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The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the experiences of the New Zealand Women's Rugby Team, the "Black Ferns". Data were collected via semi-structured interviews on 23 Black Ferns, which was then analyzed with the assistance of HyperResearch, a qualitative data analysis package. The authors discuss the motivations of the women to start playing rugby, as well as those factors that facilitated their continued involvement in the sport. In addition, the players' perceptions of participating in a strongly male dominated sport were identified. The Black Ferns started playing rugby for two main reasons: the physical nature of the sport, and because their friends played. The participants also offered two main reasons for continuing to play: enjoyment, and the challenge. The players expressed divided opinions about competing in what has traditionally been a predominantly male sport. The implications of these findings are important for administrators and those wishing to promote women's rugby.
Rugby is New Zealand's national game, but has until recently been male dominated. It was not until 1980 that the first women's provincial game was played in New Zealand (Chester, Palenski, & McMillan, 1998). Internationally, the USA, Canada, and England dominated women's rugby in the early 1990's. However, in 1992, the New Zealand Rugby Football Union (NZRFU) accepted responsibility for women's rugby in New Zealand, and the New Zealand women's team, the Black Ferns, has remained unbeaten for a decade. Although they are currently the world champions, little information exists on why and how these women became involved in a predominantly male sport. The research is positioned in the context of rugby as a masculine sport with women now playing the sport. Our research aimed to explore why these women entered and continued to participate in one of the fastest growing sports for women in New Zealand (Hillary Commission, 2001).
Two earlier studies conducted by Csizma, Wittig, and Schurr (1988) and Matteo (1984) revealed both men and women perceived rugby to be a predominantly male sport. Taken together, out of 68 sports, rugby was rated in the top five in terms of masculinity alongside boxing, football, wrestling and weightlifting. In the past decade there have been a growing number of studies in which the experiences of women in traditionally non-female...