There have been issues and implications for participation for many years, particularly for women participating in those traditional male sports like rugby league, cricket and soccer. Due to the high impact and high contact nature of these sports the participation rates of women declined around 12 years of age. This was certainly the case for rugby league where clubs declined female registrations after 12 years due to the level of contact and deeming the sport too unsafe for female participation.

As we progress to an increase in female participation at an elite level we often see sexuality debates arising and questioning of a woman’s feminine attributes. The same applies for males engaging in traditional female sports- their sexuality becomes a focus rather than their ability to play the sport.

There are large equity gaps in different sports which also have an impact on female participation. For example Tennis, a Grand Slam final for females is shorter than a Men’s final and the prize money is substantially different.  Spectator numbers also increase for a Mens final compared to females.