Women's Rugby

[rowan]

Not following it personally. But I don't begrudge anyone who is, of course, so maybe this thread could serve that purpose. Nonetheless, I'll kick it off by posting a few controversial comments from former Ireland backrower David Corkery:

A former Ireland international backrow has caused a storm after taking to social media to air controversial views about women’s rugby.

David Corkery’s comments come as the Women’s Rugby World Cup is taking place in Ireland.

Writing on Facebook, Corkery says that women playing rugby is ‘not what God intended’.

“Personally, I find watching the women’s game complicated and arduous to watch,” wrote Corkery.

“I think we all partly watch rugby because of the physical battles it produces. The big hits, the powerful runs, the struggle at the scrum and so on, however I simply do not like watching ladies knocking lumps out of each other, and before any women’s pro right campaigners start circling the wagons and looking to burn me at the stake, this is only an opinion.

“Maybe I’m just getting old but when I see women partake in any kind of confrontational and aggressive behaviourisms, it just doesn’t sit right with me.

“When god (if there is one) created women, he didn’t do so with the intention for them to be smashed in a tackle or punched in the face.”

Corkery goes on to write that he doesn’t think women’s rugby is as entertaining as the men’s game.

“I also think the ladies game lacks the same kind of entertainment value that the men’s version offers albeit, there are some male games where you would be better off watching the grass grow in your front lawn such are the ridged restrictions placed on today’s players by their coaches.

“I fully realise that the women’s game is still very much in its infancy in terms of growth in this country and that in order for it to develop and flourish there needs to be a major increase in funding from the various governing unions. Unfortunately, this is something that is not going to happen anytime soon because of the ever-increasing running costs that are associated with the men’s professional game.

“The professional game has already severely tarnished the amateur club game in this country and unless the women’s code can generate a massive surge in support, funding and most importantly television viewing figures, it is highly unlikely that the IRFU will put in place a progressive grass roots system that will allow females obtain the skills they need.

“At this stage, it is imperative to remind people that accountants now run the game in most countries and unless teams, be they male or female, can generate surplice revenue, they will be viewed as unwanted baggage.
Regrettably the game is now a business.

Corkey concludes by saying: “I will not be attending any of the games but I will watch Ireland’s progress with intrigue and I wish Tom and his girls all the very best.”

His post has caused an uproar among supporters of the women’s rugby.

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/storm-er ... mens-rugby

[rowan]

Basically the reason women's rugby became a thing was because the sports media decided to give it a lot of undue attention. Now, we are talking a male-dominated industry here, to be honest. They weren't interested in mainstream women's sports like netball, so focused more on women's rugby which they could understand and appreciate - however superficially. If you objected to this, you were immediately dismissed as a sexist. But I was involved in the industry at the time and was out there every Saturday morning covering netball. There was very little women's rugby to speak of back then - but somehow it featured prominently in the newspapers. I'm not sure what the numbers are like now, nor what sort of crowds and TV audiences they are fgetting, but if they warrant the amount of attention the game is receiving, then fair enough. I certainly don't have any objections to women actually playing the game, personally.

[kk67]

there are some male games where you would be better off watching the grass grow in your front lawn such are the ridged restrictions placed on today’s players by their coaches".

I agree with this bit. In fact I reckon I could make a fairly compelling case for the proposition that female rugby is now more technical than the men's game. In much the same way that the age group international teams play better rugby than the seniors. Better passing, better running lines, a better competition in the scrum, positions for all shapes and sizes, continuity and more importantly the active search for continuity.
By comparison the men's elite game has become a bastardized version of the sport which mostly involves running into other players, trying to cheat, not trying to win the ball, kicking away possession, etc.

In the Eng v Italy game the English loosehead prop had a stunning game topped off with a beautiful backdoor offload for one of Waterman's try's.
Do I think the Female England loosehead is a more technically proficient player than the mens props...?.
Yes,....yes I do.


The rest of his opinions can be safely placed in the naïve, parochial, sheltered upbringing his Mammy gave him.
Ironically enough, she probably emphasized the lessons with a couple of backhanders around young David's ears.
"you'll feckin respect the Wimmin, you wee shite"......(wallop)
"they're all the virgin Mary"....(wallop)

[rowan]

From what little I've seen, skills levels are vastly inferior to the men's game, though that's not surprising, as playing numbers are vastly inferior too.

[kk67]

From what little I've seen, skills levels are vastly inferior to the men's game, though that's not surprising, as playing numbers are vastly inferior too.

Hard to tell exactly because the men's game is so rigid. The blokes might have better skills,......but they don't get to show it.
The women's game looks more like the rugby I know.
Yeah, yeah....haha.

[rowan]

Just came across the registered player stats for women's rugby and, if these are even remotely accurate, it remains a very minor sport in this respect - even in New Zealand, which only has 1200 adult women registered players. Let's run a comparison between the World Cup contenders and corresponding male national teams in terms of registered adults:

Women's team/players in thousands/nation with similar number of adult male players

USA 15K Senegal
England 8K Zambia
France 6K Switzerland
Canada 4K Moldova
Ireland 3.6K Sweden
Australia 3.4K Ivory Coast
Italy 2.2K Denmark
Spain 1.4K Croatia
Wales 1.3K Andorra
New Zealand 1.2K Kazakhstan
Hong Kong 0.650K Finland
Japan 0.450K Barbados

http://www.scrumqueens.com/features/wom ... ers-rising

[rowan]

Are Tongan men allowed to do ballet and synchronized swimming? Just curious . . .

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — An order from Tonga's education ministry banning girls from playing rugby at the Pacific nation's only public high school has been condemned by Tongan community leaders and a high-profile Olympic champion.

A letter signed by Education Minister Penisimani Fifita told staff at Tonga High School in the capital Nukualofa that girls should not play rugby or take part in boxing to "preserve the dignity of Tongan women and hold on to Tongan cultural values."

http://sobserver.ws/en/22_03_2018/rugby ... ritics.htm

[rowan]

Live coverage of the African women's 7s from Botswana:

[rowan]

Kenya ️defeated Uganda 22 - 7 in the final.