“It has given us an opportunity to champion a powerful message and promote equality to everyone,” Welsh rugby star Jasmine Joyce-Butchers tells PinkNews as we discuss the world’s first female soft-ground boot. Co-developed with elite athletes, IDA x Guinness’ Never Settle boot has been designed with top players, including Joyce-Butchers, to address the issue of ill-fitting footwear for female stars. “We never want to be the men or be the same as the men, but to have a women’s-fit boot is a step in the right direction towards equality and allowing us to have the same opportunities as the men,” the Wales women’s national rugby union team, Team GB and Bristol Bears player tells PinkNews. “This boot enables us to go out and feel even more comfortable while reducing the risk of injury… It’s definitely a positive step in women’s rugby. “When I started playing, there wasn’t women’s rugby on TV. To finally see it streamed on BBC is fantastic. We can now see ourselves on telly, and younger boys and girls can watch us. You have to see us to be us, and we have so much more support now. “We now have female-fit jerseys. It’s huge for us, you want to feel comfortable in the clothes you wear, especially as we have to wear these as part of a team.” Joyce-Butchers married teammate Alisha Butchers in December 2023, and they share glimpses of their lives together on social media. “Men’s and women’s rugby are different brands. In women’s rugby, we are very open and people come to watch us as people rather than just for rugby, Joyce-Butchers says of being an out LGBTQ+ athlete. “We have a different audience to men’s rugby, and, as a same-sex couple, it’s very accepted in what we do within rugby. “If it was more accepted in men’s rugby, maybe there’d be more people open to speaking about it. It does happen in the men’s game, they’re just not as open.” Offering advice to others, she says: “You get judged regardless of who you are, what you do, or where you come from. So, the best thing I can say to people is to be yourself because whether you’re yourself or not, you’re going to get judged, you’re going to get abuse, you’re going to get negative comments.” Last year, PinkNews attended games at the Women’s Six Nations tournament and spoke to the team captains, who shared their enthusiasm for the for the sport and discussed the importance of its visibility in influencing future generations. Round three of the 2025 Guinness Women’s Six Nations rugby kicks off on Saturday (12 April), when the Welsh team take on France at the Stade Amedee-Domenech, in Brive, from 12.45pm. The game will be shown on BBC One Wales and the iPlayer. Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.