From the perspective of someone who is a female athlete and who swings both ways
Women are wonderful creatures. Nothing compares if you ask me. They are ambitious, intelligent, elegant, gracious, beautiful, and so many more adjectives! However, let us face it, women do not get enough credit for anything they do, and I want to change that. So, here are 10 reasons why YOU should watch and support women’s sports:
- The action is just as good — or even better — than the men. As a rugby player, I experience just as much contact as they do! I just do it with french braids and a bow. If it is the contact you are looking for, we have got it. Skill? We have got it. Fierce competition? We have got it. There is so much here, you just have to see it for yourself.
- Enjoying Heated Rivalry? Well, there’s real-life romance happening on the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) rink right now! In the league, there are currently 37 openly gay players and many inter-team relationships. This includes same-team romances and rival-team romances! Talented women dating other talented women? Count me in!
- Female athletes come in all shapes and sizes. From props (rugby) to liberos (volleyball), and from goalies to centres, we have got it all! Talk about inclusiveness.
- Women’s sports can even be more interesting to watch than the men’s. Due to the differences in rules, female athletes have to be much more strategic and smart with how they play the game. Brute force and banging heads does not always cut it. Sometimes, it comes down to impressive tactics and skill.
- Female athletes are some of the most dedicated people around, and they do it purely for the love of the game. They are not making the same big bucks as the men, yet they still show up every day and work just as hard.
- Strong women are the best! Look at Ilona Maher (rugby), A’ja Wilson (basketball), Aryna Sabalenka (tennis), Marie-Philip Poulin (hockey), Mikaela Shiffrin (ski)… enough said.
- We have comeback stories that will make you shed a tear. Check out professional ski racer Lindsey Vonn’s straight-out-of-retirement World Cup win! After multiple knee surgeries and a partial knee replacement, at 40 years old, Vonn made it to the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics!
- We don’t just have good comeback stories, we have spectacular upcomings too! Victoria Mboko, for example, entered the Canadian Open WTA 1000 (tennis) in 2025 as a wildcard and ended up beating the top players in the world to win her first career title. Oh, and did I mention she’s only 19? Women are impressive, what can I say?
- Style inspiration and body goals. In 2026, strong is in, and who could serve as better inspiration than professional athletes!
- Last but not least, we’ve got heated rivalries. But not in THAT way. Competition courses through these women, and it can get heated. A classic example is Canadian hockey player Hayley Wickenheiser’s post-game interview at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, after Team Canada took home gold against Team USA. She was quoted saying: “the Americans had our flag on their floor in the dressing room, and now I want to know if they want us to sign it!”
All jokes aside, female athletes deserve just as much recognition and appreciation as male athletes. Hopefully, this has inspired you to go out and watch a local women’s team play or a professional women’s team on TV. The perfect place to start is catching up with the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics and supporting the Mt.A women’s varsity, clubs and intramural teams! Have fun, and try not to get too… heated.