Young rugby player writes open letter asking if there can be woman trophies

Stella Fitzpatrick in action for her Western Suburbs Eagles Under-9's team. Photo / Muriel Brent

A budding Wellington rugby player has written a thoughtful open letter to her rugby club asking why there were only trophies of men and none of women.

Stella plays for the Eagles under 9 team, as part of the Western Suburbs Junior Rugby Club.

At the club's prizegiving, Stella won her team's most improved player award and was happy to claim it.

However, she spotted something about the trophy that confused her - the trophy had a figurine of a boy on it.

Putting pen to paper she said it "would be nice to feel like I was a part of the trophy" in the letter.

"I know it would be impossible to have two trophies, a girl and a boy. So maybe you could change the trophy to a rugby ball or the club badge.

"I just thought this because lots of girls are playing now..."

She told the Herald a lot of girls play rugby now, not just boys, and she thought the trophy should be more neutral for everyone.

Her mother, Marie Fitzpatrick, told the Herald as she and Stella got in the car after the prizegiving her daughter was beaming about winning a trophy.

"She had a huge season and it was great to see her confidence go up.

"Then she said 'it's kinda dumb it's a boy' and said having a gender-neutral trophy might be a good idea."

Then they agreed it might be best for Stella to write a letter to her club, and within 10 minutes Stella came back to her with her finished product.

The letter was sent away, then on the eve of Suffrage Day Fitzpatrick decided to tweet the image.

"I wanted to demonstrate kids can change and they should be encouraged to speak up if something is unfair or unequal.

"I wanted to give her the opportunity to control injustices around her."

Stella had ambitions to be a Black Fern when she was older as she looked up to many of the players, she said.

In a statement, her club explained it was an oversight not to have appropriate trophies for girls, stating they had given them out in the past.

"Wests absolutely agrees with Stella that gender-specific trophies are appropriate and has presented these in the past.

"Not doing so this year was simply an oversight so it's great Stella has alerted us to the mistake," a Western Suburbs club spokesperson said.

The club had been in touch with Stella and promised her they would get her one with a girl figurine on it and despite the debacle, it hadn't put her off the game.

The letter Stella wrote to her club. Photo / Marie Fitzpatrick

Mt Roskill Rugby Club junior rugby delegate James Cameron said female figurines had only become available for purchase in the past 12 months

"There is a male holding a ball, two male figurines in a tackle and a rugby ball.

"The rugby ball is pretty boring, people are more interested in the figurine."

Since there were so many mixed teams in junior rugby it would be difficult to make everyone feel included, he said.

However, in light of Stella's letter, he would suggest it to the Mt Roskill Rugby committee to see if it would be possible to have a gender-neutral figurine for everyone.

"I'll put it to my club and see," he said.

Today, he had begun ordering trophies for his clubs noting it would be a lot less "hassle" to order a load of gender-neutral.

"I'll have a word with my supplier and see if that's an option."