Alejandra Carles-Tolra captures a women’s rugby team from all angles

Photographer Alejandra Carles-Tolra’s project, The Bears portrays Brown University’s women’s rugby team. Having photographed the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps for a previous series, Alejandra wanted to learn more about the experiences of women who perform in male-dominated fields. “I had recently moved from Boston to Providence and after finding out about Brown’s women’s rugby club I began doing research about the team, its history, the group identity and the sport.”

After getting in touch with the captain, the photographer began attending weekly training sessions and games, taking pictures of the women on a regular basis. “The first few months were the most challenging; trying to gain their confidence, understanding the reasons why they played the sport, as well as figuring out how to visually explore the sense of community and search for identity,” explains Alejandra.

“Rugby has a complex identity that is often simplified and so the identity of those who play it, especially women, is also often simplified. Women who join the sport are commonly pictured to fit a masculine stereotype. But what does it mean to be a ‘rugby girl’? Is there such a thing as a ‘rugby girl’? Or are there just girls who play rugby?” These questions drove Alejandra and allowed her to explore different avenues for the project. The final series sees action shots of the girls tackling and in the middle of rucks with squashed faces and legs akimbo, yet these are interspersed with more sombre portraits of the players, providing a reflective insight of the team.

Gum shields, bruises and ice packs are all present, helping the photographer capture the same energy and power these women embody when playing. “I’m interested in exploring who these women are and enhancing the dualities that define the sport and the athletes: violence and grace, weakness and strength, masculine and feminine,” says Alejandra. “I hope my photographs challenge preconceived ideas and the construction of female identity, while celebrating the perseverance and strength of these women.”