Dr Rafaelle Nicholson
- rnicholson@bournemouth.ac.uk
- http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9128-201X
- https://bsky.app/profile/rafnicholson.bsky.social
- Senior Lecturer in Sports Journalism
- 4th floor, Weymouth House
- Keywords:
- Gender
- History
- Journalism
- Media
- Sport management
- Sustainability
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Biography
Dr Rafaelle Nicholson is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Media & Communication at Bournemouth University. Her research sits at the boundary between contemporary history and sociology, and focuses on gender and sport. Her PhD examined the history of women's cricket in Britain since 1945, providing the first comprehensive overview of the development of the sport in the modern period. Her subsequent book Ladies and Lords: A History of Women's Cricket in Britain (Peter Lang 2019) was shortlisted for the MCC / Cricket Society Book of the Year.
Her current research is concerned with the changing role of women in sports governance since the 1990s, the period in which British women's sport transitioned from being run entirely by women to being administered by "merged" organisations made up largely of men. She is also a freelance journalist who writes for ESPNCricinfo, Wisden and Wisden Cricket Monthly. She edits the women's cricket website, www.CRICKETher.com.
She is currently looking to supervise students in the following areas:...
* Women's cricket
* The history of women in sport
* Women’s sport and the media
* Sports governance and gender
Please contact her to discuss.
moreExpertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person's work contributes towards the following SDGs:
Sustainable cities and communities
"Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable"
Peace, justice and strong institutions
"Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels"
Journal Articles
- Shipway, R., Henderson, H., Nicholson, R. and Marmion, V., 2025. Creative Bricks, Endless Possibilities: Using Lego® Serious Play® (LSP) to Manage Player Transition in Women’s Semi-Elite Association Football in England. Leisure Sciences, 1-40.
- Henderson, H., Shipway, R., Nicholson, R. and Marmion, V., 2025. Using Lego® serious Play® to explore women's mental health and physical well-being in semi-elite association football in England. LEISURE STUDIES.
- Fletcher, T., Velija, P. and Nicholson, R., 2024. The Hundred: A sociological analysis of gender relations and the (semi-) professionalisation of women's cricket in England. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 59 (7), 1012-1031.
- Nicholson, R., 2024. Everybody wants to rule the world: Britain, sport and the 1980s. SPORT IN HISTORY, 44 (2), 284-286.
- Nicholson, R., 2024. Women coaches, professionalisation, and national governing body mergers in England, 1989–2000. Sport in History, 44 (2), 257-275.
- Nicholson, R., 2024. Holding Their Own? Assessing the Merger of Men’s and Women’s Field Hockey in England. International Journal of the History of Sport.
- Nicholson, R., 2022. Britain's Olympic women: a history. SPORT IN HISTORY, 42 (4), 567-569.
- Nicholson, R., 2022. Introduction: reflecting on the past, present and future of the British Society of Sports History. Sport in History, 42 (4), 439-445.
- Rogerson, R.J., Nicholson, R., Reid, F. and Sly, B., 2021. Using major events to increase social connections: the case of the Glasgow 2014 Host City Volunteer programme. Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure and Events, 13 (1), 94-106.
- Rogerson, R.J., Reid, F. and Nicholson, R., 2021. Creating An Event Volunteering Legacy: The 2014 Host City Volunteer Initiative. Event Management, 25 (6), 641-651.
- Nicholson, R., 2021. Maidens and Man-kads: gendering cricket scholarship in the 21st century. Sport in Society, 24 (8), 1336-1351.
- Nicholson, R. and Taylor, M., 2020. Women, sport and the people’s war in Britain, 1939–45. Sport in History, 40 (4), 552-575.
- Nicholson, R., 2020. Women at the Wicket: A History of Women's Cricket in Interwar England. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THE HISTORY OF SPORT.
- Nicholson, R., 2020. Women at the Wicket: A History of Women's Cricket in Interwar England. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THE HISTORY OF SPORT, 37 (16), 1742-1744.
- Nicholson, R., 2020. Cricket: a political history of the global game, 1945-2017. SPORT IN HISTORY, 40 (1), 149-151.
- Nicholson, R., 2018. 'Cricket has given me everything': women’s sport and the women’s movement in twentieth-century Britain. Revue Française de Civilisation Britannique, 23 (1).
- Nicholson, R., 2015. 'Our own paper': Evaluating the impact of Women's Cricket magazine, 1930-1967. Women's History Review, 24 (5).
- Nicholson, R., 2012. Who killed schoolgirl cricket? The Women's Cricket Association and the death of an opportunity, 1945-1960. History of Education, 41 (6).
Books
- Nicholson, R., 2019. Ladies and Lords: A History of Women's Cricket in Britain. Peter Lang.
Chapters
- Nicholson, R., 2023. The Women's Ashes Trophy. A History of Sport in Europe in 100 Objects. Arete Verlag.
- Nicholson, R., 2022. 'Holding a gun at our heads': The sports council's role in merger-takeovers of women's sport, 1985-2000. Gender Equity in UK Sport Leadership and Governance. 48-68.
- Nicholson, R., 2019. 'Who are we...to tell the South Africans how to run their country?' The Women's Cricket Association and the aftermath of the D'Oliveira Affair, 1968-9. In: Murray, B., Parry, R. and Winch, J., eds. Cricket and Society in South Africa, 1910-1971: From Union to Isolation. Palgrave Macmillan.
- Nicholson, R., 2017. 'It just seemed like old white guys on a field': Imperialism, class, and the 'whiteness' of women's cricket. Race, Gender and Sport The Politics of Ethnic 'Other' Girls and Women. Routledge.
- Nicholson, R., 2016. Hylton, Leslie. Dictionary of Caribbean and Afro-Latin American Biography: Ferg-Kali. Oxford University Press.
Reports
- Nicholson, R., 2024. Stronger Together? The Legacies of the 1993 merger of the Football Association and the Women’s Football Association. Bournemouth: Bournemouth University. Available from: https://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/sites/default/files/asset/document/Final%20Report%20Raf%20Nicholson%20May%202024%20v2.pdf.
- Nicholson, R., Parry, K. and Reghunathan, A., 2023. Levelling the playing field? The impact of The Hundred, Year One. Bournemouth University.
- Silk, M., Jackson, D., Nicholson, R., k.stutterheim@khm.de:Stutterheim, K. et al., 2019. Re-presenting para-sport bodies: Disability and the cultural legacy of the Paralympic Games. Bournemouth University. Available from: http://pasccal.com/pasccal-project-report/.
- Nicholson, R., Lewis, C., Scott, A., Cruse, A. and Symonds, D., 2019. Our Lincolnshire: Exploring public engagement with heritage. UK: Archaeopress Publishing.
- Nicholson, R., Rogerson, R., Reid, F. and Sly, B., 2018. Three years on: the impact of being a Host City Volunteer at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Glasgow: Glasgow Life.
Internet Publications
- Parry, K.D., Clarkson, B. and Nicholson, R., 2021. Women’s sport is on the way up – but more needs to be done to secure its future. The Conversation. Available from: https://theconversation.com/womens-sport-is-on-the-way-up-but-more-needs-to-be-done-to-secure-its-future-172534.
Profile of Teaching PG
- Sports World
Profile of Teaching UG
- News and Storytelling 1
Invited Lectures
Grants
- “Stronger Together? The Legacies of the 1993 merger of the Football Association and the Women’s Football Association (FIFA, 01 Feb 2023). Completed
- Levelling the playing field? The impact of The Hundred (Bournemouth University Charity Impact Fund, 01 Mar 2022). Completed
- Women’s Sport Governance: Merger-Takeovers in the 1990s and beyond (Bournemouth University, 10 Jun 2019). Completed
- Re-presenting para-sport bodies: Disability and the cultural legacy of the Paralympic Games (Arts and Humanities Research Council, 03 Sep 2018). Completed
- The Legacy of the 2014 Commonwealth Games (Big Lottery Fund, 04 Sep 2017). Completed
Internal Responsibilities
- Member, Assessment Working Group
- Faculty Representative (BUBS), Research Staff Association
- Impact Champion, UoA 17 and UoA 24
Public Engagement & Outreach Activities
- Celebrating women in cricket history (28 Jan 2025)
- Equity in Women's Club Football (04 Apr 2024)
- House of Commons Select Committee - oral evidence (12 Sep 2023)
- The Women of Surrey (01 Jan 2019)
- Consultant (01 Oct 2018-31 May 2021)
- ICC World Cup programme (01 Jan 2017)
- Educational Resource
Conference Presentations
- Cricket Research Network conference, Why cricket's future needs to be informed by its past: The path from exclusion to equity in Scottish cricket, 13 Feb 2025, Loughborough University
- British Society for Sports History annual conference, The mysterious case of Schrödinger’s Rovers Belles: History, Identity, and Sporting Mergers via a case study of the Doncaster Belles, 22 Aug 2024, University of Chichester
- Cricket Research Network conference, Levelling the playing field? The impact of The Hundred, Year One, 23 Feb 2024, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
- North American Society for the Sociology of Sport annual conference, Stronger Together? The Legacies of the 1993 Merger of the Football Association and the Women’s Football Association, 01 Nov 2023, New Orleans, USA
- British Society of Sports History annual conference, The Girls v The Blazers: What makes a successful merger? A comparison between football and hockey, 24 Aug 2023, Manchester Metropolitan University
- FootyCon, Stronger Together? The Legacies of the 1993 Merger of the Football Association and the Women’s Football Association, 30 Jun 2023, Hampden Park, Glasgow
- BSA Auto/Biographies Christmas Conference, Celebrating Volunteers: An Autoethnography of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, 02 Dec 2022, London
- British Society of Sports History annual conference, “Why should we merge with the women?”: Male Perspectives on Sporting Amalgamations, 1985-2000, 25 Aug 2022, De Montfort University
- North American Society for Sports History annual conference, The Case For Devolution: Oral Histories of UK Sporting Amalgamations, 1985-2000, 27 May 2022, Chicago, USA
- Rethinking Britain in the 1990s, “Nasty meetings with the men”: The takeover of women’s leisure spaces in the 1990s, 17 Sep 2021, St John's College, University of Cambridge
- British Society of Sports History, “No merger, no money”: Oral Histories of Sporting Amalgamations, 1985-2000, 26 Aug 2021, St Mary's University, Twickenham
- Oral History Society conference, “A white-haired old lady”: Repurposing oral histories of women’s cricket for popular consumption, 09 Jul 2021, Online
- Social History Society Conference, Writing the 90s: Women, Leisure and Sport, 28 Jun 2021, Online
- Auto/Biography and Community, “Cricket was my escape”: Oral histories of women's cricketing lives, 04 Dec 2020, Online
- Sporting Heritage conference, Creating viable sporting heritage research partnerships, 22 Oct 2020, Online
- Sport and Leisure History Seminar, Women’s Sport Governance: Merger-Takeovers in the 1990s and beyond, 07 Oct 2019, Institute of Historical Research
- British Society of Sports History annual conference, Women’s Sport Governance: Merger-Takeovers in the 1990s and beyond, 06 Sep 2019, Liverpool Hope University
- Economic History of Sport, A Social History of Women's Cricket, 13 Jun 2018, University of Reading
- Contemporary British History Now, Sport and British Decolonisation, 13 Sep 2017, Kings College London
- Social History Society annual conference, The Non-Absent-Minded Imperialists: Women's Sport and British Decolonisation, 04 Apr 2017, Institute of Education, London
- Women's History Network annual conference, My first love has always been cricket’: Women's Sport and the Women's Movement in Postwar Britain, 04 Sep 2015, University of Kent
- British Society of Sports History, ‘We’ve got to look like women’: Image and sexuality in English women's cricket, 1990-2015, 02 Sep 2015, Swansea University
- Oral History and Sport, 'It doesn't mean I'm Women's Lib': An Oral History of Women's Cricket, 19 Sep 2014, British Library
- Women's Histories: The Local and the Global, Creating the Commonwealth: Anglo-Australian women's cricket, 1945-1973, 29 Aug 2013, Sheffield Hallam University
Qualifications
- PG Certificate in Education (confers HEA Fellowship) (HEA, 2024)
- PhD in History (Queen Mary University of London, 2015)
- MSt in Women's Studies (University of Oxford, 2010)
- BA (Hons) in Modern History and Politics (University of Oxford (Merton College), 2009)
Honours
- Sporting Inequalities Prize (British Society of Sports History, 2023)
- Richard Cox Prize for best postgraduate paper (British Society of Sports History, 2013)
Networks
- Cricket Society - Executive Committee member
- Cricket Writers Club - Committee Member
- British Society of Sports History - Chair (2019-2022)
Social Media Links
- LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/rafaelle-nicholson-32592228/
- Author's Website, https://bsky.app/profile/rafnicholson.bsky.social
- Twitter, @rafnicholson
Website Links
External Media and Press
- ‘The long and winding road’: 100 Tests for England’s women, Wisden Almanack, 24 Dec 2024. https://www.wisden.com/wisden-cricketers-almanack/100-tests-for-englands-women-wisden-almanack-2024#:~:text=Raf%20Nicholson&text=In%20December%202023%2C%20England%20became,all%20started%20with%20a%20holiday.
- Battle anew: Scotland have eyes on historic England T20 World Cup clash, The Guardian, 09 Oct 2024. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/oct/09/scotland-womens-t20-world-cup-cricket-england-the-spin
- Norma Izard obituary, The Guardian, 17 Jan 2024. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/jan/17/norma-izard-obituary
- ‘A bucket-list thing’: England’s women relish first Test in India for 18 years, The Guardian, 13 Dec 2023. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/dec/13/a-bucket-list-thing-englands-women-relish-first-test-in-india-for-18-years
- 'My brain was hurting after that day of cricket': Ten Years of the Women's Ashes, ESPN Cricinfo, 19 Jun 2023. https://www.thecricketmonthly.com/story/1380389/i-was-there---charlotte-edwards--meg-lanning--nat-sciver-brunt-and-megan-schutt-on-last-decade-of-women-s-ashes
- The history girls: Fifty years after the first World Cup, Wisden, 05 Jun 2023. https://wisden.com/stories/wisden-almanack-2023/womens-world-cup-1973-wisden-almanack-2023
- An ICC for women? It might be the only way to save women's Test cricket, ESPN Cricinfo, 22 Jul 2022. https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/an-icc-for-women-it-might-be-the-only-way-to-save-womens-test-cricket-1320803
- Former cricket greats call for ICC to hand back control of women's game after comments over Test format's future, ABC News, 11 Jun 2022. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-11/former-greats-call-for-icc-to-hand-back-control-of-women-cricket/101144254
- Thailand's women cricketers look past World Cup heartache, Bangkok Post, 11 May 2022. https://www.bangkokpost.com/sports/2308234/thailands-women-cricketers-look-past-world-cup-heartache
- Women’s cricket during the war: Military advance, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, 21 Apr 2022. https://wisden.com/stories/wisden-almanack-2022/womens-cricket-during-the-war-military-advance
- The Maiden Summer, Podcast, 31 Oct 2021. https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-maiden-summer/id1591540541
- Why the Hundred double headers have boosted women’s game, The Guardian, 13 Aug 2021. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/aug/13/why-hundred-double-headers-boosted-womens-cricket
- Women’s cricket is in fine shape but where are the game’s lost leaders?, The Guardian, 04 May 2021. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/may/04/womens-cricket-lost-leaders-ecb-spin
- First BBC woman sport commentator receives blue plaque, BBC News, 25 Jun 2020. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-53098696
- Enid Bakewell: 'I accidentally played cricket while six months pregnant', The Guardian, 23 Apr 2020. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/the-nightwatchman/2020/apr/23/enid-bakewell-cricket-england-lords-pregnant
- Girls at the G, ESPN Cricinfo, 18 Feb 2020. https://www.thecricketmonthly.com/story/1216673/girls-at-the-g
- Living in Secret No More: The Acceptance of Same-Sex Couples in Women's Cricket, Women's Cricket Zone Magazine, 01 Jan 2020. https://admin.womenscriczone.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/WCZ-3rd-issue.pdf
- Janette Brittin finally given credit her genius deserves as Surrey pay homage to one of English cricket's greats, The Telegraph, 30 Jul 2019. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket/2019/07/30/janette-brittin-finally-given-credit-genius-deserves-surrey/
- How female cricket coaches are blocked by the league of gentlemen, The Guardian, 17 May 2019. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/may/17/league-of-gentlemen-how-cricket-holds-back-women-coaches
- Bradman, brandy and boisterous behaviour - remembering England women's first post-war Ashes tour, The Telegraph, 08 Apr 2019. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket/2019/04/08/bradman-brandy-boisterous-behavior-remembering-england-womens/
- When women stormed the citadel, ESPN Cricinfo, 27 Sep 2018. https://www.thecricketmonthly.com/story/1160684/the-cricket-monthly-the-20th-anniversary-of-mcc-voting-to-allow-female-membership
- Remember when Ireland played their first Test?, ESPN Cricinfo, 09 May 2018. https://www.thecricketmonthly.com/story/1144569/the-cricket-monthly-remember-when-ireland-played-their-first-test
- Fatherland: the vital cricket link between dads and daughters, The Nightwatchman Cricket Quarterly, 01 Mar 2018. http://www.thenightwatchman.net/
- The biggest, boldest year in women's cricket, ESPN Cricinfo, 30 Dec 2017. http://www.espncricinfo.com/review2017/content/story/1129517.html
- Let there be Ashes, ESPN Cricinfo, 20 Oct 2017. http://www.thecricketmonthly.com/story/1123996/let-there-be-ashes
- The no-nonsense matriarch of England women's, ESPN Cricinfo, 23 Jun 2017. http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/19715280/raf-nicholson-meets-norma-izard,-no-nonsense-matriarch-england-women-evolution
- And the World Cup goes to... England, ESPN Cricinfo, 01 Jun 2017. http://www.thecricketmonthly.com/story/1095659/and-the-world-cup-goes-to--england
- The tireless champion of women's cricket liberation, ESPN Cricinfo, 19 Jan 2017. http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/18503326/raf-nicholson-rachael-heyhoe-flint-tireless-champion-women-cricket-liberation
- Where are the women on England cricket's power list?, ESPN Cricinfo, 30 Oct 2016. http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/17943989/where-women-england-cricket-power-list
- Edwards' career ended by the professionalism she fought for, ESPN Cricinfo, 11 May 2016. http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/story/1012385.html
- Meg Lanning - Wisden's First Leading Woman Cricketer in the World, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, 08 Apr 2015. http://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/858849.html
- Why I am a cricket feminist, ESPN Cricinfo, 04 Oct 2014. http://www.espncricinfo.com/blogs/content/story/786295.html
- Do female cricketers care about how they look on the field?, ESPN Cricinfo, 18 May 2014. http://www.espncricinfo.com/blogs/content/story/744317.html
- My Favourite Cricketer: Betty Archdale, The Cricketer magazine, 01 Feb 2014. http://www.thecricketer.com/
- Ignorance is the worst crime in commentary, ESPN Cricinfo, 06 Nov 2013. http://www.espncricinfo.com/blogs/content/story/685991.html
- Cricinfo's own World Cup, ESPN Cricinfo, 11 Jul 2013. http://www.espncricinfo.com/cricinfoat20/content/story/648565.html
- The belated rise of West Indies women, ESPN Cricinfo, 31 Mar 2013. http://www.espncricinfo.com/blogs/content/story/627377.html
- The women's game - a triumph of spirit, ESPN Cricinfo, 27 Feb 2013. http://www.espncricinfo.com/blogs/content/story/622783.html
Broadcast Interview
- ABC Summer Grandstand, The story of the Afghan Women's Cricket team. https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/best-of-abc-sport-podcast/cricket-raf-nicholson-they-ve-had-no-help-from-the-icc-/104887558?utm_medium=social&utm_content=sf276257430&utm_campaign=abc_grandstand&utm_source=t.co&sf276257430=1
- Last Word, The life and legacy of Norma Izard. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001vsnt
- BBC Woman's Hour, Unequal pay - women umpires. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001q68z
- The Women's Sport Show. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0dh2838
- The Visit of Oz, The history of the Women's Ashes, Taylor, C, 25 Jun 2019. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07f5qk8
- Great Lives - BBC Radio 4, Rachael Heyhoe-Flint. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b095rrzz
- Woman's Hour - BBC Radio 4, The history of women's cricket. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01fjz2l
