Let Briar play

Stuff reports:

The boys in a school rugby team that has been told it will not get points if it fields its only girl player say they stand by her.
Briar Hales, 11, a Year 7 Havelock North Intermediate student, decided to pull out of her team following the disapproval of five school principals who opposed her playing with the boys.
The only girl in the team, she pulled out after the principals said that if she played in an upcoming tournament her team will not be awarded any points.

How stupid. If she is good enough to make the school first XV, she should be allowed to play.

The principals said she could play in the girl’s seven-a-side team. They said they weren’t opposed to making changes to the current status quo, but it was too late to make changes to the competition now.
A statement issued by the organisers said by having girls and boys teams playing separately more students could play in the tournament.
It said there was equality if the sexes were separate, and there were health and safety issues as “boys can be bigger, stronger, heavier and faster”.

So what. She is not being forced to play with the boys – she is choosing to. She’s aware she could be hurt – as is every rugby player.