For hundreds of years sports have been aligned with their founding gender, but now it’s time to break the mould.
It seems that in today’s modern society where sexual equality rules, more men are putting on their dancing shoes and increasing numbers of women are battling their way around the rugby field.
Many sports have male, female and mixed teams throughout Australia and the number of players is increasing.
We take a look at how gender stereotypes are changing in sport, plus we discover how you can get involved with your local sports teams.
Dancing in boots
Dance has always been associated with women more than men, but Director of Dance Classes at Sydney Dance Company Ramon Doringo reported, “The number of male dancers at our school has increased greatly over the past 10 years. It’s likely to be due to popular TV shows such as Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance.”
They key benefits of dance include muscle toning, strengthening, flexibility, endurance and coordination. Susan Mayes, Principal Physiotherapist at Dance Australia recommends additional gym training on top of dance classes to develop the required levels of fitness, strength and flexibility.
Mayes also said, “Dance encourages participants to increase their memory to recall information through repetition of skills and movement combinations.”
And dance isn’t just ballet; it includes jazz, contemporary, tap, modern, street, hip hop, ballroom, salsa and a variety of ethnic styles of dance from all around the globe. So there’s sure to be one that gets your toes tapping and body moving.
To find a dance school near you log onto www.dance-australia.com.au.
Scrum sensations
Despite women trying to play rugby since the 1890s, they’ve only been seriously involved in Australia since 1994. About 10 years ago women’s rugby was the fastest growing sport in Australia and now boasts 1,400 plus players nationally.
As well as the 15s games there is also the sevens version of the sport, consisting of seven players and seven-minute halves. And with the Australian women’s rugby sevens team having won the World Cup in Dubai in 2009 and rugby sevens due to make its debut Olympic appearance in Rio in 2016, the knowledge and popularity of the women’s sevens sport is sky rocketing.
The beauty about rugby is that it is suitable for women of all shapes and sizes. Kim Evans, Chair of SA Women’s Rugby said, “There are 15 positions and each one demands a different body shape. The skinny and fast are no more valuable than the tall and strong or the heavy and unmovable.”
Encouraging women to shun its typical masculine image and embrace the game, Evans said, “Instead of unladylike, think bold, confident, loyal, brave and strong”.
Worried about getting hurt? Kell Rees-Zarby of Sydney Women’s Rugby assured, “Before you step onto the field all women are taught how to play properly and the safety aspects of the game. It is a contact sport so it can hurt, but it doesn’t mean you’ll get injured.” Just be prepared for the odd bruise from time-to-time!
Show the men what you’re made of and find your local club at Australian Rugby Union.
Courting games
It might be widely viewed on TV as a female sport, but behind the scenes the men are making their own pivots on the netball court.
According to Darren Kelly, president of Men's and Mixed Netball NSW, there are about 5,000 men playing netball across Australia, which is double the number three years ago.
Men’s netball follows exactly the same rules as the women’s game, but it can either be a male side or mixed genders of four women to three men. There are lots of local men’s and mixed netball competitions to take part in, as well as an elite event in each state. However, the annual Australian Championships is the one to watch over Easter to see the cream of the crop.
Netball is a great physical challenge, providing a cardio workout with a competitive edge that can be played at various fitness levels.
Find your nearest men’s or mixed netball team at www.mensnetballaust.com.au, which features state association websites, each listing clubs and competitions in your local area.
Bowled over
Contrary to popular belief, women are steeped in cricket’s history, with the first women’s match being played in England in 1745 and it was in fact a woman who created the over arm bowl in the early 1800s as she was fed up of getting her arm caught in her skirt when bowling underarm.
According to Alex Blackwell, vice captain of Australia’s women’s cricket team and Cricket Australia’s ambassador, approximately 13% of cricketers in Australia are female. And that figure is set to rise with programs such as Boy Free Zone encouraging young girls aged five to 13 to get involved.
Like men’s cricket, there are 11 players and various formats, such as Tests, 50 overs and Twenty20. However, female cricketers play with a smaller ball and boundaries.
Encouraging people to join in the sport Blackwell advised that it doesn’t require a specific body type or fitness level, and because there are lots of elements to the game such as batting, bowling, catching and throwing, there are many areas in which you can excel.
“Cricket is a social sport played in good spirit. It will keep you active and give you a good level of endurance, while doing something competitive and enjoyable,” said Blackwell.
Find out if you have a batting or bowling arm by joining a club at www.in2cricket.com.au.