike. This poses key questions on issues surrounding women in sport and how this translates into further education and university life. Over the past decade, women's participation in university sports have had a significant increase with an average of 30% higher level of participation across 16 different sports in BUCS. Although there is an uptick in sports participation, the intimidating environment posed by male dominated sports piles onto the already overwhelming insecurities of ability, stamina, strength and performance level. 

To better understand the dynamics of gender in sport at university level, I spoke to Ada Fathers, previous Club Captain of Saints Rugby and Evie Hardart, Saints Women's 3rds football player. Traditionally, both rugby and football are a predominantly male space. As such, it is crucial more than ever to be spotlighting the voices of female athletes to break down barriers surrounding girls & sport. A cornerstone for the increase of women in rugby is based upon positive male influences growing up. When discussing women in rugby with Ada she noted “a lot of them play because their brothers played, their dad played... they had that positive male influence which cultivated an interest into a hobby.” Despite this overwhelmingly influential aspect, perceptions surrounding the sport continue to leech societal views and gender stereotypes which affect female engagement.  

“The wider context surrounding the sport is a very different game in terms of how you are treated.”  

After starting university, I took up shinty which is a traditional, full-contact team sport usually played in the Scottish Highlands. The unique thing about shinty is that in Scottish Student Sport University league , women can play in the men's league. As such, I’ve represented the men's university team numerous times at various home & away matches. From an unbiased standpoint, this experience offers me a unique perspective on navigating both a male-dominated sport and environment. Sport-specific opinions are crucial when comparing women's perspectives in male-dominated sports. Shinty is extremely niche which is why it is logistically possible to be flexible. On the pitch everyone is just a player, regardless of gender. I spoke to Evie about the challenges faced as a female athlete in football. Her views reflected greater difficulties faced both externally and internally. 

“I'd say, not feeling like I'm taken as seriously is probably the biggest thing. I think that I've even felt it from coaches, just a feeling like it's a lesser version of the sport.”   

Evie’s insights shed light on a lack of seriousness and respect from external figures, including coaches and peers. This perspective often originates from those who do not engage directly in the sport themselves, yet wield significant influence over its culture and perception. Change is particularly challenging within large, established systems where shifting long-standing attitudes and biases is a slow and resistant process. Organisations like FIFA, Rugby Union, UEFA and the Olympics are all prestigious global scale events with historical precedence and pre-existing cultures. The trickle-down effect from international to regional is crucial but slow. As such, the barriers faced by women in these environments are less about competing on the field and more about overcoming external perceptions that undermine their legitimacy and passion for the game. From the perspective of a woman playing in a male-dominated sport, the real challenge often comes not from those within the game, but from the people on the outside who hold damaging perceptions.