Sports

Female players 69% more likely to suffer online abuse

Nairavoice · Jul 9, 2026 · 2 min read

Female rugby players are 69% more likely to experience social media abuse than their male counterparts, according to findings by World Rugby.

Misogyny, gender identity, sexuality and body-shaming are the most common types of abuse.

Eight cases have been referred to law enforcement and platforms to focus on action.

Female athletes suffering abuse online is a growing issue, with tennis player Katie Boulter and Wales number eight Georgia Evans among those who have spoken out about the issue.

“Social media has transformed sport for the better, enabling connection, storytelling and growth,” World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin said.

“But it also increases the risk of harm, stress and suffering, and we took a stand at Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 to say that there is no place for hate in rugby or in society, that we stand with and celebrate the personality and diversity of our players and match officials, and will take all necessary steps to call out, locate and take action against abusers.”

Evans revealed during the World Cup that she suffered negative comments about her appearance.

American international Ilona Maher is the most followed rugby player in the world, but has admitted the “abuse is constant” on social media.

World Rugby revealed that of the 440,000 posts analysed, 1,189 have met the unlawful threshold.

The offenders of the eight cases were located in Belgium, France, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and the United States.

The governing body called on governments, platforms and sports to work together to make it easier to report abuse at all levels, take appropriate action and drive positive change.

Last month, a Rugby Football Union council member resigned after posting discriminatory criticism of television pundit and England World Cup winner Maggie Alphonsi.

This came after the Women’s Leadership Collective wrote to the RFU calling for a change in its policy and to dismiss the council member.

According to a study by the Women’s Sport Trust, rugby union was the second most-watched women’s sport on television in 2025, below football but above cricket and golf.

There were 81,885 fans at Allianz Stadium to see England’s victory over Canada – a record for a women’s rugby match and the second-highest attendance for a men’s or women’s World Cup final.

It was the most-watched women’s rugby match on UK television, with a record-breaking peak audience of 5.8m viewers on the BBC.

It also beat both the Six Nations and the British and Irish Lions’ winning tour of Australia to become the most-watched rugby match of last year.

Following the tournament in England, supporter numbers in the UK climbed from 7.94m pre-existing fans of women’s rugby to 13.21m, according to research commissioned by BBC Sport.