Growing Popularity of Women's Rugby Highlights Urgent Need for Safety and Research Improvements

Women's rugby is experiencing rapid growth worldwide, with increasing participation, media attention, and professional opportunities. As of 2021, there were 2.7 million female rugby players globally—a 25% rise over four years—and by 2023, the growth rate had accelerated to 38% annually. Countries such as Australia, England, Ireland, and the United States have begun offering professional contracts for women’s teams, marking progress despite still modest compared to the men's game. Canada's women's rugby teams are highly ranked internationally, and their players recently achieved significant success at the Olympics and upcoming World Cup.

However, this surge in popularity highlights significant safety concerns. Rugby’s physicality—involving aggressive tackling and collisions—poses inherent risks, especially for women. Concussions are a major issue, with female players experiencing higher rates than males, and many women begin playing later in life with less contact sport experience. These factors increase the vulnerability to injuries, compounded by limited medical and coaching support resources for women’s teams.

Furthermore, the scientific understanding of women’s rugby safety is lagging. Most injury prevention research is based on male athletes, resulting in a lack of gender-specific data. Women are more susceptible to concussions, and existing safety guidelines, like those from World Rugby, are adapted from male-focused standards. This gap hampers the development of effective injury prevention strategies tailored for female players.

Fortunately, research efforts are expanding, with new studies focusing on injury surveillance, physiological differences, and gender-specific training protocols. Innovations in technology, including instrumented mouthguards and video analysis, are helping to better understand injury mechanisms and improve safety. These advancements are primarily driven by organizations dedicated to injury prevention, aiming to create safer environments for women in rugby.

The future of women’s rugby depends on dedicated resources, research, and policy changes that prioritize women’s health and safety. Growing participation offers a valuable opportunity to establish sustainable, evidence-based systems that recognize and address the unique needs of female athletes. Investing in gender-specific safety data and training tools is essential to ensuring the sport’s continued development and the well-being of all players.

source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-women-rugby-booming-safety-assumptions.html