Behind every successful club is a good woman

THERE really is something to be said for women in sport.

Having been involved in country sport, mainly rugby league, for most of my life, I’ve had a bit of experience of playing for and administering country sporting clubs.

Not least my beloved Brothers (aka All Whites) rugby league club here in Toowoomba.

Having spent a decade in the positions of president or secretary, I know too well the amount of hours, hard work and anxiety that comes with running a bush club.

In the club’s 100-year history, despite until recently being basically the dominion of males, there have been a series of hardworking, knowledgeable women who have helped to steer the club in the right direction and through some rough seas.

However, in a sign of the times, the club is now run by an all female committee under the stewardship of president Lizzy Adams.

And a good thing too!

A group of my mates, who also have a long affiliation with the club, have dropped out to the club’s home of Glenholme Park the past two Sundays to watch the lads and lasses run around on the field.

To say we were impressed by what we saw would be an understatement.

The clubhouse has been freshly painted (probably the first time since its erection in 1977), the grounds are immaculately kept and everything from the teams running onto the field to the canteen tucker, to the service on the Delly Fahey Hill bar was so well organised.

A far cry from the days this reporter was at the helm.

And, that’s where women running sporting organisations is a good thing

– they are so better organised than your basic bloke.

When I ran the club I basically had my mates around me for advice and help. Not a good idea.

Someone would suggest a working bee and more than a few would turn up on the promise of free beer and barbecue at working bee’s end.

Unfortunately, the working bee’s end used to come earlier each time and, while the bar and barbecue got a good workout, there was always work left to be done.

I remember once calling an important meeting at the club but made the mistake of opening the bar for a few pre-meeting drinks.

We never got around to the meeting in the end and whatever the problem was that necessitated the meeting soon didn’t seem as pressing as it had been when the meeting was called.

Naturally, six weeks down the track when matters came to a head, there was the inevitable “Ah that, weren’t we going to do something about that?”

Not so with an all-women committee who can spot untidiness and overgrown weeds a mile away and soon have the matter rectified.

While I can only congratulate what is probably the Toowoomba region’s first all women committee of a senior rugby league club, I’m sure this is the case in many country sports.

I dips me lid to Lizzy and the girls.

To say we were impressed by what we saw would be an understatement.