Grassroots Rugby: Life with the Teddington Antlers

Members of the Teddington Antlers, a women’s grassroots rugby team in southwest London, balance full-time work with the demands of the sport. They train under floodlights after long days, compete on weekends, and regroup once the match is over. Through moments of intensity and quiet routine, the Antlers’ season reveals the resilience, camaraderie, and commitment that sustain women’s rugby beyond the professional stage.

Shot for The Associated Press

Group of three people, two women and one man, in a gym, preparing to lift barbells, with gym equipment and concrete walls in the background.
People working out with weights at a gym, viewed through a window from the outside at night.
People exercising outdoors at night, sitting on exercise mats by a brick wall, with a tree in the foreground and bags nearby.
People exercising outdoors at night, with a woman lying on the ground doing leg lifts, others standing and observing, in a small yard with a brick wall and a wooden wall, fitness equipment scattered around.
Two women in athletic clothing lifting barbells in a gym with black weight plates, a wooden wall, and a metal rack.
Women’s rugby team practicing lineout, with one player catching the ball as teammates lift her, outdoors during cloudy weather with trees in the background.
Women playing rugby at night, one woman falling while others help her up, on a grassy field under stadium lights.
Women and men wearing sports clothing are participating in a rugby game on a dark field at night. Some players are bending down or standing, and one player on the ground is wearing a green jersey.
A person smiling while lying on the ground after falling during a nighttime rugby game.
Nighttime soccer practice with young female athlete in blue uniform running on the field surrounded by players in green and black uniforms, seen through an opening in a fence.
A group of female rugby players and a coach standing in a circle on a grassy field during daytime, with a wooden building and leafless trees in the background.
Women rugby players huddled together on the field during practice or a game, with rugby gear and equipment visible on the grass, and a rugby goal post in the background.
Women rugby players in a scrum during a match, wearing navy and white uniforms, on a grassy field.
Women's rugby match with players in black and white jerseys, one player in a blue jersey with a pink helmet holding a rugby ball, and others reaching for the ball on a grassy field.
Women and girls playing rugby, tackling, and holding a rugby ball on a field during daytime.
Women rugby players in a scrum on a grassy field during a game, wearing navy blue and yellow uniforms, with one player on the ground holding the rugby ball.
A golden retriever puppy with a blue leash and collar, standing on grass at a dog park on a cloudy day, with several people and other dogs in the background.
A rugby player preparing for a match, with pink antiseptic bottles lined up on the ground in front of him.
A group of female rugby players in blue and yellow jerseys celebrating and smiling on a grassy field, with some clapping and one player making a face sticking out her tongue.
A group of people standing and walking on a grassy field, with two women in the foreground, one with a bicycle, and others in the background, dressed in sports and casual attire, on a cloudy day.
Two women serve themselves food from trays of pasta in a kitchen. One woman with her hair in a bun looks down at the food, while the other woman with braids holds a serving spoon and a napkin.
Four women and one man are socializing at a bar, with three of them drinking beer from clear glasses. They are standing close together, engaged in conversation. The background shows a bar area with bottles and a neon sign.
People at a bar counter inside a sports-themed pub. A bartender is pouring a drink, while two customers are seated in the foreground, one of whom is looking at the camera. The bar area has promotional signs, trophies, and wall decorations.