In today’s world of social media, where faceless figures behind a computer feel emboldened to share their most vile thoughts, being an outspoken woman online can be a scary thing.
But for rugby player and vocal advocate Alice Soper, becoming one of the faces for the fight for women’s rugby has not only helped her find a supportive community but also love with her partner
and fellow activist Bailey Te Maipi.
“I’ve been outspoken for as long as I’ve been in the sport,” tells Alice, whose father is Newstalk ZB’s senior political correspondent Barry Soper. “It’s harder for me to keep my mouth shut than to say something!”
Alice says she’s always loved rugby. As a child, her Wellington primary school didn’t have a grass field, so she’d play with her friends on the hard concrete.
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In her first year of high school in 2001, Alice got her shot at joining a real team when the sports coordinator at her school, Marama Tauroa, set up their first-ever girls’ squad.
“She put out the notice and I was the only one who turned up – this scrawny little Pākehā girl. I said, ‘Give me a week.’ I came back and I had recruited 10 people for the team.”
With 15 players needed to make up a squad plus reserves, Alice’s fire was so persuasive Marama reached out to a neighbouring school to join forces. She also encouraged Alice to join the Wellington Women’s Sevens team and at age 13, Alice was representing her city alongside her teacher. Alice has spent her subsequent years trying to be that support for other up-and-coming players.
The 34-year-old had not been shy making her frustrations known over the way women’s rugby at all levels is constantly treated as an afterthought when it comes to funding and player development. So, in 2020, when she found herself alone in her home for six weeks during the country’s first level four lockdown, she decided to take to the internet.
What set her off was a release from New Zealand Rugby laying out the full schedule for the various men’s tournaments that year. At the end was one sentence saying they were still looking at Black Ferns test options.
Her video struck a nerve, and Alice not only caught the attention of fellow upset athletes and the media, but also her now-partner Bailey.
“I kept seeing her on my friend’s accounts, and I thought, ‘Who is this random Pākehā woman!'” laughs Bailey, 26.
The pair connected over social media and hit it off when they discovered their stories were strikingly similar. Bailey also grew up loving sports that were traditionally for boys and has had to forge her own path.
“I come from a league family,” tells Bailey, who works for Wellington Māori health organisation Mana Wahine. “I always wanted to play but my dad wouldn’t let me. I was tiny and he said I’d get snapped in half. I started skating when I was six and I can’t remember seeing another girl at the skate park once when I was a kid.”
Skateboarder Bailey like how Alice rolls. “Her confidence and optimism is built in.”
Bailey has started a skate school for young Māori girls, Waa Hine Skate, and is one of the founders of Māori Girls Skate Collective, which aims to connect female skaters across the country.
Bailey says having Alice in her corner has only made her more focused on her work.
“Alice doesn’t need to be hyped up; the confidence and optimism is built in,” says Bailey. “She pushes me. I get stuck in my anxious thoughts, but she will say, ‘What if something good happens?’ And she’s always right.”
Alice adds, “Bailey’s very understated. I just remind her what she’s already achieved, so why can’t she achieve the next thing? In return, she reminds me I need to recharge and rebalance – one person can’t change everything.”
It’s game on for Alice (seated) and Bailey!
Both Alice and Bailey are delighted to see how far Aotearoa has come in supporting female athletes – particularly the way the country backed the Black Ferns during their sensational run at last year’s Rugby World Cup – but they also know this is just the beginning of the fight.
“Most of the time as women in sport, we’re told we can’t,” tells Alice. “We do this because we want the next generation coming through to be able to stand on our shoulders and see further.”
