Rugby World Cup: Sadia Kabeya on rugby's 'diversity disparity'
- Published
Sadia Kabeya is battling for a place in a highly competitive England back row
Rugby World Cup: England v South Africa |
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Venue: Waitakere Stadium, Auckland Date: Sunday 23 October Kick-off: 05:45 BST |
Coverage: Live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sounds and online with live text commentary |
England's Sadia Kabeya says elite rugby needs to face up to a "diversity disparity" after admitting she "sort of lost myself" playing in overwhelmingly white teams.
"As you go through the ranks, the diversity goes down," the 20-year-old told the England Rugby podcast., external
"I love rugby, but I don't want it to change me.
"It was about making sure I can keep my south London slang, my south London jokes."
Kabeya, 20, was the player of the match in England's World Cup win over Fiji earlier this month and is one of three non-white players in Simon Middleton's 32-strong squad for the tournament.
Loughborough Lightning's Kabeya says she found herself compromising her identity as she first made the step up to the Premier 15s.
"Streatham and Croydon was my home club," she said.
"It was in my ends really because I am from Crystal Palace, about half an hour from there. Everyone I spoke to and was playing rugby with was very similar to me. We had very similar cultural experiences, very similar jokes and similar music tastes.
Kabeya was presented with her player-of-the-match trophy by All Black legend Dan Carter after the Red Roses' win over Fiji
"Richmond is very much a white, middle-class area, and so the rugby there is white, middle class.
"At the end of my first year there, I realised I had started to change myself to fit into the new cultural standards I was seeing day to day. I definitely think I sort of lost myself a bit.
"You want to be the same as the people around you, you want to feel you are part of that team. We didn't look the same - I couldn't fit in that way - so the other ways were the jokes and the music.
"It is hard to remain yourself when all you are seeing are people who don't look like you."
Kabeya says a move across London to Wasps, which coincided with the growth of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, brought about a "cultural reset" for her.
The club brought the players together to talk about race and how prejudice had affected them.
"It was about players understanding, asking questions and learning," she said.
"Coming into an inclusive culture, where people wanted to listen and hear what was going on, my switch flipped and I realised I don't have to be different to be in this sport."
Kabeya's call-up to the England team reunited her with Shaunagh Brown, who had coached her in shot put as a teenager before both switched to rugby.
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"To see Shaunagh, someone I have interacted with and had some jokes and laughs with, made me know I can get there," said Kabeya.
"She is like my big sister. I would say auntie but she wouldn't appreciate it!
"It is great to have someone who looks like you and sounds like you. We can give each other a look and know what we are talking about.
"I definitely feel the responsibility to be a role model to girls who look like me."