Academics aims to tackle the 'gender inequality' of sports science for female rugby players
The research has been released as Exeter hosts many of the women's rugby world cup games
Last updated 15th Sep 2025
The inequality suffered by female rugby players is being studied by academics in Devon - as the county hosts more world cup matches than anywhere else.
A University of Exeter study has found 89 per cent of players have discomfort from boots, which can lead to injuries.
The study comes as Exeter's Sandy Park hosted reigning champions New Zealand against South Africa and France versus Ireland in the quarter finals over the weekend.
Associate Professor Sharon Dixon of the University of Exeter Medical School led the research and said: "The findings have been used to develop the first ever soft ground boot specifically for female players.
“The boot is built for women’s foot form and structure, and its first iteration was tested during the Women’s Six Nations earlier this year. Feedback from the trial has been used to finetune the fit and comfort of the boot for the World Cup."
The research from the University of Exeter is in partnership with IDA Sports and backed by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). In both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 Premiership Women’s Rugby seasons, the highest percentage of injuries occurred in the knee and ankle and were primarily ligamental injuries, according to the Women’s Rugby Injury Surveillance and Prevention Project led by Dr. Sean Williams.
Abby Middlebrooke, who plays for Exeter Chiefs and is studying Exercise and Sport Sciences at the University of Exeter. took part in the survey and said: “Most boots I try don’t fit me and are quite uncomfortable.
"You know from the minute you step onto the pitch for the warm-up if your boots are going to be comfy or not and it definitely has a negative impact on your performance. Inside a female changing room we’re constantly taking out or putting in studs just to try and make a boot practical and a lot of the girls are having to see foot specialists just from running around in a way that’s injuring them. So, research like this is really important to try and understand what boots we need to try and prevent those injuries.”
Associate Professor Dixon added: “For the first time, we’ve put the needs of female athletes at the forefront of boot design. Until recently, research on studded football and rugby boots focused on male players, resulting in designs being based on optimising performance and minimising injury risk for men. We’ve focused on the requirements for female players and used biomechanical testing and 3D foot scanning to design the first ever soft ground boot specifically for women.
"Over the last three years, nearly 1,000 detailed 3D foot scans have been collected from amateur and professional players from Premiership Women’s Rugby, the National Women’s Soccer League and top English professional leagues. Alongside foot scanning, 330 rugby players across all levels of the sport were surveyed, including participation from eight of the nine Premiership teams.
"The survey data concluded that 78 per cent of female rugby players listed comfort as a top priority when selecting footwear, yet 89 per cent experience pain or discomfort in the boots they are wearing. Specifically, 45 per cent of pain and discomfort was identified under the first metatarsal (big toe), a primary location for a stud on standard, non-female specific boots. Other top priorities included fit (68 per cent), price (62 per cent) and traction (60 per cent)."