What is Good for Women's Rugby
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The path to success is to have the best people, regardless of gender, run the sport. Picking coaches or adminstrators by anything other than merit is doomed to failure.
For example, picking a female ref for the World Cup final was a mistake IMO. The sport can't afford not to do everything it can to raise standards.
On the flip side, no reason why we can't have female refs (or adminstrators) in the mens game. Pick the best people.
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In my son's last year of rippa the best player was a girl who carved up. She played one game of tackle, got hurt, never came back.
There are tough girls that can handle boys rugby but that changes once puberty comes in. Another girl my son played with got stuck in and matched it with the boys and made the Rep teams at intermediate age as a flanker and moved to halfback for her last year. She is at HGHS now and is making rep teams and on the fringe of the First XV.
I'm a sporty admin for my club and I can see that we have about 20 girls, almost enough around the same age to create a ten aside team if there was a girls only tackle grade in the Waikato.
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@Kirwan said in What is Good for Women's Rugby:
On the flip side, no reason why we can't have female refs (or adminstrators) in the mens game. Pick the best people.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/GettyImages-915969060.jpg
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@Kirwan said in What is Good for Women's Rugby:
@chimoaus She any worse that the plonkers Aussie rugby have picked now or in the past? Mark Robinson?
I have no idea how they select these CEO's but the pay packet often doesn't match the ability that is for sure. I have no idea why it is so difficult to get competent leaders.
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lol fuck poor Raelene
Getting judged for the fiasco at RA?
You can only work high up in rugby in Australia without getting white-anted to fuck if you have ties to one of 3 clubs in Sydney. Otherwise you are fucked and will be run out of town.
Being from the right club might not even save you if the NSW old boys network decides you should go.
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I wonder how much of the BF success can be pinned to the fact they are largely semi-pro/amateur?
I mean for the mens, obviously on a smaller scale, the English women, are professional players, and as such the way they play the game changes, as I expect your mindset would as well.
I mean when this is your livelihood, you train and train and train, have structures, processes, game plans, sometimes will this detract from ones decision making and ability to simply play the game the way they want to play and enjoy it, as it was clear the BFs did.
I may be off base, but it was something I thought about as a factor about how they play, which seems all but organised chaos at times.
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@taniwharugby I think it depends more on who the coaches are than whether they're full-time or semi-pro or amateur. If you get a rigid thinking coach who has mostly had experience coaching men and tries to make female players play like men, then you get England. If you get a coach - man or woman - who understands that you have to let women play to their strengths (which may in some respects be different to male players), then you get the Black Ferns.
I think it's a good thing what they're now doing with Whitney Hansen and the female Super Rugby Aupiki coaches, who are there on merit, have worked their way up via coaching club and/or school teams (male and female), have worked with experienced male coaches to learn, but can now develop their own coaching style that's suitable for women's rugby.
It will be interesting who'll be the next Black Ferns coach. Do they go for the experience of Allan Bunting, who has been very good coaching women's teams, or do they think Hansen is ready for the top job?
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@canefan said in What is Good for Women's Rugby:
@booboo said in What is Good for Women's Rugby:
Another name change for the thread.
How can Rugby, particularly NZ Rugby, make the most of the event and occasion that was RWC2021?
Need to grab the young'uns while the 3 second attention span hasn't wandered.
Some thoughts:
- Get England back here in 2023 (or at least France)
Play a 3 test series, and maybe some mid weeks. Black Fern Maori?
Play tests in times outside of AB and other rep games and make them accessible to a family audience.
Sunday arvos is a good time - free of men's rep Rugby, and family friendly. (Noting that back in my day women played club footy on Sundays.)
Play at venues where they didn't play in the RWC: Welly, Dunners and anywhere that's not as embarrassing as Chch.
Do same for any Pac4 games in NZ.
Maybe one or two as curtain raisers good for crowds and awareness? But think they could make these into decent events and money spinners.
That's the short term look out.
- Create more age grade opportunities.
Ensure there are girls club and school comps available.
Work with clubs and schools to combine any interested girls (coz I'm convinced that the number of girls wanting to play may still be below the threshold) into combined club teams. Don't let them slip through because of club parochiality (if that's a word).
- Get merch into the shops.
May be an immediate issue due to supply chain.
- Educate the masses ...
Any other thoughts?
That pretty much covers it. Close the thread 😉.
Regular games is a must. The cheap ticket model worked a treat. Foster a strong test comp in the Pacific which means trying to encourage a stronger Aussie. Getting a couple of aussie based super teams into our comp might help them in that regard
A little perspective on the state of the game this side of the ditch. There's a paucity of young women who want to play. Of that there's a wide distribution in talent and athletic ability. The best of those young women are being targeted by league and AFL as well.
The last two years coaching rep u18 females shows to me how competitive this area is to keep talent. Once they leave school/ get jobs/ got to uni/ dating etc. it proves very difficult to sustain numbers sufficient to have a broad competition.
Clubs could be mandated to have a women's senior team, but the problem is fielding a side. Not just a competitive one, but a match day 23. The drop off from about u16s through to senior squads is huge.
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@Kirwan said in What is Good for Women's Rugby:
The path to success is to have the best people, regardless of gender, run the sport. Picking coaches or adminstrators by anything other than merit is doomed to failure.
For example, picking a female ref for the World Cup final was a mistake IMO. The sport can't afford not to do everything it can to raise standards.
On the flip side, no reason why we can't have female refs (or adminstrators) in the mens game. Pick the best people.
Ignoring the 'political' aspects to stop thread diversion, I think that there is a good counter argument to this.
I don't think that anyone is saying to remove male involvement but direction would mean that design of comps, understanding of problems and drivers etc would be better. Avoid the "designed for women....by men" aspect.
Whether right or wrong a big aspect to the success of the WRWC was the buy in by women that saw how other women were driving much of what was happening..if that is what needs to happen to accelerate growth then I'm happy with it.
As for refs, the womens game is played a little differently, the focus aspects for refs is a little different, allowances are made in some areas etc That can come through in what constitutes advantage, time given to clear the tackle area and plenty of other areas. Unlees there are other 'better' refs that can also adjust to these aspects then we are better off having specialists. The other aspect is providing clear pathways for female refs which is very important as getting refs is one of the hardest things.
Is it perfect? No, but it may be the best as the game grows in its own way.
I have seen refs (male and female) control a game as they would a mens game and that subtle change makes a difference to flow and enjoyment. Much more noticeable at lower levels. -
@antipodean said in What is Good for Women's Rugby:
@canefan said in What is Good for Women's Rugby:
@booboo said in What is Good for Women's Rugby:
Another name change for the thread.
How can Rugby, particularly NZ Rugby, make the most of the event and occasion that was RWC2021?
Need to grab the young'uns while the 3 second attention span hasn't wandered.
Some thoughts:
- Get England back here in 2023 (or at least France)
Play a 3 test series, and maybe some mid weeks. Black Fern Maori?
Play tests in times outside of AB and other rep games and make them accessible to a family audience.
Sunday arvos is a good time - free of men's rep Rugby, and family friendly. (Noting that back in my day women played club footy on Sundays.)
Play at venues where they didn't play in the RWC: Welly, Dunners and anywhere that's not as embarrassing as Chch.
Do same for any Pac4 games in NZ.
Maybe one or two as curtain raisers good for crowds and awareness? But think they could make these into decent events and money spinners.
That's the short term look out.
- Create more age grade opportunities.
Ensure there are girls club and school comps available.
Work with clubs and schools to combine any interested girls (coz I'm convinced that the number of girls wanting to play may still be below the threshold) into combined club teams. Don't let them slip through because of club parochiality (if that's a word).
- Get merch into the shops.
May be an immediate issue due to supply chain.
- Educate the masses ...
Any other thoughts?
That pretty much covers it. Close the thread 😉.
Regular games is a must. The cheap ticket model worked a treat. Foster a strong test comp in the Pacific which means trying to encourage a stronger Aussie. Getting a couple of aussie based super teams into our comp might help them in that regard
A little perspective on the state of the game this side of the ditch. There's a paucity of young women who want to play. Of that there's a wide distribution in talent and athletic ability. The best of those young women are being targeted by league and AFL as well.
The last two years coaching rep u18 females shows to me how competitive this area is to keep talent. Once they leave school/ get jobs/ got to uni/ dating etc. it proves very difficult to sustain numbers sufficient to have a broad competition.
Clubs could be mandated to have a women's senior team, but the problem is fielding a side. Not just a competitive one, but a match day 23. The drop off from about u16s through to senior squads is huge.
look at the NRLW. Currently 6 teams, expanding to 10 next year. Rugby league is massively popular and yet getting teams up and running is incredibly difficult.
AFLW has a full 18 teams. But only play 10 games. And the AFL is pouring money in to development pathways the length and breadth of the country. Because of its nature i think this sport has the most chance of actually "succeeding" in its own right.
I firmly believe it to be fantasy territory that the women's versions of mens football become self-sufficient. Maybe the AFL can on player numbers, but not commercially. No chance is some AFLW player getting Buddie's contract.
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@mariner4life said in What is Good for Women's Rugby:
@antipodean said in What is Good for Women's Rugby:
@canefan said in What is Good for Women's Rugby:
@booboo said in What is Good for Women's Rugby:
Another name change for the thread.
How can Rugby, particularly NZ Rugby, make the most of the event and occasion that was RWC2021?
Need to grab the young'uns while the 3 second attention span hasn't wandered.
Some thoughts:
- Get England back here in 2023 (or at least France)
Play a 3 test series, and maybe some mid weeks. Black Fern Maori?
Play tests in times outside of AB and other rep games and make them accessible to a family audience.
Sunday arvos is a good time - free of men's rep Rugby, and family friendly. (Noting that back in my day women played club footy on Sundays.)
Play at venues where they didn't play in the RWC: Welly, Dunners and anywhere that's not as embarrassing as Chch.
Do same for any Pac4 games in NZ.
Maybe one or two as curtain raisers good for crowds and awareness? But think they could make these into decent events and money spinners.
That's the short term look out.
- Create more age grade opportunities.
Ensure there are girls club and school comps available.
Work with clubs and schools to combine any interested girls (coz I'm convinced that the number of girls wanting to play may still be below the threshold) into combined club teams. Don't let them slip through because of club parochiality (if that's a word).
- Get merch into the shops.
May be an immediate issue due to supply chain.
- Educate the masses ...
Any other thoughts?
That pretty much covers it. Close the thread 😉.
Regular games is a must. The cheap ticket model worked a treat. Foster a strong test comp in the Pacific which means trying to encourage a stronger Aussie. Getting a couple of aussie based super teams into our comp might help them in that regard
A little perspective on the state of the game this side of the ditch. There's a paucity of young women who want to play. Of that there's a wide distribution in talent and athletic ability. The best of those young women are being targeted by league and AFL as well.
The last two years coaching rep u18 females shows to me how competitive this area is to keep talent. Once they leave school/ get jobs/ got to uni/ dating etc. it proves very difficult to sustain numbers sufficient to have a broad competition.
Clubs could be mandated to have a women's senior team, but the problem is fielding a side. Not just a competitive one, but a match day 23. The drop off from about u16s through to senior squads is huge.
look at the NRLW. Currently 6 teams, expanding to 10 next year. Rugby league is massively popular and yet getting teams up and running is incredibly difficult.
AFLW has a full 18 teams. But only play 10 games. And the AFL is pouring money in to development pathways the length and breadth of the country. Because of its nature i think this sport has the most chance of actually "succeeding" in its own right.
I've mentioned before that they're expanding too quickly given the available and willing talent. Perhaps after a decade of continual investment in skills pathways, but the reality is for all codes they're women trying to play sports that have always catered to men, and evolved to suit the best men playing it.
I think what women's versions of traditionally male sport needs is some subtle rule amendments.
I firmly believe it to be fantasy territory that the women's versions of mens football become self-sufficient. Maybe the AFL can on player numbers, but not commercially. No chance is some AFLW player getting Buddie's contract.
Yeah, there's no alternative universe where that's going to happen.
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@antipodean said in What is Good for Women's Rugby:
I think what women's versions of traditionally male sport needs is some subtle rule amendments.
Like we do as addendum to the rugby laws for U18s. Yep, or, given that much of rugby reffing is down to interpretation, adjust the interpretation guidance.
When I was rightly shot down for a bad analogy and suggesting better 'education' around the game., this is what I was getting at. You will see different rulings and actions in the womens game. As it grows maybe some will go or change.
The best example is players on the wrong side of the ruck or going off their feet. The leeway given is a little bit more, but deliberate acts still punished. If it was reffed as strictly as pro mens games every tackle would be whistled. -
@Crucial said in What is Good for Women's Rugby:
@Kirwan said in What is Good for Women's Rugby:
The path to success is to have the best people, regardless of gender, run the sport. Picking coaches or adminstrators by anything other than merit is doomed to failure.
For example, picking a female ref for the World Cup final was a mistake IMO. The sport can't afford not to do everything it can to raise standards.
On the flip side, no reason why we can't have female refs (or adminstrators) in the mens game. Pick the best people.
Ignoring the 'political' aspects to stop thread diversion, I think that there is a good counter argument to this.
I don't think that anyone is saying to remove male involvement but direction would mean that design of comps, understanding of problems and drivers etc would be better. Avoid the "designed for women....by men" aspect.
Whether right or wrong a big aspect to the success of the WRWC was the buy in by women that saw how other women were driving much of what was happening..if that is what needs to happen to accelerate growth then I'm happy with it.
As for refs, the womens game is played a little differently, the focus aspects for refs is a little different, allowances are made in some areas etc That can come through in what constitutes advantage, time given to clear the tackle area and plenty of other areas. Unlees there are other 'better' refs that can also adjust to these aspects then we are better off having specialists. The other aspect is providing clear pathways for female refs which is very important as getting refs is one of the hardest things.
Is it perfect? No, but it may be the best as the game grows in its own way.
I have seen refs (male and female) control a game as they would a mens game and that subtle change makes a difference to flow and enjoyment. Much more noticeable at lower levels.It's not a thread diversion at all. Picking the best people, regardless of gender, is the only long term path to success. It's wrong to suggest that men can't organise a woman's game because they are men, as it's wrong to say the opposite.
I find this sort of opinion really condescending to be honest.
Yes opportunities and clear pathways should exist for woman in rugby (in both men and woman's rugby IMO), but as soon as you head down the path of saying they should all be woman, then by definition you're saying don't pick the best people. How is that a path to grow the sport?
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As a more general take, the success or failure of this will have little to do with the NZR. They can help to a certain point, but unless woman want to actually play the sport and fans want to watch (and pay) then there is only so much they can do.
If people want womans rugby to be popular then it'll be up to them to support it. To be honest, I don't see it growing all that much - particulary when you look at the decline in mens rugby over the past 20 years.
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@Kirwan said in What is Good for Women's Rugby:
Picking the best people, regardless of gender, is the only long term path to success.
I fundamentally disagree with that statement. One which you state as fact.
One for the politics thread (where I don't go these days) -
@Crucial said in What is Good for Women's Rugby:
@Kirwan said in What is Good for Women's Rugby:
Picking the best people, regardless of gender, is the only long term path to success.
I fundamentally disagree with that statement. One which you state as fact.
One for the politics thread (where I don't go these days)Shrugs. Pretty crazy time when people disagree with pick the best person.
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@Kirwan said in What is Good for Women's Rugby:
@Crucial said in What is Good for Women's Rugby:
@Kirwan said in What is Good for Women's Rugby:
Picking the best people, regardless of gender, is the only long term path to success.
I fundamentally disagree with that statement. One which you state as fact.
One for the politics thread (where I don't go these days)Shrugs. Pretty crazy time when people disagree with pick the best person.
Over simplification.
The argument is that it may be better for female direction of a female sport. If that benefit does exist (due to a better understanding of needs, drivers etc) then the 'best person for the job' would more likely be female.
Pretty crazy time when people can't see generalised observations and twist them into equality arguments.@Kirwan said in What is Good for Women's Rugby:
It's wrong to suggest that men can't organise a woman's game because they are men, as it's wrong to say the opposite.
Never said or suggested this at all.
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@Crucial said in What is Good for Women's Rugby:
@Kirwan said in What is Good for Women's Rugby:
@Crucial said in What is Good for Women's Rugby:
@Kirwan said in What is Good for Women's Rugby:
Picking the best people, regardless of gender, is the only long term path to success.
I fundamentally disagree with that statement. One which you state as fact.
One for the politics thread (where I don't go these days)Shrugs. Pretty crazy time when people disagree with pick the best person.
Over simplification.
The argument is that it may be better for female direction of a female sport. If that benefit does exist (due to a better understanding of needs, drivers etc) then the 'best person for the job' would more likely be female.
Pretty crazy time when people can't see generalised observations and twist them into equality arguments.@Kirwan said in What is Good for Women's Rugby:
It's wrong to suggest that men can't organise a woman's game because they are men, as it's wrong to say the opposite.
Never said or suggested this at all.
Weak. You are the one suggesting that somehow woman in general have a better view of the needs or drivers (whatever that means) for the woman's game. My opinion is that people are individuals and have different skill sets, and gender has little to do with people's ability to organise or administrate a sport. Pick the best person for the relevant role.
