WAGs

WAGs (or Wags) is an acronym used to refer to wives and girlfriends of high-profile sportsmen and women. The term may also be used in the singular form, WAG, to refer to a specific female partner or life partner who is in a relationship with an athlete. The term was first used by the British tabloid press to refer to the wives and girlfriends of high-profile footballers, originally the England national football team. The WAGs acronym came about following an increasing focus on the coverage of athletes' partners in the late-20th century, and it came into common use during the 2006 FIFA World Cup to refer to Victoria Beckham and Cheryl Cole, although the term had been used occasionally before that.

After achieving popularity, the acronym became a focus of reality television shows such as WAGs Boutique, WAG Nation, and WAGS. It has since been used by some media in other countries to describe the female partners of athletes in general. Variations have also been developed for other relations, such as husbands and boyfriends, and for other celebrities, such as the wives and girlfriends of celebrities and world leaders. The WAGs acronym is sometimes interpreted as demeaning to women, and it has been criticised by the partners of many athletes as well as by groups such as the Equality and Human Rights Commission.