Girls Scholastic Rugby Initiative (GSRI)

Why Rugby Matters for Girls - Athletics

• It brings greater parity to a school's varsity sports offerings

• It challenges societal perception of female capacities, particularly their physical capabilities

• It is the only full-contact, tackle sport with a separate division for females to compete in at the secondary school 

• It has not modified the rules or versions of competition; allowing women to develop and embrace their own style of play based on their strengths 

• It offers a full pathway of opportunities beyond high school: college, Olympics, professional

• Rugby is an inclusive community

Why Rugby Matters for Girls - Academics

• It improves personal attributes: self-efficacy, self-esteem, adaptability, resilience, perseverance (grit), etc

• It develops workforce skills: accountability, constructive communication, leadership, collaboration (teamwork), decision-making under pressure, etc

• There is a strong association between female rugby participation and the pursuit of STEM and other nontraditionally female careers

• Rugby offers a long list of female role models who have successfully pursued careers from astronauts, engineers, and scientists, to business executives and lawyers, to firefighters, police officers, and paramedics, to the military forces, and even educators from K12 through college among many more fields.

How Girls Rugby Benefits Schools

• It improves compliance with Title IX requirements:

  • 1. Increases participation among the under-representated sex (females) improving proportionality in opportunities;

    2. Demonstrates a continuing practice of expansion of opportunities;

    3. More fully and effectively accommodates the interests and abilities of female students

• It aligns with Perkins V requirements by sending a strong message that the school district supports female student pursuits in traditionally male dominated fields: 

  • 1. STEM-related (sciences, technology, engineering, mathematics)

    2. Trades (construction, manufacturing, transportation, etc)

    3. Public Safety (law enforcement, fire science, emergency response) 

    4. Military Services

    5. and other careers

• It helps remove implicitly biased messaging by educational institutions of antiquated gender stereotypes through their athletic offerings