Team GB Rugby Sevens stars launch 'Strong is Beautiful' lingerie campaign, saying hitting the gym just to look good 'feels like a punishment'
- Jasmine Joyce, Celia Quansah and Ellie Boatman are the faces of the campaign
- READ MORE: World of rugby embroiled in sexism row
Three female players from Britain's Rugby Sevens team have shared how sexism and a lack of body confidence almost thwarted their interests in the sport.
Team GB stars Jasmine Joyce, Celia Quansah and Ellie Boatman have spoken out as part of a new 'Strong Is Beautiful' body confidence campaign for London lingerie brand Bluebella.
The three ladies have fronted the advert - dressed in lacy and cut-out underwear - amidst troubling statistics that reveal over half of secondary schoolgirls drop out of all sport by the age 16.
Reflecting on her own experience, Harlequins player Ellie Boatman said 'not many girls' played rugby while she was growing up as they were perceived as 'weak'; while Bristol Bears' Jasmine Joyce said girls feel 'self-conscious' about their bodies but urged them to 'embrace' how they look.
Ellie, 27, from Camberley, Surrey, said: 'Not many girls were playing rugby ten years ago when I started and it was tough being the only girl on a team. Often our opposing teams would think, "they've got a girl they're going to be weak".
Britain's Rugby Sevens stars Jasmine Joyce, Celia Quansah and Ellie Boatman (pictured left to right) are the faces of a new 'Strong Is Beautiful' body confidence campaign by London lingerie brand Bluebella
The women shared how sexism and a lack of body confidence almost thwarted their interests in the sport (pictured: Celia and Ellie in Bluebella lingerie)
'Sometimes you would even hear parents telling their boys to target the girl because she would be the weak link in the team. It was also definitely the case that the boys were celebrated a lot more and all the effort was focused on them.
'Little or no expense would be made for girls' facilities and I would be given a boy's kit which would absolutely swamp me.'
According the charity Women in Sport, 64 per cent of girls aged over 13 drop out of sport, many due to body image issues.
With the Olympic Games in Paris starting this month and to bring awareness to these figures, the three players have been photographed in revealing outfits during a rugby training session.
In one of the images, the ladies can be seen in matching separates and lacy bodysuits while each of them holds a rugby ball.
Ellie, the team's leading try scorer, touched on her own issues with body confidence; she revealed that she once struggled with an eating disorder while attending Southampton University.
'It's something I had to battle through and now training to be strong and fit and healthy is a massive priority to me.'
She also shared a word of advice for those training only for aesthetic reasons.
The players were photographed in body revealing outfits while taking part in a rugby training session
Celia Quansah, 28, who plays for Leicester Tigers Women, said growing up she was told she looked like a 'man', but now felt 'empowered' in lingerie
'Training for just how you look is not what I'm interested in doing anymore. I love training to be strong and fit and healthy.
'I would say it's better to train for your own health and your fitness and for enjoyment rather than just for the way you look.
'Fitness should be something you do to look after yourself and to enjoy, not some kind of punishment. The Bluebella campaign is about showing girls that sport and fitness can help them feel really empowered, and how they can look muscular and strong, as well as feeling feminine'.
Wing Jasmine, 28, from Wales, said: 'The one thing I'd say to girls regarding body confidence is to enjoy who you are.
'You're never going be perfect and there's always going to be parts of your body you're self-conscious of but embrace it all.
Jasmine, 28, from Wales, said she used to feel uncomfortable in lingerie
Harlequins player Ellie Boatman said 'not many girls' played rugby while she was growing up as they were seen as 'weak'
'I haven't always felt comfortable in lingerie but after doing this shoot it's definitely made me feel more comfortable in being able to embrace my body and feel empowered'.
Celia Quansah, 28, who plays for Leicester Tigers Women, said growing up she was told she looked like a 'man', which lead her to feel 'ashamed' of her muscles.
She explained: 'I think one of the biggest challenges for women's rugby is people's perception that you can't be feminine and play rugby, that one comes up frequently.
'People love to say women shouldn't play rugby or you're too pretty to play rugby and all of those things that just aren't true.
'When I was growing up, I always sort of was ashamed of my muscles and my body. I'd always get comments like, "you look like a man" and those sort of insults.
'I think growing up, you actually really learn to love your body, and I feel really proud of that now, especially when I'm in the gym'.
The three ladies have fronted the advert amidst troubling statistics that reveal over half of secondary schoolgirls drop out of all sport by the age 16
The #StrongIsBeautiful campaign by Bluebella aims to improve teenage girls' attitudes to their bodies and to encourage them to play sport
She added that she felt 'empowered' in 'lingerie' and hoped to prove that women could be 'feminine and play rugby'. 'Breaking down that stereotype is so important' she concluded.
The #StrongIsBeautiful campaign by Bluebella lingerie has been running for eight years and aims to improve teenage girls' attitudes to their bodies, as well as to encourage them to play sports.
The underwear brand has previously worked with female athletes at the Rio Olympics in 2016, the Tokyo games in 2021, and the Women's FIFA World Cup in 2023.
Bluebella CEO and Founder Emily Bendell said: 'We have to change the perception that the strong female form is not "feminine". The idea that strength and femininity do not go together is a really damaging perception for keeping women in sport but also more broadly.
'We are thrilled that these three Team GB Rugby Sevens players are supporting the #StrongIsBeautiful campaign and helping to challenge attitudes which are sadly still too prevalent'.
