Why is this a great time to tune in into women's rugby?
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As I started writing, I was fiddling about with my fantasy team for the second round of the TikTok Women Six Nations 2023. This year is a tough one and choices need to be carefully made in the selection, and I got a bit annoyed that developers of the dedicated interface didn’t bother making the same effort on accuracy and choice of players that they had in the men’s Six Nations.
I paused a second to think about it though and I realised that only a couple of years ago, there was no such thing of a fantasy app for the women’s tournament. In the past, those wishing to follow the games had to sneak on Youtube (when we were lucky) to find even just a low-quality streaming was being offered for those who wanted to follow the tournament. If we were lucky.
Only two years ago, the matches would clash on the weekend’s schedule, and we would have to make a choice on who was getting our attention. Given that all men’s games were more easily available, hassle-free and free to view (and with a resolution that didn’t make you feel seasick 10 minutes into the game).
In the past two years, things have changed massively for women’s rugby. This weekend I’ll be able to tune into BBC iPlayer and watch all the games, with commentary from professionals (who thankfully are becoming less and less patronizing). The tournament has its own window and this means that fans can tune in and watch. Girls of all ages and shapes can see what professional athletes can achieve.
Only a few days ago, England Rugby announced record breaking ticket sales for the Red Roses’ match against France at Twickenham, beating the World Cup Final’s record at Eden Park of more than 42,500 people in attendance. These are incredibly exciting days for women’s rugby.
Having experienced grassroots rugby as a player – first in Italy, then in Scotland – I am absolutely thrilled that there is change being pushed at international level and the sport being given a much bigger platform. As redundant as it can sound, it's so true for women's rugby at the moment: "If you see it, you can be it." And we are seeing more and more incredible athletes on the pitch.
A wee digression has to be made here, because I think the RFU has to be credited for their lead in investing on women’s rugby. By awarding fully-professional central contracts, creating and developing a top tier league – which has then attracted third party sponsors which then resulted in the rebranding of the competition as Allianz Premier 15s – and lately also introducing new ways of supporting their top players, last but not least trialling their new maternity leave policy. By doing so, they are driving other nations world-wide in proving that women’s rugby can bring crowds and audiences in.
French Rugby – and overseas, the likes of USA and Canada – have also contributed greatly in raising the standards of the game. (Who would have thought that more appropriate funding could help?)
In any case, the fact that many rugby federations (Italian and Scottish included) are taking steps towards that direction means the level of the game is set to grow, and we can only imagine to what lengths. It makes for increasingly exciting games to watch.
Last year Wales, Italy and Scotland (and, later, Ireland) have all announced the rollout of professional contracts to their best players. This is already making a huge impact on and off the pitch.
These were all athletes who had to balance day jobs with the commitment that both club rugby and that of wearing their national shirt means. And this is not just about game time – to compete at that level means hours and hours spent in the gym, on a pitch practicing essential skills. Before these professional contracts, with very little time for the body to recover, and the need to have a job flexible enough that would allow the to take a conspicuous amount of days off (for training and camp, match days, and injuries).
Wales look like the side that has made the most yards from the past editions of the tournament.
Scotland – despite their defeats against England and Wales – have improved their game massively. Unfortunately missing impact players like Jade Konkel-Roberts – who, if we are talking professionalism, was the first ever Scot to be given a full-time professional contract in the team – Rhona Lloyd and Emma Wassell, they looked so much sharper around the pitch than in previous years and with a much better structure, and I think they could do damage to other teams in the rest of the tournament.
It’s not just at top tier that the investment needs to be, but also in pathways for young talents to develop and grow to create a stronger and more competitive pool and sustainable elite level. Last year, Scottish Rugby published its Women & Girls’ Strategy aiming to grow the game between 2022 and 2026. And changes are happening at various levels.
As a player for Inverness Craig Dunain Rugby, I have seen my teammates (I have taken a rest season) go from only a handful of games played each season in past years to having to adapt to play almost every weekend. On one side this can definitely take a toll on players' bodies and availability. On the other hand, the more you play, the more experience you gain, and with possible adaptations of the competitions in the future, this is really welcome.
Back home (Italy for me), things are a bit more blurred.
I am delighted that our internationals have been granted contracts last year: in a country where rugby is still at relatively niche sport and in which often women are not taken seriously at all – when a woman playing rugby is not overtly frowned upon – this feels like a small victory and a big step forward.
The elite championship has also been revised recently and hopefully this will allow more players to improve and excel. Some have gone abroad and played in the English and French competitions with top tier clubs and that has raised the level of their performance.
But at grassroots level, there are many issues that clubs and unions need to solve to actively grow the women’s game, moving away from the nonsense stigma and sexism that too often affects this environment.
On a more personal note, rugby is not only great for fitness and fun. I don't think I take it too far if I say that it has changed my life for the better and I wish I had found rugby earlier in my life – it brought amazing people into my life, it gave me a home whenever I moved on my own to a new place (which has happened several times in the recent past) and it made me much more confident about myself and with my body – something that for most people and especially young girls is a massive issue. I had all of this in exchange of some very soggy socks and boots and a good amount of bruises, but I would never change that.
We are on the right track with developing the movement. We are still far away from the try line. But a big break through the defensive line has been made, and now we really need to all run together and support those leading the charge in this change.
