<i>Open Play</i> is a necessary intervention in the contentious discussion over women, gender and sport. Bekker and Mumford immerse us in the realities of ‘women’s sport’ and convincingly make the case for a new ‘feminist sport.’

Agustín Fuentes, Professor of Anthropology, Princeton University

Imagine a world where anyone was free to reach their full potential playing the sport they love; where open competition replaced discrimination and exclusion, and where athletes were judged by their performances on the field rather than their conformity with gender norms. Sheree Bekker and Stephen Mumford show us how to get there, and how far we have to go. This courageous book should spark a revolution in sport.

Caster Semenya

In <i>Open Play</i>, Bekker and Mumford offer a thought-provoking reexamination of the role of women in sport – challenging not only the term "women’s sports" but the framework through which we view gender and sport<i>. </i>Provocative and necessary in a time of global debates on gender and athleticism, they challenge the often-promoted narrative that women need to be "protected" from men in competitive sport. Instead, Bekker and Mumford perceptively reveal how current sporting structures, despite numerous counterexamples, continue to reinforce gendered power imbalances. Thoroughly researched, sharply argued, and accessible, <i>Open Play </i>reimagines sport as a space for genuine equality where both women, and men, can excel.

Anna Baeth, Ph.D., Director of Research, Athlete Ally