The female ‘apologetic’ behaviour within Canadian women's rugby: athlete perceptions and media influences

Abstract

Female apologetic behaviour in sport includes any behaviour by female athletes that emphasizes a female athlete's femininity. This behaviour is in response to the masculine and/or lesbian stereotypes associated with female sport participation. Female apologetic behaviour is commonly found in the media as an attempt to reinforce gender hierarchies. This paper discusses the findings of a qualitative study done with nine Canadian women's rugby players about how female apologetic behaviour relates to the media surrounding female athletes, specifically female rugby players. Judith Butler's ideas about gender performativity are used as a theoretical lens. The increase in popularity of women's rugby as well as the inauguration of sevens rugby into the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic games is discussed. It was found that the participants did not engage in apologetic behaviour despite being surrounded by media images that endorse this behaviour.