There are an ever-increasing number of pressures on teens and young girls. From body image and bullying to the scary side of social media, girls and their parents are facing significant challenges when it comes to safeguarding their mental health. One solution? Swapping screen time for weekends on a rugby pitch. The sport has proven to be a place for girls to grow their self-esteem, build a new social circle and feel accepted, no matter their shape or size. To see this in person, we headed down to Chiswick Rugby Club, who opened its doors to female players in 2023. Initially an old boys club, in both name and nature, Andrew Lee, head of facility and sporting development, wanted to “regenerate” the club, turning it into something “exciting and new for generations to come.” As a former Chiswick player, Andrew has seen a lifetime of rugby on the west London pitch, and he never understood why it had to be a single-sex sport. Subscribe to The Standard: https://www.standard.co.uk/register for latest breaking news from the UK, US and around the world, plus podcasts and features. Evening Standard on socials: Check out our full video catalog: youtube.com/channel/UC7RQon_YwCnp_LbPtEwW65w?sub_confirmation=1 Videos, daily editorial and more: https://www.standard.co.uk/ Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/TheLondonStandard Follow us on Twitter: x.com/theLDNstandard and Instagram: instagram.com/thelondonstandard