Sorry, Bill but men and women are different!
THE problem with some organisations is that they mistake the current trend for virtue signalling with doing their job. World Rugby have just joined the realm of fantasists pushing the gender neutral agenda by declaring that from now on we will have two Rugby World Cups, one male and one female – which will no longer be differentiated by the the words “Men’s” and “Women’s”.
This suggests that a move that World Rugby boasts is the “ultimate statement in equality” could also very quickly become the ultimate statement in confusion, with one sport holding two World Cups – which is one every two years – with blurred lines over which is which.
While it may be stretching it to suggest that there is the prospect of travel agents, as well as fans, getting their wires crossed and booking for one RWC tournament when they intended to attend another, the failure to differentiate between them is barmy.
For those of us championing the cause of common sense, and who believe that communicating clearly should be part of the remit of a governing body of a sport, such as World Rugby, this is a move in the wrong direction.
It was highlighted when Bill Beaumont, the chairman of World Rugby, offered this explanation of the agenda that his organisation is pushing: “Unintentional gender bias in sport is an ongoing issue. As a global sporting federation we need to be leading from the front on the issue of equality. By adopting gender balance in the naming of men’s and women’s rugby World Cup competitions, we are setting new standards…”
Let’s cut through the confusion. The common sense approach to governing this sport is to accept that as long as there are significant differentials between men and women rugby players in terms of physical size and power, it follows that both branches of the sport should be recognised in their own right.
That means acknowledging that the men’s and women’s World Cups are two separate tournaments, which while they are part of the same code, with the
same values of team work and social inclusion, are not gender neutral.
This is because unless competitive mixed Rugby
Union becomes a reality at professional and amateur level it is defined by the gender specific fact that in the interests of safety men and women do not compete against each other.
Rugby Union can do without the gesture politics its governing body indulged in this week. The 2019 World Cup in Japan could be a watershed for our sport because it is confronted by intractable issues capable of shaking its foundations – and that World Rugby have so far failed to address.
World Rugby’s attempts to create a global season structure for the professional game are fraught with difficulties. Their plans to create a World League/Nations Championship are in tatters, and while summer rugby is becoming an unwanted reality in the northern hemisphere, in the southern hemisphere there is the spectre of dwindling spectator interest in the competition structure.
There are grave concerns that the game’s bedrock as an amateur participation sport is crumbling in many of the Tier One rugby nations, with amateur playing numbers declining in Europe as well as in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
The proliferation of matches at international and club level means that player welfare in the pro game is becoming an incendiary issue. It has not been helped by World Rugby’s misguided law-making, with the increase in the number of replacements (eight), leading to an increased emphasis on power/weight at the expense of aerobic capacity, and the decommissioning of the old ruck leading to the introduction of high-hitting Rugby League-style defences.
With a longer run-up before the collision than there is in League, this has resulted in increasing rates of concussion and other injuries in the pro game – and yet World Rugby have not taken action so far to reduce replacements.
Set against this the rapid growth in women’s rugby over the last 25 years is a good news story that should be celebrated and supported. Opportunities for girls and young women to participate in the game should be backed by World Rugby, as well as national unions around the globe – and that is happening.
Funding from unions and broadcast and sponsorship revenue from flagship women’s tournaments, like the Women’s World Cup, have been reinvested in participation programs and coaching in schools and clubs – with England in the vanguard.
However, trying to force a one-sizefits-all mono identity on a sport which is trying to champion diversity is a contradictory nonsense.
We have 15-a-side and Sevens sectors for men and women which are differentiated not just on the basis of gender, but also because of the obvious numerical differences between the full and abbreviated versions of the game, as well as their different training demands and tournament structures. We have ten-a-side, we have touch, we have wheelchair. They are all under the same Rugby Union umbrella, but different.
World Rugby should embrace those differences rather than tinkering with gender “mission statement rebranding”. There are much more urgent issues they should be tackling – but here’s a bit of free advice to offset their no doubt costly rebranding bill.
The tournaments will still be known almost everywhere apart from their Dublin offices as the Rugby World Cup, and the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
“In the interests of safety men and women do not compete against each other”
What’s in a name? Or, to be more relevant, what’s not in a name? World Rugby have removed the word ‘Women’ from the branding of the next women’s World Cup. It will now, like the men’s tournament, be branded as Rugby World Cup.
By making this change, to a gender-neutral brand, they are stating their intent to continue to strive towards gender equality. I applaud this. This is why I am so proud of the Female Inspiration Through Rugby project that Tag Rugby Trust has set up in Zimbabwe. The drive to gender equality is why I founded a speaker agency called Inspiring Women; to help to ensure equality of opportunity. I fight for this every day. But making something gender neutral is not the same as gender equality.
What would have been a great step would have been to add the word ‘men’ rather than remove ‘women’. The Rugby World Cup is our flagship; media interest peaks and spectator numbers swell every four years.
The RWC is an opportunity to promote our sport, to demonstrate that anyone can play. For this reason, we don’t want anonymity. We want to stand up and say yes, women can play rugby too.
We still need this visibility, so to be able to officially refer to the Women’s Rugby World Cup, to display that word ‘women’ on commercial branding is vital. We are currently seeing a shift in mindset; businesses, sponsors, viewers and spectators are positively backing women’s sport and we should harness this.
This is ok. It is still the same sport, with the same laws, and the same pitch. It just happens at times to be played by women. And this is great and should be celebrated; not muted. Our presence is not yet strong enough for this change. And as practiced as World Rugby are at making changes to our game, I urge them to re-consider and revert back. Even better, in time for 2023 let’s have a branded Men’s World Cup too.
Saracens now refer to their senior teams as Saracens Men and Saracens
Women and while gender equality beyond this is still some way away there have been some significant strides.
Players are able to access more resources and are much more integrated in to professional set ups than they have ever been. Opportunities for women to be remunerated for playing club rugby I don’t think is too far away.
We are now also seeing the women’s game as an opportunity for former players to earn some crust. Former England international Kim Oliver has been plying her trade as Bristol Women’s head coach and this summer has seen the announcement that 2006 Women’s World Cup captain Jo Yapp returns to her Worcester roots to take up a skills coach role.
Rochelle ‘Rocky’ Clark has moved away from Wasps, where she has played for the last season, and will be heading a few miles north to add her incredible knowledge and experience to Saracens Women.
Rocky has seen some changes in her time. She played when we still had to contribute to the cost of flights, when we had to hand over money for the awful ill-fitting number 1’s we were forced to wear.
She played in 2006 when our shirts were still baggy enough to flutter in the breeze, in 2010 when the media started to take note, in 2014 when the trophy was lifted by an English arm then again in 2017 when ‘contract gate’ became a thing.
She would have been coached at the elite end of the game by coaches who were for the most part volunteering their time. Now she, and other former players, are finally able to make some money from the women’s game. Something that I am certain she feels uncomfortable with but if the coins are handed out for hard work, for determination, for passion and emotion for the cause then she is someone who deserves every single penny.
But because of that this is not about the money for Rocky. This is a vocation. A calling. Rocky lives and breathes rugby. She embodies all that is good about the game and Saracens although already successful can only enhance this with the addition of Rocky to their ranks.
Rocky has already been coaching for a number of years at Chesham Rugby Club alongside Kat Merchant. The pair have seen great success with the men’s squad while Rocky has developed a hugely positive culture within the women’s team. It is pleasing to hear that Rocky will be continuing her work with Chesham alongside her Saracens commitment.
This marks a new chapter in Rocky’s rugby career but if I were a betting woman, I would fancy my chances on Rocky keeping her playing boots a little longer. I am sure she will be ready if her new club need her in the middle of the pitch. There is no better place to lead by example and for the likes of young England and Saracens prop Hannah Botterman to be guided by Rocky.
Worcester have not seen much success in recent years, not since former Worcester star Rocky wore the shirt, and are now well practiced at languishing at the bottom of the table so the announcement that Jo Yapp is bolstering their coaching offering is welcoming.
Yapp, having enjoyed a very successful few years with Exeter University as well as guiding England’s U20 Red Roses is well acquainted with nurturing talent. After a plethora of more experienced players moving away, attracted by incentives elsewhere, her ability to develop younger players will be essential to any success this season. Their aim will be to move out of the bottom four and while all teams will be audited throughout the season to ensure their compliance with the required operating standards any team that finishes in the bottom four will be in danger of relegation.
Worcester will have to live up to their new namesake and find some Warrior spirit. Another step towards equality as the women’s team have this summer changed their name to match the men but unlike the change by World Rugby they are not gender neutral.
Worcester Warriors Women, as they are officially known, retain their female identity. Will this new name, along with the return of Yapp, see a reformation on the pitch for Worcester? Xena the Warrior Princess reformed herself to fight evil and do good, perhaps Worcester can take inspiration from this unlikely source and draw on their warrior spirit; they will have to when they face the likes of Saracens and Harlequins.
“We need to refer to the Women’s Rugby World Cup, to display ‘women’ on branding”