How important do you think it is to wear a sports bra when playing rugby?
We chat to the Harlequins Women's Rugby Team about their sports bra brablems!
A sports bra is your most important piece of kit and often something that gets overlooked. With studies done by the University of Portsmouth we now have the science to prove that you should wear a sports bra to reduce breast movement and look after your breasts.
We recently travelled down to the Harlequins training ground in London to help the team find their perfectly fitting sports bra, share our knowledge, and talk to them about how important they think it is to wear a sports bra.
How did your sports bra fitting go today?
‘Yeah it was really good. I was talking to Charly and she was explaining the different kinds of bras that were available and asked me what my preferences are and what I prefer to wear in a sports bra and how I feel in the current one.
Then we went through the ones that were available and tried on a few and just found the right one for me and it was really really helpful. It’s really good to have you guys here. We don’t normally get this level of support and sports bras are really important, especially in a women’s club with girls competing in rugby off all different shapes and sizes. It’s one area that hasn’t been touched on that much and I think it’s great to be able to have this opportunity to have you guys down here supporting us.’ – Chloe Edwards, Tighthead-prop (watch our full interview with Chloe)
‘Yeah it went really well, it was really interesting. I think I was there or there about with my size which is always a good confirmation, but no really well, definitely nice to see the different options and I think it’s probably just personal preference around whether it’s underwire or cup or padding or anything like that but it was really good to see the different options’ - Alice Sheffield, Lock/Flanker
‘It was amazing. I felt like night and day a difference between my sports bra I was wearing and the one I was fitted with, it was really good.’ – Nicole Wythe, Tighthead-prop
‘Yeah it was really good. I found out I was a different size that I completely thought so now at least I know I’m going to get the right size bras and things when I buy them. Everyone was really nice, it was really good’ – Beth Blacklock, Centre
‘Yeah it was really good, I was actually very surprised with how unsupportive my bras are and found out that I’m a completely different size to what I thought I was which was very useful’ – Jessica Breach, Wing
‘Yeah really good, I think it’s a fab idea. We always think about the kit we need like boots, gum shields, socks and you know, I think the fact that we’re now looking into sports bras is just excellent for the women’s game. Definitely crucial’ – Lauren Brooks, Flanker
Have you always worn a sports bra when playing Rugby?
‘Yeah. I often have to wear two because it’s so hard to find one that’s supportive enough, so a lot of the girls if they have bigger chests then they will wear a normal one and then like a crop top over the top. It will be nice to have one that’s even better so we don’t have to do that every week.’ - Chloe
‘Yeah it’s very important, obviously boobs are something you’ve got to look after and so like minimal movement and good support. We’re obviously hit contact a lot so it’s good for us to have that protection’ - Heather Cowell, Wing
Do you think it is important to wear a sports bra when playing rugby?
‘Yeah, massively important. I’m in the lineouts, so you are obviously jumping in the lineouts which is quite high impact, especially as you’re coming down you do get dropped sometimes – hopefully not too often, but you know you’re jumping up and down in the lineout, you’re in the scrums, you’re running about and it’s a lot of stop start as well. I don’t think I’ve ever played without a sports bra but yeah definitely getting the right one is hugely important.’ – Alice
‘Really important yeah. There’s only one that I’ll maybe wear for a game. I’ll maybe have different ones for the gym and things like that because it’s so uncomfortable if you wear the wrong bra, so there’s only one that I have at the moment that I’d trust enough to wear for games and things’ - Beth
‘Yeah 100%. I think it’s more I’ve probably got like 10 sports bras but maybe only 3 that I’ll wear for training which is really bad and I probably should have got a fitting done or tried to get my size a bit more specific instead of oh I’ll just buy a large and see how that fits.’ – Emily Robinson, Flanker
‘Absolutely, I think it’s important to wear a sports bra when you’re doing any sort of activity just to support your boobs and your back for your later life’ – Jess
‘I don’t know why people don’t wear a sports bra whilst playing Rugby. I think that there’s so many different elements to the game; the running, the jumping, the contact. I think you’d be silly if you didn’t wear one’ – Rosie Galligan, Lock
Have you ever experienced any brablems?
‘Yeah, sometimes with the wrong sizes and things obviously it can press in, in the wrong places which when you’re doing lots of sports, moving your arms, moving about and things then it can rub and it’s really uncomfortable, especially having it digging in.’ – Beth
‘Definitely times where it’s perhaps chafed a bit where I haven’t got the right size for myself because I’ve never been fitted, so yeah I normally just pick one I like the look of and wing it a bit so I definitely think it’s a good idea to have this set up where you know we can get ones that do fit us and is going to be right for us and our needs’ - Lauren
Do you notice a difference to your performance if you are wearing a correct sports bra?
‘100% yeah. I started wearing a proper sports bra in the last month and that’s so much so much better. Like in running, I didn’t realise how bad my sports bra was until I was looking at some footage of myself sprinting and I was like wow that’s really not doing anything. So, I bought a new one and then I’ve been wearing that for like I said for a month and it’s so much better. I just feel so much more secure and like I’m not worried or wasting energy or something. I just feel a lot better’. – Emily
‘Yeah, it hurts a lot more when you’ve tackled someone and go to the floor and you’re not wearing a supportive sports bra or not wearing a sports bra at all’ – Nicole
Thank you to the Harlequins Women's Ruby Team for taking the time to speak to us. We hope you now feel supported during your matches!
Harlequins Women’s Ruby Team Sports Bra Picks: