How Rhino Ultimate is changing women’s sport in India

Singapenne – the first of its kind

The Singapenne Hat is the culmination of years-long work towards boosting confidence in young female players, and sharing Auroville’s unique atmosphere with the rest of Indian ultimate frisbee. It is the first tournament of its kind in the country, where young women with relatively less experience are able to play pivotal roles and take full responsibility for their teams. A ‘hat’ tournament is one where players sign up individually, rather than with a team. Tournament organisers will then assign players to teams (often literally pulling names out of a hat) and ensure balance within the teams in terms of skill and experience. This tournament format helps players build bonds with unfamiliar teammates, make friends with a diverse group of people, and learn new skills. At its core, it forces players to get out of their comfort zone.

Auroville’s younger players were encouraged to step up and act as hosts for the tournament, helping teams find their footing and sharing everything they learned with the broader community.

Mentoring the next generation

The first two editions of the Singapenne Hat attracted 80 to 100 players from cities like Delhi, Bangalore, and Coimbatore. While time and financial constraints limited broader participation, the Rhinos’ vision for the future is to make the tournament more accessible for anyone who wants to play. In last year’s edition of the Hat, a group of 20 players travelled south from Delhi with the NGO Y-Ultimate, which enabled a significant cultural exchange between the girls playing. As many as ten other organisations have expressed interest in sending women from all over India to participate, and the hope for the next edition of the Hat is to make that possible.

Initiatives like Singapenne cultivate a cycle of mentorship, where experienced players uplift the next generation, strengthening the sport’s foundation. For the second iteration of the Hat, six senior female players, each with unique international experience, were invited to mentor one team each, helping them get a better grasp of the game, facilitate spirited discussions, and help players find their voices.

Women-only spaces are often considered safer and more welcoming, which is crucial when organising such a tournament in India. Having a dedicated space reassures parents that their children are in a supportive environment where their safety and well-being are priorities. One of the biggest challenges organisers faced was securing parental permission to allow girls from the bioregion to participate, underscoring the importance of creating trusted, women-focused sports spaces. Beyond safety, such tournaments grow autonomy from a young age, helping young girls explore their full potential free from the pressures and biases often found in mixed-gender ultimate competitions.

Spirit of the Game

Ultimate frisbee, often referred to as ‘ultimate’ for short, is a fast-paced, non-contact, and historically mixed-gender sport played with a flying disc. What sets it apart from almost any other competitive sport is its defining philosophy – the Spirit of the Game (SOTG). This principle, built into every aspect of the sport (which is largely self-refereed), gives it a unique culture of fairness and respect that is rarely seen at the same level in competitive athletics.

Players bear the responsibility of officiating – whether that involves calling fouls, resolving disputes, or maintaining fairness – while playing with intensity. The underlying trust is that both teams will be honest, respectful, and uphold the integrity of the game. Players must make difficult calls in real time, sometimes against their own advantage. If you foul someone, you admit it; if a call is contested, you work through it respectfully with your opponent. The absence of referees builds leaders who can resolve conflict without hostility. At the end of each game, the two teams hold a Spirit Circle, where an open dialogue is held about the game, compliments are shared, and any unresolved issues are addressed. Tournaments will recognise teams for their spirit just as much as for their placing, with accolades awarded to those who embody the essence of the sport.

What makes Spirit powerful is how it extends off the field. Players carry these values into their communities, creating a global culture of ultimate centred on inclusivity, respect, and connection.

Mixed vs single-gender ultimate

While mixed ultimate in India has grown into a wonderful community and has fostered many talented female players, it has also been a space where female players face systemic issues. In mixed ultimate, each team has seven players on the field, with a four-three ratio of men and women. With most tournaments requiring a minimum number of female players per team, women can find themselves recruited for the sole reason of meeting the quota, may not get actual game time during the matches and may have limited access to leadership opportunities.

Auroville youth first started playing ultimate about fifteen years ago as a mixed-gender sport. The Auroville women’s team was subsequently founded by a group of players who realised that more girls and young women were inclined to play and practice regularly when there was an option of women-only practices. Auroville’s female players have performed well on both mixed and single-gender teams, largely as a result of their practices and values, and have a reputation for excellent Spirit. Many Aurovilian women have represented Tamil Nadu at Nationals, and nine have represented India at global tournaments abroad.

Learning to take up space

Over the past decade, the Auroville women’s team has consistently pushed back against systemic discrimination, using ultimate as a tool to work with NGOs and young girls in the bioregion, teaching them essential leadership skills and equipping them with the tools to take up space both on and off field. The Rhinos’ work with NGOs has led to outreach programmes that combine athletic training with workshops on confidence, communication and teamwork.

Single-gender ultimate in India, though it may have significantly less participation, allows for much more engagement within the sport. The recent rise of women-only tournaments marks a significant cultural shift in Indian ultimate. It highlights a recognition that women benefit from dedicated spaces that empower rather than simply accommodate.

Over the years, Rhino Ultimate has grown into a steady group of about 45 regular players who practice three times a week. Core members within the team, all of whom are high-level players, organise practices, assign roles, and encourage the team to define roles for themselves as they play.

With this year’s Singapenne Hat behind them, the team will now continue their work, strengthening their fundraising efforts and helping the Indian Ultimate community uplift women’s sport and women’s voices, until every girl in India who picks up a disc feels that the field is hers to own.