The highlights from the Women’s Rugby World Cup?
- There were over 50 out players participating, meaning LGBTQ+ players make up over 10 percent of all players
- A genderfluid player played in the finals
- Some players are dating or married to each other and some are each other’s exes
- Oh, and England won, in case you care about the actual sports side of it all
Sixteen teams played in the tournament which took place in England. The USA didn’t make it past the first round. France and New Zealand made it to the semi-final and England and Canada played in the final, with England claiming a commanding victory 33 to 13 on September 27.
Love on the Field
OutSports reports that at least 54 players in the tournament were publicly out as LGBTQ+, making up 10.6 percent of players, a similar level to those who played in the Olympics in women’s rugby.
There are so many couples within professional women’s rugby, and some had both partners playing in the World Cup.
At least two couples were on opposing teams in the Cup: England’s Claudia Moloney MacDonald and Ireland’s Cliodhna Moloney MacDonald (who are married), and Scotland’s Rachel Malcolm and Canada’s Julie Schell.
At least three engaged couples played in the tournament: USA’s Alev Kelter and Kathryn Treder, Scotland’s Leah Barlett and Natasha Jones, and England’s Marlie Packer and Rosie Galligan. England has two other long-term relationships within the team: Sarah Bern with Mackenzie Carson and Meg Jones with Celia Quansah.
There are a few former couples on the pitch as well. Canada’s Paige Farries and Scotland’s Caity Mattison are divorced from each other, and Scotland’s Helen Nelson had to face her ex-girlfriend Hollie Davidson who was a ref at the World Cup.
Representation Report
Thirteen of 16 teams had at least one out player. Fiji was notably one of three without any after the national team director was fired for homophobic remarks. Laijipa Naulivou lost her job about four days in the role after saying there was a “gay problem” in the sport and that intimate relationships between teammates was a main reason the team was not winning internationally. Naulivou said she supported the firing of a coach who “practices lesbianism” for being unethical.
England and Scotland tied for most out players with nine each.
A Historic Moment
In a first for perhaps any World Cup event, a player who publicly identifies as genderfluid took to the pitch. Asia Hogan-Rochester played for Team Canada in the final match against England.
“I am a Black person. I am a genderfluid person. I use she/they pronouns. I would hope to show people from those communities, in summary, that you can do it too,” the 26-year-old told the Flame Bearers vodcast earlier this year.
“I feel very respected within my gender identity within my team and within rugby as well, and being seen for who I am and nothing more and nothing else, which is a great feeling,” they told Sportsbeat in September.
“It is important to have representation… So if I can be a part of a bit of representation for others within the queer space, I am so happy to do that.”