Good sports Alice & Bailey 'OUR FIGHT FOR FEMALE ATHLETE'S

The couple are on the same team when it comes to getting a fair go for girls

- Rebekah Hebenton

In today's world of social media, where faceless figures behind a computer feel emboldened to share their most vile thoughts, being an outspoken woman online can be a scary thing.

But for rugby player and vocal advocate Alice Soper, becoming one of the faces for the fight for women's rugby has not only helped her find a supportive community but also love with her partner and fellow activist Bailey Te Maipi.

"I've been outspoken for as long as I've been in the sport," tells Alice, whose father is Newstalk ZB's senior political correspondent Barry Soper. "It's harder for me to keep my mouth shut than to say something!"

Alice says she's always loved rugby. As a child, her Wellington primary school didn't have a grass field, so she'd play with her friends on the hard concrete.

In her first year of high school in 2001, Alice got her shot at joining a real team when the sports coordinator at her school, Marama Tauroa, set up their first-ever girls' squad.

"She put out the notice and I was the only one who turned up - this scrawny little Pākehā girl. I said, 'Give me a week.' I came back and I had recruited 10 people for the team."