Lionesses ?

[GB72]

Being truthful and I don't really find women's rugby that interesting currently.
1. With no Tigers team (Well until now) not that interested in the clubs.
2. The gaps between International teams are just way too large IMO.

and I struggle to see how well a Lioness team tour would fare based on the current gaps.


I also think there is a massive difference between how the game is played within the men's game let alone between the women's and men's so to claim it's the same game IMO is a bit disingenuous.

For example the way Bristol play is massively different to say Saracens did.

The beauty of women's rugby is that the players remind me more of grassroots players, I am a fan of rugby being a game for all shapes and sizes and top level men's rugby needs to stop trying to bulk every player up and get back to a skill based game rather than who can hit the hardest

This I agree with. Having watched the womens' 6 nations it reminded me very much of the game that I grew up playing rather than the game that the men play now. Room for both in my viewing schedule with each a very different sepctacle but no less enjoyable because of that.

[BFG]

It's due time women's rugby was given the proper platform.
It is well promoted by some and gets next to nothing from others, it needs to be widespread.
We can't know how popular or not it might be without providing an equal platform.
Tennis is promoted and rewarded equally, both men and women fill the same seats and get the same airtime.
Given how poor the standard of the men's rugby was during the recent Lions series I find it difficult to argue that the men's game is better than the women's.
The men knock on more regularly than a front door on hallowe'en, they just can't catch properly playing at that pace.
Defenders push the offside limit so regularly that attackers have to spin pass at pace to stand any chance, even harder to catch, then add a bit of rain and it's a joke.
So they have to kick up and unders instead of trying to play rugby, even more knock ons.
They spend ages setting up to scrummage just to belly flop over and over again rather than compete and risk being shoved backwards, and the breakdown is a lottery.
All very frustrating and the longer it goes on the more boring it is becoming.

[Old Hob]

Surely, BFG, your argument will become self-defeating? If the women's game becomes better financed, better publicised, has more prize money and sponsorship it will slide down the same slope as the men's game. Or a different slope. But it will be downhill whichever way

[RichieB]

I wonder how many non-English players would make the Lioness’s squad at this point in time? There is a significant gap in ability and skill from club to international and also between the home nations. Obviously turning professional is one important factor.

[BFG]

Surely, BFG, your argument will become self-defeating? If the women's game becomes better financed, better publicised, has more prize money and sponsorship it will slide down the same slope as the men's game. Or a different slope. But it will be downhill whichever way

Not quite.
The top women already play a top standard, England versus the All Blacks is already top standard but beyond this level the platforms for the competitions to close in all round on that top standard is needed.
Womens sport should be on the telly more.
Given the rubbish that is often on at the weekend I never understand why women's sport isn't backed more and after all it is half the population.

[JP14]

I wonder how many non-English players would make the Lioness’s squad at this point in time? There is a significant gap in ability and skill from club to international and also between the home nations. Obviously turning professional is one important factor.

Just give the ball to Jasmine Joyce, she’ll do the rest.

[Scott1]

Ofc people are entitled to their view. But to say “not a fan of women’s sport” is a blanket comment that says “no matter what the sport or the quality of the play, I don’t like it as they are not men.” I know this isn’t what Scott means but that’s how it comes across.

It is in no way the same as saying “I enjoy rugby union but am not a fan of rugby league.”

I assume Scott say stony faced during the recent Olympics as soon as the women’s events came on, before returning to an electrified fan as soon as the men’s events returned to the screen.

Don't watch the Olympics but nice try

[physiodan]

I do find it a shame that people get shot down if they say they don’t like something. I’m sure there’s something everyone doesn’t like.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion and isn’t a fans forum a good place for it?

Throwing a match into a tinder box is always dangerous. Yes everybody is entitled to an opinion but when making close to the wire opinions perhaps elaborate on why.

Women’s sport is often very different to men’s and I can understand that some see a sport which is slower, or less skilled… and therefore may not interest them. I have no problem with that opinion but to blanket all women’s sport as not interesting is a little naive.

What we have to remember is that women’s sport is barely professional in comparison to men’s in most sports and many still require jobs to pay the mortgage. In time this will change, as will the product. What needs to be capitalised is making their own brand of the sport and not trying to emulate the men’s as the physical differentiation will mean they are never equal.

As someone said, it is almost more grass roots and I see that as a compliment. The focus is around skill rather than strength. Admittedly attack at this moment is stronger than defence but that can lead to an open game.

As more TV rights are bought for women’s sport the product will only improve and I only think this is a good thing.

[Scott1]

I love boxing,it's my favourite sport. But I don't enjoy amateur boxing or Olympic boxing. I've never been accused in the boxing community of vestism though.
People are making something out of absolutely nothing.

[Old Hob]

Surely, BFG, your argument will become self-defeating? If the women's game becomes better financed, better publicised, has more prize money and sponsorship it will slide down the same slope as the men's game. Or a different slope. But it will be downhill whichever way

Not quite.
The top women already play a top standard, England versus the All Blacks is already top standard but beyond this level the platforms for the competitions to close in all round on that top standard is needed.
Womens sport should be on the telly more.
Given the rubbish that is often on at the weekend I never understand why women's sport isn't backed more and after all it is half the population.

My point was not about skill levels it was that injections of large amounts of money into sport change things - and usually not for the better

[ay2oh]

Olympians would probably disagree

[Old Hob]

Point taken. But there was always huge national pride riding on the Olympics and the East Europeans and others treated it as professional with appropriate amounts of money anyway. Soccer became a world-wide disgrace (as a front for Russian money laundering, for example) with the advent of unrestricted spending and our game has had many negative changes.

[Cardiff Tig]

Olympians would probably disagree

Cycling?

[TigerFeetSteve]

Scott

From memory the sports you seem to have shown a liking for are rugby, boxing and cricket.

Your views on female professional boxing. I think parts of that are pretty equivalent to mens is it not?

Women's cricket. You have for example had the likes of Sarah Taylor play at County 2nd team level in men's cricket, so it proves that skill wise it's not massively a step down in std between mens and womens cricket, so I don't see how it's suddenly not entertaining when the competitors change gender?

[Scott1]

Scott

From memory the sports you seem to have shown a liking for are rugby, boxing and cricket.

Your views on female professional boxing. I think parts of that are pretty equivalent to mens is it not?

Women's cricket. You have for example had the likes of Sarah Taylor play at County 2nd team level in men's cricket, so it proves that skill wise it's not massively a step down in std between mens and womens cricket, so I don't see how it's suddenly not entertaining when the competitors change gender?

I don’t like women’s boxing or MMA for the rather soft reason that I don’t like seeing them get hurt. I respect them learning their craft and they are elite athletes and good luck to them but I struggle with it. Another reason is that there’s a massive gap between elite level womens boxing and the level underneath. There’s no middle ground and sometimes there’s some horrible mismatches where world level fighters are fighting dinner ladies! Not nice to watch.
As for cricket I just really got into the hundred cricket tournament that was just on and that would show the ladies game first. Whereas the men’s games were getting 150/160 etc the women’s teams were struggling to get 100 most of the games. It was a level below for me and I didn’t enjoy it. But it really winds me up that I’m being accused of sexism! I’ve never said women can’t play sport or shouldn’t play sport,good luck to them,I respect anyone who goes their local gym let alone play professional sports. It’s just I don’t enjoy the women’s version of the sports I like for the reasons I’ve just said.