Some readers may not be
aware of the popularity of women’s rugby in the Province. According
to the IRFU annual report there are 1,354 registered senior women
players. This figure needed to be taken with a pinch of salt however
as if it were accurate, it would mean that every team across the AIL
and Leinster league had roughly 50 registered players. It is likely
that tag rugby players are included in this number.
Speaking of tag rugby,
when I tell people for the first time that I play rugby, they
invariably reply “tag rugby, yeah?” I am often met with
incredulity when I inform them that it is rugby union, full contact
and yes, there is tackling.
It’s not a surprise
that people can be unaware of the women’s game when visibility is
as low as it is. A cursory glance at the Leinster Rugby website won’t
highlight that there is a Leinster women’s team. With a bit of
further digging you’ll find information, along with pen pics....
from 2010. No sign of last season’s squad, who by the way won the
Interpro title for the first time in 6 seasons. Click on “women’s
rugby” on the IRFU site and it brings you to the club and community
section, where news on this national team is on the menu below items
on AIL league & Cup, Schools and Junior Rugby.
There is some evidence
that things are changing slightly and that the women’s game is
beginning to get recognised. The by now well documented trip
undertaken by the Irish women to Pau in this year’s six nations
cast a perhaps unwanted light on status of women’s rugby from the
point of view of the IRFU. A journey to the South of France that took
longer that a trip to the Southern Hemisphere represented appalling
treatment of women who were representing the country. Perhaps all the
more galling was the single point defeat.
In a sense though, this
was a watershed moment for Irish women’s rugby, although the
treatment was poor, the publicity garnered arguably helped the
women’s game. Suddenly there was massive interest, twitter was
awash with news on the women and subsequently there was online
coverage of the women’s last two matches versus Scotland and
England. The old adage of there’s no such thing as bad publicity
seemed to ring through.
Arguably the upturn in
interest was fuelled by outrage felt by people already interested in
the women’s game, rather than any concerted or coordinated effort
to raise the profile of women’s rugby. It is not clear that women’s
rugby is a high priority for the powers that be. In 2010/2011 the
IRFU spent 0.5% of its income on women’s rugby. It’s worth noting
that this was a World Cup year so there would have been additional
costs in travelling to England for the match.
Naysayers will posit two
counter arguments to further investment. Firstly, the women don’t
generate revenue, the men do. Of course the expenditure on schools
rugby is typically 50-100% higher and there is no immediate
revenue generation there. The argument there is that this is
investment in the future. Without investment, the women’s national
team will not be able to compete with our near neighbours England. As
it is we are already punching above our weight.
I mentioned a second
argument. I am loath to use the word “product” in relation to
rugby, but when countering this argument I will. People who will
argue against investment in women’s rugby will argue that there is
little interest in the product. Consider then, that there were almost
10,000 people in attendance at the above mentioned match in France.
Pau has a population of 85,000. Go figure. The timing and location of
the Ireland women’s games deserves consideration. As it stands,
Irish women’s matches are played in Ashbourne, Co. Meath on Friday
evenings. The location is not the easiest to get to in Friday rush
hour traffic and the kick off is usually simultaneous with the Irish
Under 20s. Promotion of these games isn’t always great either. The
possibility of a double header with the Under 20s on either of the
weekend days that the men are not in action would seem to make more
sense from a footfall point of view.
Feeding into the National
teams are the Provincial teams who play each other in an annual
Interpro series comprising of around 3 or 4 matches. Last season the
Interpros took place in September away from its recent winter berth
as cancellations had taken its toll the previous season. At
Provincial level, Leinster is in rude health beating Munster in last
year’s Interpro decider in Cork to release Munster’s recent
stranglehold on the series. However a maximum of 4 matches is scant
preparation for a 6 Nations campaign and the majority of Irish
international players play weekly AIL Rugby.
There are two All Ireland
leagues with 8 Leinster teams and further Leinster Leagues Division 3
& 4 and from 2012/13 there are plans for a new development
Division 5. It’s not a Dublin dominated field either with teams
from Wexford, Wicklow, Carlow, Kilkenny, Offaly, Laois, Westmeath &
Kildare all competing. Many of these teams also boast underage girls
teams which all bodes well for player numbers over the coming years.
Visibility and publicity
is still poor however and it remains to be seen whether the momentum
garnered by women’s rugby in the face of last season’s bad
publicity can be maintained. To date, the Irish women have appeared
on television once, Sky Sports during the 2010 World Cup. Our
National Broadcaster has, to date, neglected to broadcast or webcast
the women’s 6 Nations. Perhaps there is a change ahead. It is
imperative that the strides taken in webcasting women’s matches on
the Irish Rugby website are maintained as a minimum.
Overall it can be argued
that women’s rugby in Ireland has grown thanks to the efforts of
individuals on the ground and development officers around the
country. The quality and standard of performances has improved year
on year. Playing numbers are up and there is a concerted effort to
encourage underage girls into the sport which is crucial for the
survival of teams into the future.
2012/13 promises to be an
exciting one. There are a number of Leinster teams aiming to knock UL
Bohemian’s off their AIL Division 1 perch, the Leinster team will
look to retain their Interpro trophy against a Munster team who will
be gunning for revenge and the Irish women have crucial 6 nations
games that double as World Cup qualifiers and big tests at home
versus England and France.
An exciting season ahead
to be sure, and you’ll be able to read about it here at least.
Sarah Lennon
(@sarahlennon08) is passionate about all things rugby. A Leinster
Season Ticket holder since the Donnybrook days, a supporter of the
Irish teams home and abroad and can regularly be seen cheering on
Junior Rugby at Stillorgan RFC (a labour of love). As well as
spectating, she dabbles in playing a bit and is a member of Old
Belvedere RFC and fully paid up member of the front row union.
© JL Pagano 2012
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