David Hands
Earlier this year, Will Carling, the England captain, mused on the desirability of players having greater input in the administration of rugby union, as they did during the game's infancy. Away from first-class rugby, however, it happens all the time, nowhere more than in the women's game, where a do-it-yourself philosophy has fostered a burgeoning game.
Indeed, women's rugby has grown to such a degree that, in Edinburgh on Friday, delegates from all the countries competing in the women's world championship in Scotland, plus several who are not, will confer over the viability of the next championship and the possible formation of an international body. Among those present will be Keith Rowlands, the secretary of the (men's) International Rugby Football Board (IRFB).
The Women's Rugby Football Union (WRFU), now ten years old, will also decide at its annual meeting next month whether to break into its component national parts. It has been the umbrella organisation for Britain since its inception last year, but the Scots formed a union and affiliated to the Scottish Rugby Union and now England, Wales and Ireland are likely to go the same way.
In a short time, the women have achieved a formidable amount, without much assistance from the men's game or sponsors. Their world championship the semi-finals are in Galashiels today, with the final at Edinburgh Academicals on Sunday is being played on a shoestring.
The Scots have performed wonders in the last three months, since stepping into the breach left by Holland, but the competitors have funded themselves. What the WRFU would love to do, perhaps in the closing stages of their championship, is erase an image problem. Rather than the media rediscovering them at infrequent intervals, the players seek the mainstream acceptance that women in other sports, notably hockey, have won. That alone might overcome the doubts sponsors entertain about women playing rugby and create more opportunities for television.
Maybe it will happen if England win on Sunday. Success against France today will put them in the final, probably against the United States, who beat them 19-6 in the 1991 final in Cardiff. The Americans play Wales today.
Rowlands's attendance on Friday is to discover more about an area of the game some of his member unions report is the fastest growing of any. In Ireland three years ago, there were no recognised clubs and only six in Scotland. The Scots now have 30 and there are 201 in England, Wales and Ireland.
Last week, Rosie Golby, the secretary of the WRFU, and Dudley Wood, the secretary of the Rugby Football Union (RFU), discussed membership of the RFU. The RFU is supportive, but the women want to maintain their identity, even though they know a formal association with the men's governing body may lead to grants and greater financial recognition from the Sports Council.
``Women's rugby is still very different from the men's game,'' Golby said. ``There are few people on the executive committee who don't play and we know what decisions we are making and what the impact will be.'' Would that the men could say the same.
Copyright (C) The Times, 1994
Source Citation
"Women strive for recognition; Women's Rugby." Times [London, England] 20 Apr. 1994
Showing posts with label Women's International Rugby Board. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Women's International Rugby Board. Show all posts
Wednesday, 20 April 1994
Thursday, 11 April 1991
World Cup: quarter finals and future development
David Hands, Rugby Correspondent
WHATEVER the success of the inaugural women's World Cup being played in Wales this week, their administrators are already looking ahead. A meeting in Cardiff has agreed in principle to a second tournament in 1994, and has invited proposals for the formation of an international women's rugby organisation.
The better-known International Rugby Football Board was unable to accept an invitation to the meeting but will have a second opportunity when the women convene in Madrid this summer, to try and establish the framework of the new body and evaluate the success of their first World Cup.
The organisers are hopeful of crowds of at least 6,000 at tomorrow's semi-finals in Cardiff, and Sunday's final at the same venue. They require that number to cover the tournament costs of Pounds 30,000 and have still to find some £4,000 to cover the cost of accommodation for the Soviet team, though rather than allow the individual organisers to stand liable for that sum, the men's game would surely be in a position to help.
Meanwhile, on the field New Zealand made their way to the semi-finals by beating Wales 24-6 at Flannharan yesterday.
Several hundred of the old mining village's inhabitants urged on the national side but, in a reversal of male traditions, New Zealand's backs outweighed the strengths of the Welsh forwards.
England and France are already through to the other semi-final.
RESULTS: Quarter-finals: New Zealand 24, Wales 6 (Scorers: Wales: Penalties: A Bennett (2). New Zealand: Tries: L Brett (3), A Richards, A Ford. Conversions: D Chase (2); United States 46, Soviet Union 0. Pool 2: Japan 0, Sweden 20. Pool 4: Spain 13, Italy 7.
Copyright (C) The Times, 1991
Source Citation
"Women's game is looking to the future; Rugby Union." Times [London, England] 11 Apr. 1991
WHATEVER the success of the inaugural women's World Cup being played in Wales this week, their administrators are already looking ahead. A meeting in Cardiff has agreed in principle to a second tournament in 1994, and has invited proposals for the formation of an international women's rugby organisation.
The better-known International Rugby Football Board was unable to accept an invitation to the meeting but will have a second opportunity when the women convene in Madrid this summer, to try and establish the framework of the new body and evaluate the success of their first World Cup.
The organisers are hopeful of crowds of at least 6,000 at tomorrow's semi-finals in Cardiff, and Sunday's final at the same venue. They require that number to cover the tournament costs of Pounds 30,000 and have still to find some £4,000 to cover the cost of accommodation for the Soviet team, though rather than allow the individual organisers to stand liable for that sum, the men's game would surely be in a position to help.
Meanwhile, on the field New Zealand made their way to the semi-finals by beating Wales 24-6 at Flannharan yesterday.
Several hundred of the old mining village's inhabitants urged on the national side but, in a reversal of male traditions, New Zealand's backs outweighed the strengths of the Welsh forwards.
England and France are already through to the other semi-final.
RESULTS: Quarter-finals: New Zealand 24, Wales 6 (Scorers: Wales: Penalties: A Bennett (2). New Zealand: Tries: L Brett (3), A Richards, A Ford. Conversions: D Chase (2); United States 46, Soviet Union 0. Pool 2: Japan 0, Sweden 20. Pool 4: Spain 13, Italy 7.
Copyright (C) The Times, 1991
Source Citation
"Women's game is looking to the future; Rugby Union." Times [London, England] 11 Apr. 1991
Tuesday, 18 October 1988
Breaking clear of the Cinderella image
Chris Thau charts the popularity of women's rugby and the steps it is taking to win even more friends
England's 40-0 victory over Sweden in Waterloo at the weekend was another landmark in the short history of the women's game in Europe.
The women's international, sponsored by Chelsfield plc, was part of an international schedule agreed at a preliminary meeting of the representatives from European countries last April.
The meeting, attended by delegates from Britain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain has decided to form an international women's confederation similar to the International Rugby Board to coordinate and promote the women's game worldwide. The first meeting of the newly-formed body is scheduled for this month in Paris.
The conference was organized during the first European women's cup in Bourg-en-Bresse in France. French women beat Great Britain 8-6 in a closely fought contest to win the first tournament. France is the leading European nation, but both the US and Canada have strong teams and they would be expected to join the WIRB.
One of the first decisions of the WIRB was to organize a second European tournament in England in 1991, the year of the men's second world cup. Naturally the glamour and the media build-up surrounding the senior event would help the publicity of the women's game.
The French have about 30 clubs organized since 1972 on a league system. The French women's federation is affiliated to the FFR and is recognized by the French sports ministry, therefore receiving a subsidy from the Government.
During the last five years the women's game has soared in popularity in Britain. There are more than 60 teams, mainly in England and Wales, and the league structure has operated since 1985.
A five-year development plan has been devised to increase the number of players, raise the playing standards and encourage more women, former players to become involved in administration, refereeing and coaching. The plan is to be submitted to the Sports Council by the new WRFU coaching and development officer, Carol Isherwood.
Until last season, Miss Isherwood was both the secretary of the WRFU and, as a tireless loose forward, the captain of both England and Great Britain.
Sidelined by injury, she has been replaced by Wales's Carolyn Mann as the WRFU secretary and by Karen Almond as the England captain repectively. Karen Almond, a product of Loughborough University, the cradle of women's rugby in Britain, is a gifted stand off half and she was the leading try scorer in the game against Sweden with 16 points (two tries and four conversions).
Miss Almond, a PE teacher in Potters Bar, near London, cherished the occasion though according to her, she never regarded herself as a natural leader.
She believes that women's rugby is still facing an uphill struggle in its attempt to establish itself and cut through prejudice and preconceived ideas.
``It will take a long time before the women's game will lose its present image as a kind of Cinderella sport,'' Miss Almond said.
``But every time we play somewhere new we make new inroads.
``A lot of the men spectators at Waterloo never saw women play before. To their credit, they were full of praise after the game. Even the president of the Waterloo Rugby Club was heard saying that he would support the formation of a women team within the club. I have to admit that we encountered the same reluctance from ordinary members when we joined Wasps. However, nowadays we are accepted as just another team of the club.''
Source Citation
"Breaking clear of the Cinderella image; Women's rugby." Times [London, England] 18 Oct. 1988.
England's 40-0 victory over Sweden in Waterloo at the weekend was another landmark in the short history of the women's game in Europe.
The women's international, sponsored by Chelsfield plc, was part of an international schedule agreed at a preliminary meeting of the representatives from European countries last April.
The meeting, attended by delegates from Britain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain has decided to form an international women's confederation similar to the International Rugby Board to coordinate and promote the women's game worldwide. The first meeting of the newly-formed body is scheduled for this month in Paris.
The conference was organized during the first European women's cup in Bourg-en-Bresse in France. French women beat Great Britain 8-6 in a closely fought contest to win the first tournament. France is the leading European nation, but both the US and Canada have strong teams and they would be expected to join the WIRB.
One of the first decisions of the WIRB was to organize a second European tournament in England in 1991, the year of the men's second world cup. Naturally the glamour and the media build-up surrounding the senior event would help the publicity of the women's game.
The French have about 30 clubs organized since 1972 on a league system. The French women's federation is affiliated to the FFR and is recognized by the French sports ministry, therefore receiving a subsidy from the Government.
During the last five years the women's game has soared in popularity in Britain. There are more than 60 teams, mainly in England and Wales, and the league structure has operated since 1985.
A five-year development plan has been devised to increase the number of players, raise the playing standards and encourage more women, former players to become involved in administration, refereeing and coaching. The plan is to be submitted to the Sports Council by the new WRFU coaching and development officer, Carol Isherwood.
Until last season, Miss Isherwood was both the secretary of the WRFU and, as a tireless loose forward, the captain of both England and Great Britain.
Sidelined by injury, she has been replaced by Wales's Carolyn Mann as the WRFU secretary and by Karen Almond as the England captain repectively. Karen Almond, a product of Loughborough University, the cradle of women's rugby in Britain, is a gifted stand off half and she was the leading try scorer in the game against Sweden with 16 points (two tries and four conversions).
Miss Almond, a PE teacher in Potters Bar, near London, cherished the occasion though according to her, she never regarded herself as a natural leader.
She believes that women's rugby is still facing an uphill struggle in its attempt to establish itself and cut through prejudice and preconceived ideas.
``It will take a long time before the women's game will lose its present image as a kind of Cinderella sport,'' Miss Almond said.
``But every time we play somewhere new we make new inroads.
``A lot of the men spectators at Waterloo never saw women play before. To their credit, they were full of praise after the game. Even the president of the Waterloo Rugby Club was heard saying that he would support the formation of a women team within the club. I have to admit that we encountered the same reluctance from ordinary members when we joined Wasps. However, nowadays we are accepted as just another team of the club.''
Source Citation
"Breaking clear of the Cinderella image; Women's rugby." Times [London, England] 18 Oct. 1988.
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