Female athletes say sports bra cost is barrier to participation

A former Team GB roller derby skater says the cost of sports bras is discouraging young women from taking part in physical activity.

Rosie Halsall, 18, from Sheffield, is campaigning to make sports bras and accessories free for secondary school girls, enabling them to participate and improve their long-term health.

“I know a lot of girls who don’t wear sports bras and don’t want to do PE because they feel uncomfortable,” she said.

Miss Halsall’s proposal was backed by Lincolnshire football club Sleaford Town Juniors, which runs five girls’ teams and educates players about the risks of wearing ill-fitting bras.

Having competed in roller derby for 10 years, Miss Halsall said she bought second-hand sports bras because of the price and knew of other players who had stopped competing because they could not afford them.

She said: “I didn’t necessarily have all the bras I needed and they weren’t always the right size. This made the competition even more difficult.

“They [sports bras] are so important but expensive. I wear a helmet, pads and other protective gear when I compete, but my mouthguard costs less than a sports bra.”

Coaches at Sleaford Town Juniors, who make sanitary products available to players free of charge, said the importance of sports bras had “become more of an issue”.

John Williams, who coordinates the women’s teams, said he has made players aware of how an ill-fitting sports bra can create an imbalance when running and cause injuries.

“It not only impacts their sport, but it can also impact them later in life,” he said.

Players at the club have backed the campaign for free sports bras, saying it would encourage others to get involved.

In October, Miss Halsall won a competition run by Politika, a youth think tank, which asked young people to identify an issue impacting their lives.

Managing director Ben Rich said: “Rosie won because her application was based on her own experiences.

“Because of what she experienced, she identified a real problem. That’s what appealed to us.”

The group has already been contacted by a company offering sports bra fittings to schools wanting to work with Miss Halsall on its proposal.

According to Ministry of Education guidelines, public schools should “promote the importance of girls wearing sports bras when participating in physical education and sports activities.”

Sheffield Central Labor MP Abtisam Mohamed offered to meet Miss Halsall to discuss how her campaign could be developed.

She said: “Women in sport face many obstacles, and too often these challenges start at school. Rosie’s idea is a simple and powerful solution that could open doors for many young women.

Miss Halsall said using sports bras at school age would also bring long-term health benefits.

“It is extremely important that women and girls feel comfortable, active and confident in sport so that they can maintain healthy habits into old age.

“Women are at higher risk of osteoporosis and it costs the NHS. If you phase out these diseases by increasing exercise by encouraging girls to take up sport (at a young age), you save money.”