http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/womens-rugby.html#more-2385 I find men’s rugby really weird, but this is even more so. I can’t think why anyone would want to play such a sport, I mean at leas in football you get to wear protective gear, but in rugby it’s just skin on skin and bone to bone, so to speak. I’ve seen some really gorilla-looking players so I can understand why they’d want to play this sport, but these women…Sure they have the right to play any sport they want but this doesn’t mean they’re safe from looking ridiculous while they do it. Too bad we don’t have a video too. Here are some pictures of an Iranian women’s rugby team. ---------------------- http://zeldalily.com/index.php/2010/08/iranian-women%e2%80%99s-rugby-team-plays-in-veils-for-first-european-game/comment-page-1/ Zelda Lilly web site Iranian Women’s Rugby Team Plays in Veils for First European Game Aug 04, 2010 at 07:30 am by Amy Allen The Iranian women’s rugby team played in Europe for the first time this week. Taking to the field in tight-fitting headscarves and full tracksuits to protect their modesty, they were initially defeated 10-0 by host nation Italy. But the players bounced back in their subsequent games, eventually defeating the Valsugana team with a convincing 10-3 victory. The players played wearing the maghnaeh, a veil that fully covers the head, shoulder and neck, along with a black and red tracksuit top and bottoms covering their arms and legs. Iranian team coach Fatme Molai, who has been in the job for the past four years, said of the attire: ‘Wearing a veil does not change our method of play – clothes are something you wear and don’t influence what you know how to do… The whole team has learnt how to keep the veil in place so that it doesn’t interfere with play and I think we have shown that even a physical game like … … rugby can be played in a veil. There are no risks playing in a veil – as I said what is important is that you arrange it safe and well. What you have to be careful with is losing your tracksuit bottoms in a tackle or scrum!’ Though the team seem to have garnered a lot of attention for their choice of sports attire, I think it’s important to note that the fact these women are playing competitive sport in Europe is quite the achievement (this quite apart from the team’s successful performance on the pitch). In times as recent as the late seventies, competitive sports for women were strongly discouraged in Iran, and it would have been unthinkable for Iranian women to play as physical a contact sport as rugby. This sentiment is echoed by current team captain Zohre Eyni, who has said that: ‘First I played football but now I play rugby as I really enjoy it but my family are not so sure it is the right thing for a woman.’ In addition to some of the women’s families not being particularly supportive in their choice of sport, there are also some issues with training – one of Iran’s Islamic rules states that members of the opposite sex cannot touch each other unless they are married couple or immediate members of a family. Alireza Iraj, the team’s coach, has said that as a man training the team, he has to keep a decent distance away from the women, instructing them how to tackle an opponent rather than demonstrating the move himself. Though this doesn’t seem ideal, I don’t really think there’s anything particularly bad about the team training themselves with instruction and guidance, as opposed to by physical demonstrations from a male coach. In fact, I think it’s rather good – why not?! I also think that it’s great that these women are playing rugby at all – for these women to want to play competitive sport, and for their government to allow them to represent their country doing so, is great stuff – after all, Iran isn’t exactly traditionally known for women’s rights and empowerment. In addition, though it has attracted a lot of media attention, the team’s attire seems pretty reasonable to me, if it is what the women want to wear. The women have a full range of motion, their vision is unobstructed – and their dress isn’t really that dissimilar to that of the other teams. In fact, if another team’s strip included long sleeves and socks, and the team members chose to wear a scrum cap for play, there would be barely any difference whatsoever. Enabling women to pursue healthy passions like rugby, no matter how they are dressed, is fantastic. Let’s hope sports like rugby, for women, continue to grow in popularity, both in Iran and elsewhere. =========================== http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1299440/Iranian-womens-rugby-team-field-wearing-modesty-preserving-headscarves-tracksuits.html?ITO=1490 Daily Mail online Iranian women's rugby team take to the field wearing modesty-preserving headscarves and tracksuits By Nick Pisa Last updated at 2:13 PM on 5th August 2010 If the rugby-playing women of Iran's national sevens team had cauliflower ears, no-one could tell. Kitted out in tight-fitting headscarves and full tracksuits to protect their modesty, the players caused quite a stir when they played in Europe for the first time. Taking to the field in a women's seven-a-side tournament in Cortina D'Ampezzo, Italy, they were dealt a 10-0 by the host nation and then suffered a further 33-0 setback in a second game. But the players, whose hands and faces were the only areas of skin on public view, bounced back, defeating local side Valsugana 10-3. In all the matches the team played wearing the 'maghnaeh', a veil that fully covers the head, shoulders and neck, along with red tracksuit tops and bottoms. A quarter of a century ago, in the early years of the 1979 Islamic revolution when competitive sports for women were strongly discouraged, it would have been unthinkable for Iranian women to play a sport as physical as rugby. Iranian team coach Fatme Molai, who has been in the job for four years, said: 'Wearing a veil does not change our method of play - clothes are something you wear and don't influence what you know how to do. 'To be honest the federation are looking at other head covers which are perhaps more practical. 'This was our first tournament in Europe and although we didn't win as we did in Laos and Thailand I am very happy.' Captain Zohre Eyni, 22, said: 'First I played football but I now play rugby as I really enjoy it but my family are not so sure it is the right thing for a woman. 'The whole team has learnt how to keep the veil in place so that it doesn't interfere with play and I think we have shown that even a physical game like rugby can be played in a veil. 'There are no risks playing in a veil, as I said what is important is that you arrange it safe and well, what you have to be careful with is losing your tracksuit bottoms in a tackle or scrum.' In an interview with Al Jazeera, Alireza Iraj, Tehran women's rugby coach, said as a man he had to stick with one of Iran's Islamic rules which states that members of the opposite sex cannot touch each other unless they are married couples or immediate members of a family. When advising the team on how to tackle, Iraj keeps a decent distance away from the women and then instructs one of the players to demonstrate how to grab an opponent rather than carrying out the move himself. Women's rugby was first introduced to Iran 10 years ago, and has grown in popularity ever since. ======================= http://www.wiminswatch.org/iranian-womens-team/ Women's Watch Inc. Iranian Women’s Rugby Team August 2nd, 2010 Monday, Aug 02 2010 3PM 21°C 6PM 19°C 5-Day Forecast Iranian women’s rugby team take to the field wearing modesty-preserving headscarves and tracksuits By Nick Pisa Last updated at 8:03 AM on 2nd August 2010 If the rugby-playing women of Iran’s national sevens team had cauliflower ears, no-one could tell. Kitted out in tight-fitting headscarves and full tracksuits to protect their modesty, the players caused quite a stir when they played in Europe for the first time. Taking to the field in a women’s seven-a-side tournament in Cortina D’Ampezzo, Italy, they were dealt a 10-0 by the host nation and then suffered a further 33-0 setback in a second game. Female coach Fatemeh Moolai, with arm raised, talks to her players during the women’s rugby sevens tournament where the Iran team appeared in Europe for the first time Representing Iran: Female coach Fatemeh Moolai, with arm raised, talks to her players during the women’s rugby sevens tournament where the Iran team appeared in Europe for the first time But the players, whose hands and faces were the only areas of skin on public view, bounced back, defeating local side Valsugana 10-3. In all the matches the team played wearing the ‘maghnaeh’, a veil that fully covers the head, shoulders and neck, along with red tracksuit tops and bottoms. A quarter of a century ago, in the early years of the 1979 Islamic revolution when competitive sports for women were strongly discouraged, it would have been unthinkable for Iranian women to play a sport as physical as rugby. Iranian team coach Fatme Molai, who has been in the job for four years, said: ‘Wearing a veil does not change our method of play – clothes are something you wear and don’t influence what you know how to do. ‘To be honest the federation are looking at other head covers which are perhaps more practical. ‘This was our first tournament in Europe and although we didn’t win as we did in Laos and Thailand I am very happy.’ Iran women’s rugby On the ball: Iran’s Zohre Eyni, left, is challenged by Italy’s Sara Pettinelli during the clash which Italy won The team enters the playing field for the ‘Cortina’ seven-a-side tournament Arrival: The team enters the playing field for the ‘Cortina’ seven-a-side tournament Captain Zohre Eyni, 22, said: ‘First I played football but I now play rugby as I really enjoy it but my family are not so sure it is the right thing for a woman. ‘The whole team has learnt how to keep the veil in place so that it doesn’t interfere with play and I think we have shown that even a physical game like rugby can be played in a veil. ‘There are no risks playing in a veil, as I said what is important is that you arrange it safe and well, what you have to be careful with is losing your tracksuit bottoms in a tackle or scrum.’ In an interview with Al Jazeera, Alireza Iraj, Tehran women’s rugby coach, said as a man he had to stick with one of Iran’s Islamic rules which states that members of the opposite sex cannot touch each other unless they are married couples or immediate members of a family. Iran women’s rugby Come back here: Iran’s Farzaneh Navab Rad, right, is challenged by Italy’s Federica Carlet When advising the team on how to tackle, Iraj keeps a decent distance away from the women and then instructs one of the players to demonstrate how to grab an opponent rather than carrying out the move himself. Women’s rugby was first introduced to Iran 10 years ago, and has grown in popularity ever since. Iran women’s rugby Safe hands: Iran’s Nazanin Ammanyan, left, is challenged by Italy’s Michela Este during the tournament =============================