Breast way forward for CQ sportswomen
Female athletes from across Rockhampton can get fresh support in their sport, as a local event hears from Australia’s leading sports breast expert.
Professor Deidre McGhee will join a panel at the 2025 Queensland Country Women’s Rugby Forum on Saturday 15 February at the Rocky Sports Club in Wandal.
Prof McGhee has been involved with female athletes for more than 30 years, as a sports physiotherapist, leading University of Wollongong’s Breast Research Australia research, and as an educator focused on breast-related issues in sport and physical activity.
Prof McGhee has researched and educated professional female athletes worldwide across multiple sports including tennis, cricket, rugby league, rugby union and AFL.
“My research with professional female athletes from multiple sports has consistently found that the athletes cannot believe that no one has ever talked to them about their sports bra before me - even though they've been wearing one playing their sport since adolescence," Prof McGhee explained.
“All female athletes wear sports bras, and a sports bra is essential sporting equipment. It supports the breasts of females as they perform their sport, just as their sports shoes support their feet.
"No female would play sport without a bra! Yet, so little attention is paid to this sporting equipment. Sadly, female athletes also set a low bar of satisfaction for their sports bras.
“Breast Research Australia has also found that breast injuries are a female-specific sports injury occurring in women's contact sports, and concerningly, the majority are not reported, nor therefore treated to ensure breast tissue recovery.
“It is vital that females playing contact sports are educated about breast injuries so they understand that they should report them, and they can be treated. If they report them, we can help limit these injuries from negatively affecting their performance and potential long-term consequences of breast injuries.”
Prof McGhee sits on the global Women’s Tennis Association Women’s Health Taskforce with CQUniversity Exercise Science researcher Associate Professor Melanie Hayman, who’s spent more than a decade researching women’s exercise during pregnancy and postpartum.
Associate Prof Hayman also supports the work of Strive CQ, a grassroots organisation advocating to support, connect and elevate local sport through research, stronger networks, shared events and resources for the region’s athletes, coaches and families.
With fellow sport, exercise, and physical activity academics Dr Danya Hodgetts, Dr Thomas Doering and Anetta Van Itallie, and local physiotherapist Simon Poole, Strive CQ will meet with Prof McGhee while she’s in Rockhampton; to help ensure her practical advice reaches local athletes.
“CQUniversity’s involvement in Strive CQ means great connections for bringing the latest research and evidence-base into practical knowledge-building in our regions,” Ms Van Itallie said.
“Leaders like Associate Prof Hayman and Prof McGhee mean the knowledge being discussed by experts around the world is also being shared directly into our region.
“As an active woman who has played social sport throughout my life, I value a supportive bra. With evidence-based guidance, I feel confident that my choices are informed, rather than influenced by marketing hype and trends - a feeling I want to share with all women and girls in our community.”
Prof McGhee has developed education resources for the Australian Institute of Sport which are used by sporting organisations world-wide including US Olympic and Paralympic team, World Rugby/Rugby Australia, the NRLW/QRL, the AFLW, International Women's Cricket and the Women’s Tennis Association.
One of these resources, the Sports Bra Tool guides female athletes and women on how to independently choose a supportive, correctly fitted, comfortable sports bra. It is designed for women with all breast sizes and ages.
Rugby Capricornia Referee Association is hosting the Queensland Country Women’s Rugby Forum, focused on the biggest issues facing women in rugby and other contact sports, and a gala dinner with guest speaker and rugby Olympic gold medallist Shannon Parry OAM.
