Priorities must change or we are in danger of losing next generation

Expect dire consequences if women continue to rank below men in plans for team sports to resume

When coronavirus swept through the sporting calendar in March there was absolutely no difference between male and female sport as every competition was brought to an immediate halt. Now, as restrictions are being eased and competitions are attempting to return, that is no longer the case.

Instead, we are seeing a real disparity. Basically, male team sport is returning and female team sport is not – and that is incredibly frustrating.

Without women’s team sport to watch, any progress we have made is at risk of being lost. Women’s sport was undeniably on the up, with great athletes and inspiring role models shining through.

If you take away that visibility for up to six months – and it seems that we may not have a match in a female team sport until September – then you could lose a generation of future players.

I am fond of the saying: If you can see it, you can be it. Well, if you cannot see it, I do not think too many young girls are going to want to be the next rugby, hockey or netball player. It feels like the wind has been taken out of our sails, and I am concerned about the impact.

It really proves how much work we still have to do to catch up with men’s sport. It certainly felt to me that during lockdown the male players across all sports had little difficulty in maintaining their profile, but that female athletes more or less disappeared.

I was also disappointed that among all the reruns of classics, there were remarkably few women’s matches being dug out. The fact that World Rugby did do so highlighted how rare an occurrence it was for high-quality women’s matches from days gone by to be given the same treatment as men’s.

That is not to say that women’s leagues should just have returned instantly.

I supported the decision to conclude the Tyrrells Premier 15s at the time, but I now feel that it was a little too hasty, as the situation has now changed. Essentially, women’s sport had been dealt with, but the men’s game was left open in case circumstances allowed.

Part of the issue is that we do not have enough people fighting for women’s sport in the decision-making process at elite level. You will always have one voice in every boardroom that advocates for the women’s game, but rarely more than that. It is easy to gloss over one person’s opinion and move on to another issue that will bring in more sponsorship and television revenue.

Sponsorship is another potential issue. We have seen the likes of Tyrrells decide not to renew its contract for the Premier 15s this week, and it will be difficult to find replacements in what is certain to be a difficult marketplace.

There is also the question of exactly what you would be sponsoring. If you want to sponsor Liverpool Football

Club, you know when the men will next play a game, but not the women, and that cannot be right.

And we should not forget about how much we need to be inspiring people right now.

I adore rugby union, but I understand that parents will be looking at it wondering whether it is safe to allow their children to play the game when lockdown is eased. We need to make sure we are sending out a positive message that says the whole game is being considered, not just the top end.

I hope that we get more clarity in the next few weeks across all women’s team sports, because we desperately need it. All eyes will, and should be, on the individual tournaments and leagues, and they need to do what is right.

When we get clarity on when men’s team sports are played we must have clarity on the women’s, too.

This column is not a debate on men versus women, but is instead about making sure women’s sport is given the same level of consideration as men’s sport at this time.

I am concerned there has been an imbalance between the genders to this point. It cannot continue, or the consequences for the next generation could be dire.

If you cannot see it, I don’t think many girls will want to be the next rugby, hockey or netball player