Women’s rugby union is a team field sport consisting of intermittent bouts of high-intensity efforts. Appropriate physical preparation is an integral element of long-term athletic development. There are well-established sexual dimorphism in anatomical, physiological, psychological and performance factors between sexes, which may have implications for physical preparation. Study 1 investigated the attitudes, beliefs and practices of strength and conditioning coaches in elite international women’s rugby union towards the technical aspects of physical preparation in female athletes. Coaches adopted an androcentric view of physical preparation and do not greatly alter the technical aspects of their approach when training female athletes (Nolan, Horgan, et al., 2023). Study 2 investigated the attitudes and practices of strength and conditioning coaches in elite international women’s rugby union towards interpersonal aspects of coaching female athletes. We found that coaches altered communication strategies when engaging with female athletes and reported a heightened awareness of professional boundaries. Study 3 investigated the prevalence of hormonal contraceptive use and side effects of the menstrual cycle and hormonal contraceptive use in powerlifters and rugby players (Nolan, Elliott-Sale and Egan, 2023). A large proportion of hormonal contraceptive users and nonusers experienced negative side effects of hormonal contraceptive use and the menstrual cycle, respectively. Study 4 investigated the physical match demands of elite international women’s rugby union match play (Nolan, Curran, et al., 2023). Total running demands were found to be similar to those previously reported in other international cohorts employing similar methodology. Study 5 was a systematic review and meta-analysis examining baseline sex differences in skeletal muscle hypertrophy and strength outcomes in untrained individuals and subsequent adaptations in response to matched resistance exercise training. Significant differences between males and females were reported in baseline fat free mass and strength in untrained individuals Males and females adapted to resistance training similarly for hypertrophy and lower-body strength, with females displaying a effect for relative upper-body strength. Study 6 was a systematic review and multilevel meta-analysis, examining the influence of hormonal contraceptive use on skeletal muscle hypertrophy, power and strength outcomes in response to resistance training. Oral contraceptive users and non-users adapted to resistance training similarly, with no significant differences between groups. Future research should investigate unique factors that may influence physical preparation strategies for female rugby union players which considers the lived experiences of athletes and the impact of systemic and social structures on long-term athlete development.