Women's Rugby – The Orbital

‘A Place for Everyone’: An Interview with Kiera Joyce

16Nov

By Carmen Vallejo AndersonNo Comments

Sports & Socs

‘A Place for Everyone’: An Interview with Kiera Joyce

By Carmen Anderson Given the nigh-on meteoric surge in worldwide interest in women’s rugby, we spoke to the president of Women’s Rugby here at Royal Holloway, Kiera Joyce, to understand a little bit more about her, the sport and her commitment to it. Kiera is a third year English Literature student. Aside from sport, she is passionate about the performing arts, involved with many societies. She previously played hockey and is planning to start playing polo. She had never watched or played rugby before starting her studies here, but on first introduction, Kiera “immediately fell in love with the game!”. Rugby is a contact sport, a highly physical game requiring top levels of fitness and can be deemed high-risk, with 1 in 4 players injured each match. What does Kiera find a...

Women’s Sport: Consumption, Identity & Success

19Sep

By Abbie CheesemanNo Comments

Sports & Socs

Women’s Sport: Consumption, Identity & Success

For women's sport, this summer has been an incredible success that has enthralled the nation. The increased profile, awareness and success of women's sport has been unparalleled. From the pitch to the wicket, British women have seen a summer which has started to prompt questions surrounding the landscape of elite female sport. Reaching an all-time high of 7.21 million women playing regular sport in December 2016, more and more women are engaging in active pursuits. National campaigns such as This Girl Can have raised the profile of female engagement in sport, which begs the question - why is there not more interest in national women's sport? Many broadcasting companies have noted a public disinterest in the viewing of women's sport and therefore have little commercial interest in pur...

28Sep

By No Comments

Sports & Socs

It’s a Woman’s Game

A couple of days ago I had a bit of a run in at the Co-op when I was picking up some Dairy Milk and a packet of Doritos. As I was walking out of the store, I heard a voice behind me making a comment I’ve become accustomed to: “You play rugby?” As a 5’4, pale girl with, lets face it, a pretty fantastic arse, I’m used to the incredulous tone this usually takes as well as the comment that usually follows an affirmative reply – “Lesbian!” So turning round to respond I cursed the fact that I’d chosen to wear my old rugby committee shirt, prepared myself for the awkward confrontation to come. However, on this occasion, the conversation took a different turn – the woman asking turned out to be interested in taking up the sport herself. She was looking for a team to join, so I gave her directions ...

18Aug

By Laura DenhamNo Comments

Sports & Socs

An Interview with… MTS & Women’s Rugby!

I'm sat in Founders south quad on a gorgeous summer day. Across from me are Lewis Mullins, Pippa Gentry and Matt Abrams from the Musical Theatre Society. Lewis is the President, Pippa, President-Elect, and Matt has been Musical Director of various productions including Little Shop of Horrors and Summer Cabaret last year. I feel awkward to have propositioned these people that I barely know to interview them about their past achievements of the year. And what achievements they are. Lewis dives straight in with the statistics I suspect he’s quoted many times before. Three productions, and the intensive weekend show with twenty musical numbers. Not always easy to remember, Matt cuts in. Imaginably so. Volunteering has been a massive part of the year, with shows entertaining Melwood Old P...