How new rugby boots designed for women are a step in the right direction - Opinion

Kaipo Olsen-Baker on the charge for the Black Ferns against the USA in May. Photo / SmartFrame

THE FACTS

• Adidas has launched rugby boots specifically designed for women, after seven years of development.
• These boots will be worn by the Black Ferns and rugby star Ilona Maher.
• The investment highlights a shift towards prioritising women’s needs in sports gear, improving performance and inclusivity.

As a kid, I once had a pair of boots break a couple weeks shy of the end of a season. This was pre-Rebel Sport days, back when sports shops were more local and seasonal in their stock. As a result, the only pair I could track down in my size were a bright, obnoxious blue. Being one of the only girls in the team, I hated the way these colourful boots made me stick out even more. Naturally, my distaste only appeared to strengthen them. Those bloody blue boots somehow lasted me another two seasons.

This situation is a world away from where we are now. Where big box stores are brimming with options year round or we can order our preference globally and have it delivered straight to our door. But while the supply chain has rapidly progressed, the product itself? Not so much. Yes, we’ve seen studs replaced by blades to be replaced with studs again. We’ve seen leather replaced with synthetic alternatives. But it’s only recently that women rugby players have finally been able to wear boots that fit.

Adidas has launched a new rugby boot designed for women; the Adidas RS15 Avaglide has been seven years in the making. It had originally planned for them to be launched at the last World Cup, alongside its first jersey designed for a women’s fit. But in collating the data, Adidas soon realised the project was much bigger than it had anticipated. The differences in anatomic and performance demands with their male counterparts were large enough to require extra time to test and develop.

Black Fern midfielder Stacey Waaka holds a pair of the new Adidas rugby boots designed for female players. Photo / Supplied

This delay is fortuitous, really. These boots will now be on the feet of the Black Ferns as they chase a seventh title from the past eight tournaments. They will also be worn by rugby’s biggest star, who gained real prominence in this last cycle, Ilona Maher. They’ll run out in front of an in-stadium audience that already doubles the attendance of the last World Cup. Thus the business case has made itself for this investment into the research and development of a women’s rugby product. That, more than this boot itself, should be the real point of excitement to the women’s rugby community.

Dr Stacy Sims, when speaking on the development of sport sciences, referred to the tendency to treat women athletes as if they were small men. The same has been true in sportswear. From jerseys to shorts to boots, all of these items were designed for men and then offered to women in smaller sizes. This has affected the performance of our women. Both technically (Vanessa Cootes might have held her Black Ferns try-scoring record even longer had she worn a women’s cut jersey) and visually (ill-fitting gear detracts from the action).

And it’s not just the players. For a long time fans only had men’s supporter gear to purchase. These innovations for those at the top of our sport will spark improvements for those in the wider game. Just one cycle on from the first proper women’s jersey, there’s a Black Ferns replica and supporters jersey in both men’s and women’s cut as well as a kids’ version. Out in club land, it’s becoming expected that a women’s team be offered jerseys cut for their shape.

With the launch of these new boots, we will feel the ground shift beneath our feet. The investment in this key piece of kit, designed specifically for our athletes, further solidifies our place in the sport. Women are now a focus instead of being asked to make do. Having more choice now makes rugby an easier fit.

Alice Soper is a sports columnist for the Herald on Sunday. A former provincial rugby player and current club coach, she has a particular interest in telling stories of the emerging world of women’s sports.