A WOMEN’S rugby club is swapping its shorts and shirts for evening dress in a bid to draw in larger crowds.
Broughton Rugby Club from Edinburgh have already tried out wearing frocks during a game against Glasgow University.
The sartorial experiment proved so successful, the club is planning to hold an entire tournament where women’s team from across Scotland wear prom dresses.
After winning the prom dress friendly against Glasgow University last weekend 60-0, Broughton RFC president Mark Brown said that prom dress rugby could boost attendances.
However, there is no currently no suggestion that male rugby players will take to the field in dresses.
Mr Brown said:
“The idea came from our captain, Anna McFarlane, who used to play over at Glasgow Uni and decided it would be a good laugh to have a prom dress friendly with Glasgow, and it grew from that.
“There were a variety of different costumes. Some had the full ball gown, other had frocks. “
Mr Brown added that even the referee joined in, wearing a waistcoat with collar and cuffs for the occasion.
“The whole match went off with a bang so now the girls are looking to make it a key fixture,’ he said.
Details of the tournament are still to be finalised but the club hope to hold a 16-team weekend
“dress for success’ event.
Maggie Smith, 24, an outside centre who was named women’s national league player of the year at this year’s Scottish Rugby Union Awards, said:
“It’s quite strange wearing the prom dress and definitely something you have to get used to but you do feel pretty feminine and maybe it will remind people that we are women.
“There is a lot of ripping of dresses as it’s easier to throw people down to the ground because of the amount of fabric. “
The prom dress rugby craze was started at universities in the United States where rugby is an emerging sport.
Mr Brown said:
“Hopefully it’ll be bigger than just an annual friendly.
“It was touted at our AGM on Tuesday that we should extend it to the whole rugby community, Scotland-wide and even abroad.
“The idea is that we’d have a 16-team weekend tournament and clubs can come with their frocks and compete.
“It would be a great fundraiser for the club and would raise the profile of the women’s game.
“Women’s rugby’s already got its critics but we’re hoping to draw in the crowds with a tournament. “
The Broughton women’s side is a new team set up this season but has received a huge response to appeals for female rugby players.
Mr Brown said:
“We’ve had about a dozen players this year, some of which have never played before, but they’ve come on board and we’ve finished second top of the national league.
“We’re trying to show rugby for girls is cool. “
