Empowerment for Life. The Try of Women’s Rugby

The volume explores the transformative power of rugby as a tool for female empowerment in a global context still marked by gender inequalities. Rugby, more than just a sport, emerges as a metaphor for strength, resilience, and social change. Through an analysis of the experiences of 100 athletes from different parts of the world, the book demonstrates how sport can serve as a powerful means of social mobility, capable of bringing together women from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds in pursuit of a common goal: the strengthening of self-determination, self-confidence, and awareness of one’s own value. The interviews tell the stories of women who, through rugby, have managed to overcome economic, familial, and social challenges. The narratives highlight how these women-athletes found in rugby an opportunity to redefine their identity in a safe and inclusive environment. The testimonies converge on a central point: rugby as a catalyst for both personal and collective growth, as well as a means of redemption and social transformation The book proposes an educational framework that can be applied in both school and social settings, aimed at developing programs that foster self-esteem and emotional awareness among girls and boys. From a socio-pedagogical perspective, the book aims to integrate sport, education, and culture, presenting rugby as a privileged tool for personal and collective development—while also serving as a model for empowerment, inclusivity, and social progress. The ultimate goal is to offer a reflection on how sport can become an instrument of social and educational change.

Simona Castellano. She is a research fellow at the University of Salerno, where she is an adjunct lecturer in Theories of Digital Audiovisual Media. In 2024 she was a Visiting Researcher at Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Barcelona). Her research interests include social media and digital platforms, the mediatization of sport, and celebrity culture. Among her recent publications: Is this already the “Box Box” era? The celebrity capital of Formula One stars at the end of their career. The Lewis Hamilton Case (2025, “Mediascapes Journal”).

Erika Morri. Former Italy international rugby player (2 World Cups, 7 European Championships, 12 years with the italian national team across 21 playing years), she is the founder of “Wo*men’s sport land of freedom: those who sow sport reap the future.” As a trainer and speaker, she maintains that the body is a tool for learning. In the rugby world today, she serves as a Council Member of the Italian Rugby Federation, is a member of Rugby Europe’s Women’s Rugby Development Committee, and represents Italy at World Rugby.

Find out more:

• Rugby come palestra emotiva;
• Rugby laboratorio di progettazione esistenziale;
• Rugby, squadra e grammatica emotiva a scuola;
• Rugby per gli obiettivi dell’Agenda ONU 2030.