Speaking out for the girl fans who love their sport

Dec 3 2007 by Katie Campling, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

DRESSING up. Is it all just a bit of fun? Or does it say more about your personality?

On November 16, my Huddersfield New College students were told to dress up or wear yellow for Children In Need.

I heard one class had a theme of ‘rugby players’ and immediately I thought, “Yes! I’ll come as a rugby player!”.

So I rang my best friend and asked if I could borrow her home kit. She came over to my house and I tried it on. Although I already have a Giants top, it’s only the women’s rugby chick top.

Wearing her shirt, I looked in the mirror and I felt so proud to be a Giants fan! I am proud to live in the birthplace of rugby league and to be part of the mighty claret and gold. I just hoped nobody would try and rugby tackle me!

However, when I walked down my road I did get a few looks and two girls from my old school quizzed me as to why I was dressed in a rugby kit. When I got to college, I suddenly felt paranoid. For some reason I felt out of place. Inside, I wondered why I was made to feel so out of place. When I looked around I saw girls dressed as fairies and Snow White. There were a few rugby players from rival teams – but then I realised that I probably felt out of place because I’m a girl.

One person suggested I was intentionally wearing that outfit to attract attention from the opposite sex. What a sad society we live in if this is how people feel about girls supporting sports and wearing the kit.

Why can’t girls like rugby and support it without being frowned upon? I enjoy going to rugby matches with my best friend and her family. It’s something that I look forward to, as it brings us closer together. I’m extremely grateful that they introduced me to rugby but I didn’t realise there were people out there who felt girls who support rugby just want male attention!

At the matches, we are surrounded by plenty of girls and nobody really notices because we are all like a community, we all follow the Giants. The same applies to football, cricket and basketball and so on.

Within the sport, girls are more accepted – and often are even better than the boys as players. Then why is supporting the team such a crime?

When I wear the rugby kit, I feel good about myself for getting involved in a following and hopefully it gives people the message that I don’t care what they think.

This is who I support and I couldn’t be prouder! No matter where my life takes me, I’ll never forget my Huddersfield roots and our fantastic rugby team.

So, come on girls, let’s get rid of this stereotype and show everyone that we aren’t airheads who follow males around in the hope they’ll notice us. We are singing it for the claret and gold and for no one else!