Rugby, Resilience & Breaking Barriers: Tansy’s Story

I sat down with a passionate and seasoned rugby player from Plymouth University, who has not only dedicated over a decade to the sport but also plays across multiple teams — including Devonport Services, Somerset Ladies, and even her home club, Wiveliscombe. She opened up about her journey into the sport, the gender disparities still present in rugby, and how she plans to keep the game in her life while building a career in seismology.

Q: Let’s start simple — what teams do you currently play for?

Right now, I play for Plymouth University, Devonport Services, and a team back home called Wiveliscombe. I'm also dual-registered, so I play for Somerset Ladies when possible. I’ve been playing rugby for about 11 years now.

Q: What got you into rugby?

Rugby was really the first thing that stuck. When I was younger, my parents had me try all sorts — dance, ballet, seasonal school sports clubs — but nothing really lasted more than a month or two. Then I found rugby.

At first, my mum didn’t even want to buy me the kit because she figured I’d drop it like everything else. I remember borrowing a kit for my first few games. But now, it’s over a decade later, and I still love it. It’s something I remind her of all the time — like, “Remember when you thought I wouldn’t stick with it?”

Q: What’s your favourite thing about rugby?

Definitely the team aspect. It was a great way to make friends at university — we have a squad of 15, but 30 to 35 people show up for training regularly. The camaraderie is huge.

Playing at the county level also allowed me to travel all over the UK, which has been amazing. It’s a demanding sport — loads of fitness and discipline — but it’s such a big part of my routine now.

Q: Do you still play for Somerset Ladies?

I didn’t play last season because I dislocated my shoulder just before trials. But I started playing for Somerset Youth when I was 14 under-15s, and I played every season up until then.

To play for Somerset, you must either be born in the county or play for a Somerset-affiliated club. You go to trials, and they assess you in groups — people walking around taking notes based on your bib number and colour. Then you get an email a couple of weeks later telling you if you made the squad.

Q: You know your rugby — but how do you see the differences between men’s and women’s rugby?

Oh, the inequality’s definitely there. For one, people usually have to pay to watch the men’s matches, while women’s games are free — unless it’s a double-header. That’s happened before, like when we played at Albion, and the men’s game followed, so they charged entry for both.

At varsity, we’ve noticed that people arrive halfway through our match just to get good seats for the men’s game, even though they could’ve easily watched us, too.

The men’s team also tends to get more opportunities — they travel further and get more visibility. They used to promote only their own games with flyers saying, “Come watch the men’s varsity.” We’ve pushed back, and that’s started to change. Now, it’s promoted as both the men’s and women’s varsity.

Q: Do women in the sport get paid fairly compared to men?

It’s getting better, but historically, no. A lot of women still have to juggle rugby with full-time jobs. The Welsh Rugby Union recently started offering contracts to their female players, which is a huge step forward. But before that, the men had contracts and pay, and the women didn’t.

Q: Are there any athletes or moments that really helped spotlight women’s rugby?

One great example is Ilona Maher, an American rugby sevens player who signed up for Bristol Bears to get into the World Cup scene through the 15s. She brought so much attention. Bristol’s Instagram following shot up, and games started selling out — it was wild. She’s also been really vocal about rugby being a sport for all body types, which inspires a lot of young girls to get into it.

Q: What was it like growing up in rugby as a girl?

When I was in middle school, I was the only girl in the entire school who played. By secondary school, there were a few more, but still not many. The boys had a rugby club, and when we asked for a girls’ team, we were told rugby was too dangerous.

That wasn’t that long ago — I’m 22 now — but it’s improved so much since then. There are now youth sections for girls in clubs that never used to have them. Devonport, for example, has under-14s, -16s, -18s, and a ladies’ team. It’s really great to see.

Q: What do you think can be done to keep closing the gender gap in rugby?

Promotion. We just need more visibility for the women’s game. The more people see it, the more girls get interested, which helps grow the sport. It brings in more members, which boosts club funding, and then that comes back to benefit the players.

Q: Any abuse from the sidelines?

Thankfully, I haven’t experienced that. And I’ve played a lot of matches.

Q: What’s next for you? Any plans to turn rugby into a career?

I don’t think I’d want to make rugby my career — it’s a hobby, and I’d like to keep it that way so it stays fun. I graduate in July and plan to spend a year abroad — ideally playing for a few teams in Australia.

I also play summer sevens, which is great. It’s a festival vibe — camping, music, everyone watching each other’s games. One of my coaches recently said she wants to put me through a coaching course, too, which I’d love. I’ve played every position and usually help teach the new girls, so that would be a great way to give back.

Q: What’s your degree in?

Geography — I want to go into seismology, working on volcanic eruptions and improving infrastructure in third-world countries. Lots of travel, hopefully, and lots of rugby along the way.

Final thoughts?

Women’s rugby is growing. It’s getting more recognition, more structure, and more passion behind it. There’s still a way to go, but we’re heading in the right direction — one game at a time.