Women's rugby banned in Iran

The appearance of Iran's women's teams at several international sevens tournaments in recent years has been the cause of much comment, not only because of their kit (the IRB bent the rules close to breaking to allow them to play in full body coverings), but because of the way it challenged the portrayal of their country overseas. If women's rugby was accepted even in Iran, how could anyone elsewhere complain about it being "inappropriate".

Well, it seems that internal politics with in Iran has now caught up with these brave women. This article, published in Canada over the weekend, says that all women's sport involving any form of physical contact has been banned - even skiiing (which presumably only involves contact with the ground).

The article also details what the players in Iran have had to put up with since women started playing around 2005 - not allowed to use sports grounds that men have used, coaches banned because they are male, not allowed to practice outside if there was the slightest chance that men might see them, and so on.