Unlikely. In fact, in a survey, 77% of the Wasps FC Ladies squad admitted to having forgotten a sports bra for training or a match and 65% of those resorted to wearing a “normal” bra. We protect our teeth, we protect our heads, we protect our feet but too often our breasts fall short.

Big, small, scarred, perky, saggy, freckly, uneven, beautiful. We all have them- let’s talk about them!

In the UK, the average bra size is a 34C and by chance, as revealed by an anonymous survey, the same goes for the Wasps FC Ladies squad.

Scientific research says an average breast can travel up to 15cm with each running stride. During an 80minute game of rugby, the total distance covered by players can reach 6km, a bit of quick maths suggests that during a game of rugby each breast will jiggle a total of 0.9km. That’s similar to the distance a player covers in a game of 7s.

Breasts don’t actually move up and down but in a figure of 8 motion instead. And contrary to the belief of half the women’s squad, there are no muscles in the breast, instead structure and support is provided by ligaments and tissue. When you consider the fact that the average boob weighs roughly 500 grams- that’s a lot of strain put on those delicate structures. Ensuring that we have the right support can reduce this strain, reduce the pain and prevent sagging.

Despite the fact that the majority of the team have been buying sports bras since they were 15, 75% of us have never actually had a formal fitting for one. What’s more, 40% of the team admitted that they didn’t think their current sports bra options were up to scratch...

“I’ve never given a second thought to how it fits and the shape...I often wear two sports bras because they are both so rubbish I have to double up!”

Kate Alder, sponsored by We Souce Deals

What is “right” when it comes to support? Nolli Waterman and Laura-Jane Jones, the dynamite duo from Try Hards Podcast, invited us down to Nike London to answer exactly that!

As you can imagine, the evening’s combination of sports clothing and boobs was destined to go down a treat, but above all it was educational. Not only did the team at Nike London give us all a much needed lesson on how best to support our breasts, but they inspired the later conversations around breasts and their influence on body image, confidence and performance.

“At a young age there’s a stigma involved with getting changed for PE- girls are often self-conscious and increasingly aware of appearance. Destigmatising it and making it something that is part of the equipment involved in playing the sport is a thing that we need to start promoting from the top down”

Emily Maisey, Sponsored by Roger Stirk Harbour & Partners.

Research has shown that 1 in 5 women are put off sport or physical activity because of their breasts and what’s more, 1 in 4 of the Wasps squad claim that their breasts have affected their ability to perform. Fixing this may be as simple as ensuring girls and women are clued up on the Do’s and Dont’s of boobs and bras from the start of their sporting journey. This is everyone’s responsibility- us as individuals, coaches, team mates, teachers, family - and that includes you dads.

About a third of the Wasps Ladies squad were introduced to rugby by their Dad or their brother and it’s hard to imagine sports bra shopping being top of the rugby playing agenda!

“One thing we didn't talk about, however, through no fault of my dad's, was sports bras. I'm not sure either of us would have survived the conversation...it's one of those taboo topics…”

Jo Dombrowski, Wasps FC Ladies Player

So here are some key tips…

DO get fitted - We are all different and there is no one size fits all when it comes to sports bras. Wearing the wrong size bra can cause breast discomfort, back pain, headaches, damage to the breast tissue/ ligaments and sagging.

DO get the right type - there are different types of sports bra and varying levels of support, make sure yours is right for your sport! Encapsulate- supports each breast separately like an everyday bra. Compression- flattens the breast against the body. Combination- does both of these things. Then, dependant on the impact and movement involved with your sport- choose from low, medium or high support.

DO jump up and down - When trying on a sports bra have a bounce around. Comfort is key and at the end of the day you are the best judge of how supported you feel!

DO share your knowledge - “Support” the other women and girls of the world by sharing this information and ensuring we are all clued up!

And here are some common myths…

Sports bras are only for “elite” athletes - They’re for everyone!
Only large breasts need a sports bra - All breasts need support!
Your bra size never changes - It does!

Fact- The first sports bra was created from sewing two jock straps together!

The sports bra has come a long way since 1977 and there is now research backed knowledge and technology to ensure that breasts are adequately supported no matter how young, old, curvy, lean, amatuer or elite we are! Now it’s our responsibility to spread the knowledge and break the taboo.

A huge thank you to the team at Try Hards Podcast and Nike London - the work that you are doing to educate women and girls is invaluable and we are honored and excited to play a part of extending this.