Female players 69% more likely to suffer online abuse

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption,

England won their eighth consecutive Women's Six Nations in May

By Alastair Telfer

BBC Sport journalist

Published 3 hours ago

Female rugby players are 69% more likely to experience social media abuse than their male counterparts, according to findings by World Rugby.

Misogyny, gender identity, sexuality and body-shaming are the most common types of abuse.

Eight cases have been referred to law enforcement and platforms to focus on action.

Female athletes suffering abuse online is a growing issue, with tennis player Katie Boulter and Wales number eight Georgia Evans among those who have spoken out about the issue.

"Social media has transformed sport for the better, enabling connection, storytelling and growth," World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin said.

"But it also increases the risk of harm, stress and suffering, and we took a stand at Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 to say that there is no place for hate in rugby or in society, that we stand with and celebrate the personality and diversity of our players and match officials, and will take all necessary steps to call out, locate and take action against abusers."

Evans revealed during the World Cup that she suffered negative comments about her appearance.

American international Ilona Maher is the most followed rugby player in the world, but has admitted the "abuse is constant" on social media.

World Rugby revealed that of the 440,000 posts analysed, 1,189 have met the unlawful threshold.

The offenders of the eight cases were located in Belgium, France, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and the United States.

The governing body called on governments, platforms and sports to work together to make it easier to report abuse at all levels, take appropriate action and drive positive change.

The star player hoping to turn millions of TikTok followers into rugby fans

*   Published 12 January 2025

Man admits racist abuse of footballer Jess Carter

*   Published 9 January

Last month, a Rugby Football Union council member resigned after posting discriminatory criticism of television pundit and England World Cup winner Maggie Alphonsi.

This came after the Women's Leadership Collective wrote to the RFU calling for a change in its policy and to dismiss the council member.

According to a study by the Women's Sport Trust, rugby union was the second most-watched women's sport on television in 2025, below football but above cricket and golf.

There were 81,885 fans at Allianz Stadium to see England's victory over Canada - a record for a women's rugby match and the second-highest attendance for a men's or women's World Cup final.

It was the most-watched women's rugby match on UK television, with a record-breaking peak audience of 5.8m viewers on the BBC.

It also beat both the Six Nations and the British and Irish Lions' winning tour of Australia to become the most-watched rugby match of last year.

Following the tournament in England, supporter numbers in the UK climbed from 7.94m pre-existing fans of women's rugby to 13.21m, according to research commissioned by BBC Sport.

Shorts

Previous Next, 4 of 16

0:25'Wayney boy!' - Haaland wants to see Rooney row. 00:00:25, play video'Wayney boy!' - Haaland wants to see Rooney row
0:47 Why can't English refs officiate Argentina games? 00:00:47, play video Why can't English refs officiate Argentina games?
0:58 Referees can't be influenced by anyone - Collina 00:00:58, play video Referees can't be influenced by anyone - Collina
0:29 Nat Sciver-Brunt on first women's Test at Lord's. 00:00:29, play video Nat Sciver-Brunt on first women's Test at Lord's
0:37'He had his hands on his head' - Tuchel falls for Stones prank. 00:00:37, play video'He had his hands on his head' - Tuchel falls for Stones prank
1:36 The full story behind THAT Harry Kane interview. 00:01:36, play video The full story behind THAT Harry Kane interview
0:45 The world's smallest goal is back! 00:00:45, play video The world's smallest goal is back!
0:27 Does Pimblett approve of Liverpool's new boss? 00:00:27, play video Does Pimblett approve of Liverpool's new boss?
0:48 What goes on at an England training session? 00:00:48, play video What goes on at an England training session?
0:45 Morocco presser disrupted by fighting journalists. 00:00:45, play video Morocco presser disrupted by fighting journalists
0:26 Rooney's England XI for Norway clash. 00:00:26, play video Rooney's England XI for Norway clash
0:26'I've been so fortunate' - Storey on retirement. 00:00:26, play video'I've been so fortunate' - Storey on retirement
1:26 When Norway gave England a 'hell of a beating' 00:01:26, play video When Norway gave England a 'hell of a beating'
1:05 France v Morocco isn't just any quarter-final. 00:01:05, play video France v Morocco isn't just any quarter-final
0:28 Why Djed Spence is filming inside England camp. 00:00:28, play video Why Djed Spence is filming inside England camp
0:31 Rogers quizzed by Spence. 00:00:31, play video Rogers quizzed by Spence

Elsewhere on the BBC

Elsewhere in Sport

Skip to end of content

Close Modal

Play previous item

Play next item, item 1 of 16, 'Wayney boy!' - Haaland wants to see Rooney row, 00:00:25

End of content. Close Modal

Skip to close button

Female players 69% more likely to suffer online abuse

Female players 69% more likely to suffer online abuse

Related topics

More on this story

Shorts

Top stories

Elsewhere on the BBC

Elsewhere in Sport

We Care About Your Privacy

How and why we process data