Iranian women play rugby in headscarves

If the rugby-playing women of Iran's national sevens team had cauliflower ears, no-one could tell.

Kitted out in tight-fitting headscarves and full tracksuits to protect their modesty, the players caused quite a stir when they played in Europe for the first time, reports 'Daily Mail'.

Taking to the field in a women's seven-a-side tournament in Cortina D'Ampezzo, Italy, they were, dealt a 10-0 by the host nation and then suffered a further 33-0 setback in a second game.

In all the matches the team played wearing the 'maghnaeh', a veil that fully covers the head, shoulders and neck, along with red tracksuit tops and bottoms.

A quarter of a century ago, in the early years of the 1979 Islamic revolution when competitive sports for women were strongly discouraged, it would have been unthinkable for Iranian women to play a sport as physical as rugby.

Iranian team coach Fatme Molai, who has been in the job for four years, was quoted by 'Daily Mail' as saying: "Wearing a veil does not change our method of play - clothes are something you wear and don't influence what you know how to do.To be honest the federation are looking at other head covers which are perhaps more practical. This was our first tournament in Europe and although we didn't win as we did in Laos and Thailand I am very happy."

"The whole team has learnt how to keep the veil in place so that it doesn't interfere with play and I think we have shown that even a physical game like rugby can be played in a veil.There are no risks playing in a veil, as I said what is important is that you arrange it safe and well, what you have to be careful with is losing your tracksuit bottoms in a tackle or scrum," he said.

Women's rugby was first introduced to Iran 10 years ago.