“I don’t really like the word sacrifice. I choose to play rugby”

An exclusive survey conducted for Radio 5 Live, suggests there remains a gap in engagement for women taking part in sport.

While 74% of men say they take part in sport or exercise at least once a week, fewer women say they do the same (67%).

Genna Banks, Head of youth development at Wigan Warriors says girls play sport for "a very different reason”. "They play because they want to feel involved and they feel part of something,” she says.

She was speaking to 5 Live Breakfast alongside her 19-year-old daughter Grace, who was named Player of the Match when Wigan Warriors beat St Helens 42-6 in Rugby League's Women’s Challenge Cup final at the weekend.

"I don't like the word 'sacrifice'," said Grace, "I choose to play rugby. If I don't want to go out drinking, the night before a game, I choose that."

Their comments come as an exclusive survey of 2,000 adults, conducted by Savanta for Radio 5 Live, suggests there remains a gap in engagement for adult women.

The survey also suggests more women than men “very often” avoid or drop out of sport and exercise altogether (15% compared to 11%) with the top reasons cited across both genders being lack of time, perceived lack of skill and disabilities or other conditions.

This clip is originally from 5 Live Breakfast on June 9th 2025.

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