Jasmine Joyce: 'We don't want to be the men'

Three-time Olympian Jasmine Joyce has been subjected to online hate on social media following the post-match broadcast of Wales vs England in the Women’s Six Nations.

Joyce, who was the first rugby player to represent Team GB at three Olympic Games and has over 40 Wales caps, took part in a TikTok dance trend with England player and Bristol Bears teammate Sarah Bern, and former players and captains, turned pundits, Katy Daley-McLean and Siwan Lillicrap.

The moment has sparked debate among rugby fans, with many condemning the actions by using the hypothetical example of Wales’s men’s team doing the same following a loss by such a margin, and some individuals also using the platform to spew misogyny.

With many quick to compare the men’s and women’s teams, few, if any, made use of the fact that - despite the loss - Wales Women won more games in 2024 than the men, who haven’t recorded a victory since October 2023, and are the most recent of the two teams to have won a game at the Principality Stadium (vs Italy, 27 April 2024).

Welsh utility back Joyce told RugbyPass: “People have been saying the men wouldn't do that - and they're right, no, they wouldn't do that, because their brand is a lot different.

“You wouldn't see men doing that. The men play rugby for a job, they get paid thousands of pounds to do what they do. They're doing it for the money aspect. Unfortunately, in the women's game, we don't get paid thousands of pounds to do what we do.

“We do it because we love it. We do get paid to do it as a job, but we don't get paid any more money than someone working in an office, for example, no matter what we do. We go out there to enjoy it, we've got to enjoy it.

“Our personalities, we want people to understand who we are. Sometimes that gets taken away from us because we're so judged on social media. I just think - if you don't want to see me TikToking or on social media - just unfollow me or block me.

“Her coming to Bristol has upped our fan engagement by thousands. People are now buying her jersey with Maher in the back. It's crazy what she can do for the game, and that's all from the way she is and her personality.

“Yes, her rugby has helped with that, but if she was just a rugby player and a bronze medallist and all of that, she wouldn't have got all these fans engaged with it. Because she's so present on social media, I think it's massive.

“That's the huge difference to the men's game. Our fans want to see our personalities, see us outside of rugby, not just coming to watch me run really fast on the pitch.”

Despite the 67-12 loss and the following backlash that Joyce has received on social media, the match was an occasion in itself.

With 21,186 fans in attendance at the Principality Stadium, in what was only the second standalone fixture in that venue for the women’s team, they surpassed the Wales women’s Euro play-off in December 2024 to set the record for the highest attendance at a women’s sporting event in Wales.

Away from the 80 minutes of rugby, the day also included a DJ set from Wales player Sisilia Tuipulotu, a half-time performance from The Stickmen Project, and ample pyrotechnics, which all contributed to the occasion - something which Joyce also believes is a key part of continuing the growth of the women’s game.

The 29-year-old added: “We don't want to be the men - we don't expect to have or want the same as the men. We are a different brand. To be seen and heard that we are going to have over 20,000 people there, for us to have that entertainment and for them to spend the money on that for us is massive.

“All we want is to be treated with respect. We want to be seen as role models for the younger girls and boys out there. We want to showcase our personalities and who we are, with fun, enjoyment, and laughter. That's massive for us to engage the crowd.

“For the fans to come back, that's huge. We don't necessarily have the fans the men have - it's a very different brand and business. The more we engage with the fans with our personalities, the more the fans will come back.”

The theme of being seen as players in their own right, and not the same as their male counterparts, was also demonstrated by Joyce’s footwear during the game.

As part of the collaboration between IDA and Guinness, Joyce and others have been wearing the “Never Settle” boot - which is a world-first soft ground boot designed specifically for women, during the Women’s Six Nations.

Welsh rugby player and Guinness ambassador Jasmine Joyce, at the launch of the IDA x Guinness “Never Settle” Boot, the world’s first-ever soft ground boot for female athletes.
Credit ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

Speaking as an ambassador for the collaboration, Joyce also shared her thoughts on the boots, saying: “It's amazing. I think that IDA have put in place all the unique needs for female athletes. We've worn men's boots for however long, which has been fine; we've never even questioned it.

“Now the fact that there are boots specifically for women out there makes us feel seen, feel heard, and empowered to get to wear them. We're being known as a separate brand as women rather than having rugby boots all being for men.

“Comfort is a massive part of the boot selection process, and I think that's exactly what the boots are. Alongside that, a lot of us wear boots because we enjoy the way they look and things like that.

“At the game on the weekend, everybody thought my boots were flashing from underneath, so that's pretty cool. The look is massive for us as athletes as well. As they say, look good, play good. They tick the boxes of feel good and look good.”