Exploring motivations, barriers & opportunities for participation  Summary of research by the University of the South Pacific in partnership with Oceania Rugby & Fiji Rugby   September 2016 

1. Evolution of the Women’s
Game
Motivations, barriers &
opportunities for participation
Summary of research by the University of the South
Pacific in partnership with Oceania Rugby & Fiji
Rugby
September 2016

2. Why did we do the research?
Fiji Rugby Union wants to
find new ways to welcome
women and girls into the
game

3. Why did we do the research?
The motivations of the next 10000 players will be different to the first 100
players.

4. Why did we do the research?
We need to know what
rugby can do for the
community before we ask
what the community can do
for rugby.

5. Process
Current players
Surveys
70 rugby players, 81 cusp
players, 79 gatekeepers
Literature review
Gatekeepers
Cusp players
Focus Groups

6. Group
s
Current players
Women aged 18 – 35 who
play rugby at at least a
club level
Cusp players
Women aged 16 – 35 who play
another sport at least a club
level.
Gatekeepers
Parents
and teachers

7. What do people think about rugby
Guts,
passion,
strength,
rough.
Challenge,
exhilarating,
tough.
It’s a smart sport.
You have to know
the position you
play and the
techniques.
You have to be
confident
enough to play
the game.
The amount of strength that a person has to take
those tackles when you see those tackles. I’m
like, “Oh my God how strong can a person be!
When I hear the
word rugby I feel
like cheering.
As soon as they [Fiji’s national teams] win, there are
fireworks. Everyone in my neighbourhood cheering,
and it’s such a beautiful feeling, one sport can unite
the entire nation like that.
It’s rough. You
need a lot of
muscles. It’s a
lesbian sport.
It’s dangerous, rough
& aggressive. It’s a
men’s game.
You need to have fitness,
be masculine, and it’s
physical. You also need
skills and talent.

8. 10 THINGS
WE LEARNT FROM
THE RESEARCH

9. 1. The best people to welcome new players are current
players
“Gatekeepers change as you grow up –
starting with parents, changing to peers,
and then to self-decisions.” Cusp Player
100% of current players got into rugby
because a peer invited them to play.
100% of current players played
another sport before they tried rugby.
“If you’ve got this bunch of women
come in and say: ‘Ok, I am a 7s player, I
play 7s. Do you want me to teach you?’
I think having the women come and
give coaching would be a big boost for
women.” Cusp Player

10. 2. Coaches need to be respected, trusted community
members
Players and gatekeepers look for
coaches who:
 Have great technical skills
 Are trusted by the players
 Are respected by their community
 Know how to keep the game safe
68% of cusp players say coach quality
is the top reason why they choose to
play or choose to stay away. 59% of
gatekeepers and 59% of current
players rate it in the top 5 priorities.

11. 3. Facilities need to be safe, clean and accessible
“We use to train at [a sport ground].
When we used to train there, we
shared the ground with men. One
day they decided to take the whole
ground without telling us, they just
bumped into us and said, ‘Ok girls
stay on the side while we are
training.” Current player
68% of cusp players say
lack of safe, clean and
accessible facilities is the
top reason they don’t play
rugby
66% of gatekeepers they
would support participation
if there were safe, clean
and accessible facilities

12. 4. To be valued, rugby needs to be connected to new
opportunities in other areas like education, business
development and health
Whatever I was
bought here for, to
fulfil my purpose
and to follow my
passion which is
rugby.
Be selected into
the Fijiana: ‘And
beyond that is
bring back what
I’ve learned to
the girls and to
the club.
Become a better
role model
especially to young
players.
Be a better
person to be
able to
contribute in
whatever
manner that’s
coming my
way.
Education,
employment,
independence,
autonomy, being
a good mother.
Go back to
school or start
a business.
68% of gatekeepers
said the most
positive aspect of
rugby participation is
that it could lead to
other opportunities
and success. e.g.
exposure and
confidence,
employment
opportunities, overseas
scholarships, character
building
To become self-
sufficient, never have
to turn around and
meet someone to
have to do
something for me.

13. 5. Peers need to encourage; gatekeepers need to not
discourage.
“For me, because there’s a lot of boys at home. I
mean families, in-laws and cousins who always
push us girls, my sisters and my cousin sisters to
play, try to play rugby with the boys. Too bad the
school doesn’t like organize this kind of stuff. So
we just do it at home.” Cusp player
“I asked my husband if he could
buy me a boot so I could play
next year. The first thing he said
to me was ‘No, don’t play rugby,
you might become lesbian’ and I
was like, ‘Excuse me, I am
married and I have 2 kids. Why
would I become lesbian?’”
Cusp player

14. 6. All sorts of girls and women are interested in Rugby
“If you play rugby people put in into this stereotypical
box you know. It’s like you must be like this, you must
have this sexual preference because you are a rugby
player. You know who cares who you are, you are an
individual you know like you can be a girl you can play
rugby, you can have any sexual preference, what
difference does it make?” Current player
Ideas:
• Use no/low contact versions
of rugby as entry level options.
• Give individuals a chance to
share their stories.
• Show vision of all versions of
the game e.g. Get Into Rugby,
High School 7s, community 7s
as well as international events

15. 7.1 Clear and visible support from governing bodies
Creating a profile for the sport that encourages
support from peers, family, public and governing
bodies is in the top 5 priorities for most players.
Current players want:
1. More games (regular, consistent game schedules)
2. Great coaching
3. More appropriate clothing and equipment
4. Access to medical insurance

16. 7.2 Clear and visible support from governing bodies
There are people out
there who are rallying for
us, who are trying to take
us to these places, but
when it comes to decision
makers, it’s like there is a
glass ceiling there. We can
only go so far until we can
break through. So one of
the ways we have to do it
is by doing it ourselves
until they realize that they
have to take us seriously.
Everyone should be
treated the same.
So, if by chance Ben Ryan
strolled into a school and
said ‘I am here for a 1-
hour clinic for girls’ rugby.’
Would you go? Who
would not go? I would
definitely. We still want
the women [rugby players
to participate in
promotion]. If he could go
in and say ‘Hey, I’ve got
Kolinisau but look, these
are women who play
rugby and they are here
with us.
FRU as a whole
organization should uplift
the sport. The only way to
get our mothers to see
that what they [rugby-
playing women] are doing
is right is these mothers to
see that their children
have good coaching, they
have the facilities to give
them skills and stuff.

17. 8. Manage the risk
I like the contact and
even if I got hurt how
many times and my
family and friends told
me, “Why don’t you
quit?”, I’d play. I’ll go and
play again. Just getting on
to the field, holding the
ball and running – There’s
a different type of feeling
when you’re in that
ground playing with your
friends and you playing
for each other. It’s just
confidence.”
Current player
Players are attracted to
the physicality of the
game.
They recognize they
need good coaching
and officiating to keep
the game safe.
BUT
“Every sport has its dangers. I don’t
think that there is a sport that can’t
get dangerous. Even squash has
dangers. Once you know the game
properly, you are generally safe. Once
you know a sport inside and out you
generally safe.”
Cusp player

18. 9. Create clear ways to enter the game
1. Go to where
women and girls
are gathering
e.g. army, police force,
university, teachers’
college, girls’ high
schools, village 7s
2. Encourage current
players to recruit new
players
Come and try days with
clubs - opportunities,
incentives and
pathways
3. Make sure coaches,
officials and
administrators can
create a great
experience

19. 10. Solidarity, connection and belonging comes with being
in a team
“The team work, being able to
be there with your girls. You get
to travel together. You know
you come and see each other
every day but I love that. You
know the team bond you have,
the training that you get to do.
For instance, I was really
involved in athletics. That’s just
an individual thing. Being part
of Rugby you are part of a
bigger team. You I love that
connection you have with
everybody else, and the
training programs you do is
very different from other
training programs.”
Current player
66% of current players
said the love of the game
is they main reason they
play
63% of current players
said the solidarity and
team bonding unique to
rugby

20. STRONGER
TOGETHER