The holding assumption is that sports clubs are predominantly male environments, which stems from a sequence of observations. Not least, the lack of organised sports leagues and clubs specifically aimed at girls is raised as a core barrier. Meanwhile, the growing density of clubs targeting school-aged boys continues to grow as a result of high demand.
That’s one of the biggest barriers in the women’s game – that we haven’t had the density of clubs at the various levels. You’d have to travel a long way to get your fixture.
Sports expert (Rugby)
A 2022 report, published by Childwise, found that girls aged between 11 and 16 were offered around half the amount of coaching in traditionally ‘male sports’ compared to boys the same age. 33% of girls aged 11-16 said they played football in school, compared with 63% of boys. This indicated a sharp drop from the primary-school age, where 54% of girls aged 7-10 claimed having played the sport. Similarly, boys in secondary school reported playing more than double the amount of rugby as girls (29% vs 14%). As for the cricket offering in secondary schools, participation among girls was recorded at 12%, compared with 21% for boys.
There are so many boys’ football clubs that still don’t have a girls’ football team.
Sports expert (Cricket)
Across the spectrum of sports and schools, girls’ participation takes a hard hit as they reach secondary education level. Critically, teenage girls aged 15-16 reported playing the least amount of sport outside school. They played less than an hour of sport in their spare time each week, compared to 1.3 hours for boys of the same age. These figures exacerbate concerns around access and opportunity for young girls in full-time education.
