Zainab Alema

Before talking about a team, Zainab Alema talks about clothing that should no longer get in the way of a movement. The first hijab she played in was an everyday one. Switching to a sports hijab changed her comfort and confidence on the pitch. That practical detail says something about her journey: being able to concentrate on the ball, the contact and the next move, rather than what constantly needs adjusting.

British-Ghanaian Zainab discovered rugby at school. She found she loved running, tackling and defending; the pleasure of a physical sport also came from playing alongside others. Her nickname, “Bulldozer”, belongs to that story as a player before it became a way of describing her work beyond the pitch.

On 6 October 2024, she made her Premiership Women’s Rugby debut for Leicester Tigers against Gloucester-Hartpury and scored a try. For that appearance, she chose not to cover her hijab with a scrum cap. She wanted it to be seen. The kit made playing possible; making it visible could also help another woman picture herself dressed to play on that pitch.

A match can go well and what follows can be less straightforward. At university, much of her team’s social life revolved around alcohol. When she received a pint as a player-of-the-match award, she had to nominate someone else to drink it. Speaking to Sky Sports in 2020, she described how uncomfortable that made her feel. Sometimes she ended up leaving straight after playing, missing the conversations through which people get to know one another.

That memory makes the question of welcome very practical. Ordering a soft drink, staying with everyone else, not having to explain yourself each time: these are also parts of how a team takes shape. Zainab is looking for more than a place in a starting line-up. She wants to take part in everything that makes a club.

In May 2025, a first Muslimah gathering at the Richmond Athletic Ground brought seventeen people together. They included players and women involved in other parts of rugby. They introduced themselves, played games and made signs by hand to support Richmond’s women’s team. The drinks were alcohol-free. The gathering put faces to a community that had already been connecting online.

The following year, Zainab wanted to bring players together in one shirt. Her April 2026 appeal was not only for women who would step onto the grass: the project also needed kit, photographers and supporters. Speaking to Hyphen, she made clear that the space remained open to women who did not think of themselves as players: “you’ll still have a space”. Her words make the team bigger than the women carrying the ball.

On 19 July 2026, Muslimah Rugby played their first match against Black Girls Ruck at Richmond. The squad Zainab announced brought together players from more than fifteen clubs. Defender backed the project as Founding Partner, with support from England Rugby. The fixture was no longer an intention discussed in the spring: both teams took to the pitch.

That day, women who played for different clubs were able to become teammates. Zainab’s work continues in these everyday conditions: suitable kit, an invitation to stay, time with other people. They also matter for what they leave each woman free to do: concentrate on the game.