Rugby is one of the toughest and roughest sports out there. When we heard that the first full contact women's team, the Shanghai Sassy Shrimps, began playing we were intrigued. We caught up with Jewel Wang, a member of the team to find out more about the rough and tumble game.

Why did you start playing rugby?
My boyfriend coaches a men’s rugby team called Shanghai Hairy Crabs. I watched them play and wanted to try, so I joined a women’s touch rugby team called Shanghai Sassy Shrimps in May 2008. Now I play full-contact with our new women’s team, the Shanghai Sharks.

How do the women’s and men’s teams differ?
The team is like a big family–I think the difference between women and men is that we’re closer as a group. We not only support each other on the field, we also help each other socially outside of rugby.

Do you girls see each other often?
We train twice a week. We do fitness and drills together with the Hairy Crabs on Thursday night and have team training on Saturday afternoon. We also have a touch rugby game every Tuesday.

Do you play with the boys or just train with them?
Since we formed the Sharks, we’ve only played matches against female teams. We’ve already done two rugby tours and one international tournament and played against different teams from China, other parts of Asia and New Zealand.

Any serious injuries?
Not for me. We have a great coach; she knows when somebody is tired or looking unsure. When I started I was afraid of tackling and getting hurt by other players. My family was also a little unsure about me starting rugby because it’s a very physical sport. But now, they come and support me at every game!

If and ladies out there are interested in playing, find out more information on the Shanghai Rugby Football Club page.