‘Violent’ femininity: Women rugby players and gender negotiation

SynopsisThis article examines the role violence plays in the construction of feminine identity in one British community. Examining the experiences of a women's rugby team, the Jesters, I argue that the role of violence in the creation and policing of gender identities is not unproblematic. The role of violence in gender identification is briefly discussed, with particular attention paid to the embodied nature of gender identities. This is linked to a discussion of the Jesters broader social context as violent and masculine. The Jesters are positioned as fully integrated violent actors within this context, who are able to use violence or aggression to assert their presence and redefine femininity. Analysis then turns to a verse in a song sung by the team which positions the women as victims of rape. Two possible interpretations are offered. One positions the women as having internalised existing gender norms of women as victims of violence, and rape as legitimate discipline for women performing unacceptable identities. An alternative interpretation suggests that by publicly acknowledging the occurrence of sexual assault in the community, they reverse the dynamic by symbolically ‘unmanning’ as rapists the men of Bordertown, an interpretation which fits well with the wider discourses and performances of the Jesters.