A third of girls believe their male counterparts benefit from more choice when it comes to sport and physical activity at school.

According to a survey conducted by Girlguiding, 34 per cent of schoolgirls aged 11-16 don’t feel they have the same opportunities to take part in the same sports as boys, although the vast majority of younger girls who attend primary school (90 per cent) said the do the same as boys in PE lessons.

While the sample size of the survey was reasonably modest (1,600), the results may go some way towards explaining why female participation drops off so dramatically after leaving primary school.

The survey indicated that girls “enjoy playing sport and being active” and wanted to try sports such as rugby, football, cricket, squash and swimming.

To raise awareness of “inequalities in accessing sport”, Girlguiding has called on Dame Kelly Holmes, Winter Olympic gold medallist Lizzy Yarnold, gymnast Beth Tweddle and Judy Murray to encourage young girls to participate, particularly as the survey found that 82 per cent of girls aged 11+ thought Olympic and Paralympic athletes were “good role models”.

“Girls told us boys have a better choice of sport at school, playing sports such as cricket, contact rugby and football, which the girls said they would have preferred instead of the sports they were offered,” said Victoria Jenkinson from the Girlguiding Advocate Panel.

“Another girl told us she’s always wanted to know how to play football but only boys were taught how to play at her school and now she’d too intimidated to learn. No girl should be made to feel that a certain sport isn’t for them.”