Dirty Gals

A photography series by Raegan Hodge, debuted at the Lock In Gallery at Photo Fringe in Brighton.

Whether a nurse, an accountant, a house cleaner or mom, the Black Widows grind out their daily stresses into the mud of the pitch. They do not shy away from physicality: Black Widow player Lisa Alldred says, “I like being strong and smashing into people.”

Shelley McComiskey, a long-time member of the club, speaks of an added sense of confidence as her main benefit of playing rugby. “It gave me the confidence to get out of a troubled relationship. I can credit rugby for the life I have now.” 

Raegan Hodge is a documentarian, photographer and artist in West Sussex, United Kingdom. Beginning her career in television and film working on reality shows like Real Housewives of Atlanta and the Layover with Anthony Bourdain, Raegan found her passion working with organisations such as CARE and UNICEF in countries like Afghanistan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Palestine, Niger and Ukraine.

Raegan holds a degree of Masters of Fine Arts in Communication and Filmmaking from Georgia State University from 2008. Her independent documentary work showed as a part of the MLK Jr. Center’s “I Have a Dream” Series and at the United Nations in New York City.

In 2015, Raegan won a Silver Davey Award for her editing for UNICEF’s I Survived Ebola Campaign. She has also created films for Compassion in World Farming which have made considerable public impact, reaching over 2.2 million hits, #1 on Reddit and featured in The New York Times, Washington Post, Forbes, and John Oliver Show.