Martina Navratilova slams Bluebella’s ‘regressive’ Strong is Beautiful campaign featuring Team GB Rugby Sevens players wearing bras and suspenders on the pitch

Women’s rights campaigners have hit out at a sport campaign which sees professional female rugby players donning skimpy lingerie to prove ‘strong is beautiful’.

Ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics, the Team GB Rugby Sevens stars took part in the campaign which was launched by London-based lingerie brand Bluebella. In snaps released to promote the campaign, the players are seen on the pitch in matching bras and knickers – some complete with suspenders.

The aim of the imagery, Bluebella says, is to encourage women to go to the gym for strength over aesthetic in a bid to promote ‘body confidence’ – but many women’s rights campaigners, including prominent sportswomen such as Martina Navratilova, have slammed Bluebella for what it says is a ‘sexist’ message.

Women in Sport, an organisation that encourages women of all ages to take up sports around the UK, has added it is ‘uncomfortable’ to have had its statistics included in the campaign ‘without our knowledge’, while criticising the use of ‘highly sexualised’ images in order to promote the message.

The Strong is Beautiful campaign, run by east London-based lingerie brand Bluebella, has been slammed by women’s rights campaigners as ‘regressive’

The ‘strong is beautiful’ message, which was launched earlier this week, sees Team GB Rugby Sevens players including Jasmine Joyce, Celia Quansah and Ellie Boatman donning bras and knickers, suspenders and lace and mesh one-pieces, complete with rugby boots and socks, on the field.

The players then take part in typical rugby drills, such as line-outs, all while kitted out in the skimpy outfits.

Alongside the photos, Bluebella’s campaign noted that 64% of girls over the age of 13 drop out of sport due to body image issues – a statistic derived from Women in Sport’s research.

Trailfinders Women player Ellie Boatman said ‘not many girls’ played rugby while she was growing up as they were perceived as ‘weak’; while Bristol Bears’ Jasmine Joyce said girls feel ‘self-conscious’ about their bodies but urged them to ’embrace’ how they look.

Ellie, 27, from Camberley, Surrey, said: ‘Not many girls were playing rugby ten years ago when I started and it was tough being the only girl on a team. Often our opposing teams would think, “they’ve got a girl they’re going to be weak”.

‘Sometimes you would even hear parents telling their boys to target the girl because she would be the weak link in the team. It was also definitely the case that the boys were celebrated a lot more and all the effort was focused on them.

Harlequins player Ellie Boatman said ‘not many girls’ played rugby while she was growing up as they were seen as ‘weak’

Jasmine, 28, from Wales, said she used to feel uncomfortable in lingerie

The three ladies have fronted the advert amidst troubling statistics that reveal over half of secondary schoolgirls drop out of all sport by the age 16

‘Little or no expense would be made for girls’ facilities and I would be given a boy’s kit which would absolutely swamp me.’

Ellie, the team’s leading try scorer, touched on her own issues with body confidence; she revealed that she once struggled with an eating disorder while attending Southampton University.

‘It’s something I had to battle through and now training to be strong and fit and healthy is a massive priority to me.’

She also shared a word of advice for those training only for aesthetic reasons.

Training for just how you look is not what I’m interested in doing anymore. I love training to be strong and fit and healthy.

‘I would say it’s better to train for your own health and your fitness and for enjoyment rather than just for the way you look.

‘Fitness should be something you do to look after yourself and to enjoy, not some kind of punishment. The Bluebella campaign is about showing girls that sport and fitness can help them feel really empowered, and how they can look muscular and strong, as well as feeling feminine.’

The #StrongIsBeautiful campaign by Bluebella aims to improve teenage girls’ attitudes to their bodies and to encourage them to play sport

Celia Quansah, 28, who plays for Leicester Tigers Women, said growing up she was told she looked like a ‘man’, but now felt ’empowered’ in lingerie

The women shared how sexism and a lack of body confidence almost thwarted their interests in the sport (pictured: Celia and Ellie in Bluebella lingerie)

However, not everyone agrees that the campaign is ’empowering’ and many people have taken to social media to slam the images and the message as ‘sexist’.

Writing on X (formerly Twitter), prominent feminist voices shared their distaste, with journalist Nicole Lampert saying: ‘There’s a new campaign to get teenage girls into sport. Called #strongisbeautiful. It’s been kicked off by Team GB rugby players posing in lingerie. Feels really regressive and sexist to me. Maybe I’m old.’

She later clarified the campaign was not an initiative of Team GB.

However in response to Nicole’s tweet, many people took to the social media platform to insist she is not ‘too old’; rather, they don’t believe the campaign is in good taste.

Labour MP Rosie Duffield said:  ‘This is the definition of ‘sexism’. As old as time. Persuade women to remove more clothes as that is ’embracing their power’ or some other marketing s***. 

‘These women are powerful and beautiful in their sports gear, on the field, showing girls that those kits are for them too…’

Another X user said in dismay: ‘Omg who signed this off ?!’

And Martina Navratilova, tennis champ who now dedicates her career to promoting equality in women’s and men’s sports, added: ‘Nope, you’re not too old. This is regressive AF…’

‘You can be beautiful in clothes too. Hate it,’ said another.

Alongside the campaign, Jasmine said: ‘The one thing I’d say to girls regarding body confidence is to enjoy who you are.

‘You’re never going be perfect and there’s always going to be parts of your body you’re self-conscious of but embrace it all.

‘I haven’t always felt comfortable in lingerie but after doing this shoot it’s definitely made me feel more comfortable in being able to embrace my body and feel empowered’. 

The campaign was heavily criticised on X/Twitter where people suggested it was ‘sexist’ and ‘regressive’

Celia Quansah, 28, who plays for Leicester Tigers Women, said growing up she was told she looked like a ‘man’, which lead her to feel ‘ashamed’ of her muscles.

She explained: ‘I think one of the biggest challenges for women’s rugby is people’s perception that you can’t be feminine and play rugby, that one comes up frequently.

‘People love to say women shouldn’t play rugby or you’re too pretty to play rugby and all of those things that just aren’t true.

‘When I was growing up, I always sort of was ashamed of my muscles and my body. I’d always get comments like, “you look like a man” and those sort of insults.

‘I think growing up, you actually really learn to love your body, and I feel really proud of that now, especially when I’m in the gym’.

The #StrongIsBeautiful campaign by Bluebella lingerie has been running for eight years and aims to improve teenage girls’ attitudes to their bodies, as well as to encourage them to play sports.

The underwear brand has previously worked with female athletes at the Rio Olympics in 2016, the Tokyo games in 2021, and the Women’s FIFA World Cup in 2023.

Bluebella CEO and Founder Emily Bendell said: ‘We have to change the perception that the strong female form is not “feminine”. The idea that strength and femininity do not go together is a really damaging perception for keeping women in sport but also more broadly.

‘We are thrilled that these three Team GB Rugby Sevens players are supporting the #StrongIsBeautiful campaign and helping to challenge attitudes which are sadly still too prevalent’.

However, according to its critics, the campaign is instead promoting a ‘regressive’ message.

One X user said: ‘There may well be plenty of teen girls who think they can’t play rugby and be feminine. I also have no doubt of the players’ good intentions for this campaign. 

‘But aiming this sexualised representation of femininity and women’s sport at teens is regressive.’

Another replied directly to Bluebella saying: ‘This is so insulting and disrespectful to women athletes. Women athletes deserve to be respected for their athleticism and skill, not made to dress in this pornified way to please men.’

Femail has contacted Bluebella for comment.