麻豆社

For decades, Rugby was a macho male sport. Misogyny was practically part of its DNA. The drinking culture, the casual attitude to sexism, and the back of the bus songs which seemed to be centred around breasts and female genitalia came with the territory.

No-one at the sport's governing level seemed to care either. Repeated attempts to get recognition for women鈥檚 players were casually rejected and, despite a history dating back to the late 19th century, women鈥檚 rugby failed to thrive.

Then, in 1991, it all changed with the first ever Women鈥檚 Rugby World Cup in South Wales featuring 16 nations. That was followed in 1994 by a hastily arranged tournament in Scotland.

The players who played in those tournaments can rightly call themselves pioneers. They begged and borrowed kit, trained around their work, and often had to play on long abandoned back fields. They proudly wore the badge of their country and competed on the big stage.

Kirsty Wark is joined by four of those ground-breaking England women rugby players - Sue Dorrington, Mary Forsyth, Deborah Griffin and Alice Cooper, one of the founders of the 1994 Scotland tournament Sue Brodie, plus England player Giselle Mather, Wales international Amanda Bennett and former England men鈥檚 international Brian Moore.

Presenter: Kirsty Wark
Producer: Howard Shannon
Editor: David Prest
A Whistledown production for 麻豆社 Radio 4