Women's & Girls' Korfball in Reading | Reading Rooks
Korfball: A Team Sport Built With Women, Not Just For Them
Most team sports were designed for one gender and opened up to the other later. Korfball is different. It was invented in 1902 specifically to put men and women on the same team, on equal terms — and over a century later, it's still the only mainstream sport in the world where that's true. If you've ever felt like women's sport is an afterthought, this is the one built the other way round.
At Reading Rooks, roughly half our squad is female, women score just as often as men, and every match is genuinely 4-a-side, mixed, and equal. Whether you're an ex-netballer, an ex-footballer, or you've never played a team sport in your life, there's a place for you here.
Why Korfball Works So Well for Women
You're never sidelined by size or gender. Because defenders can only mark someone of the same gender, you're always matched up fairly; no getting bulldozed by someone twice your size. It rewards positioning, movement and skill over raw physicality.
Equal game time, equal say. Four women, four men, every match. Nobody is the "token" player. Tactics, captaincy and match-winning moments are shared equally across the team.
A genuine mix of sports you might already love. If you enjoyed netball's movement and shooting, basketball's tactical play, or football's teamwork, korfball blends elements of all three; while players say the mixed format makes it more social and less intense than single-gender leagues.
Beginners are the norm, not the exception. Very few adults grow up playing korfball in the UK, so almost everyone at Reading Rooks — women included — started as a complete beginner. You won't be the only one learning the rules.
It's about more than the 60 minutes on court. Our members regularly meet up beyond training and matches — from social nights out to weekends away — and many of our closest friendships and support networks started on the korfball court.
Reading Rooks is a women-led club. The majority of our committee positions are held by women who know the club inside-out and have your best interests at heart. With monthly meetings and club updates, weekly practice and a wide array of socials, we ensure the club is a place you'll always want to come back to, week in week out!