Womens' rugby Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread

sydthebeat

thanks LO

reading between the lines it sounds like there may have been a player drain issue.

Also, them being located in Belfast means theyd have pretty substantial travelling costs for a lot of away games, and most clubs are struggling financially post covid.

CIARAN_BOYLE

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119590366#Comment_119590366

I wonder if they will be entering 2 teams in lower tier competition or if they are now down to one team.

On another topic has there been any word on the bunch of contracts for women's rugby that was announced at the start of the summer.

nigeldaniel

Has anyone seen the 7s games lately? I know they lost to NZ but am curious to know how they looked in the previous games. I did not see any of those myself.

CIARAN_BOYLE

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119602496#Comment_119602496

The New Zealand game was the second game in the world Cup for the women's 7s team. The first was irrelevant as it was against a weaker team.

The previous 3 world series events we came 4th 3rd and 2nd which is quiet a good run of performances.

We were unlucky to draw new zealand this world Cup. They were seeded worse than they deserve to be because they missed a bunch of world series events due to covid regulations.

Edited to add: Ireland also lost to Fiji this morning meaning that we play England in the 7/8th place final later on today.

CIARAN_BOYLE

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119602496#Comment_119602496

Irish women looked strong in the 7th place playoff beating England 26 points to 10.

Lost Ormond

Hopefully this can get something going for the game in the celtic nations in coming years.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/wales-talks-scotland-ireland-wru-25102199?fbclid=IwAR1dYL3phpU3HHQ7iZ9eICfLRP6KC_x2oDUkLxs4GCgrOgWQhf8XeSda-Ps

CIARAN_BOYLE

https://m.independent.ie/sport/rugby/irfu-struggling-to-convince-womens-stars-to-turn-pro-42095760.html

Irfu apparently struggling to women on professional contracts.

That's no surprise if they are offering 15k per annum.

I understand not offerung equal pay to the men's but that's academy money. Not quit your job money.

To take advantage of professionalism and to fund it there probably needs to be some form of competition above the AIL that's not just the interpros.

Lost Ormond

That is kind of inevitable. You would need provinces playing a celtic league or joining Premier 15s to make it more likely players move to pro contracts bt not sure how likely that would happen

There needs to be more competition above AIL and below internationals anyway

sydthebeat

You can already see the problem with the ail league even after only 5 games.

It's a problem that the IRFU, through provincial means, not only ignore but actively encourage, and it can only end in disaster.

I fully agree that another tournament is required above ail level, but how that works is completely unknown. The interpros are as one sided usually with leinster Munster playing off to win it, while ulster connacht play off for the spoon. There's not enough competition there to make a decent tournament of it.

CIARAN_BOYLE

Its hard to say what the union should be doing at the moment with women's rugby contracts.

It's also a point of what comes first the chicken or the egg. Or in this case a group of professional players or some decent competition for them to play in.

There's 5 Six Nations games and 4 interpro games. For those involved in 7s theres also 6 hsbc sevens events.

There might or might not be a summer tour and autumn internationals.

The union can't justify paying decent salary for what could be 9 weeks of rugby at a level higher than the AIL. Players can't justify leaving their work for poorly paying roles.

I wonder if there's a decent semi professional program that could be offered instead of pro contracts in the short term.

Options to combine a rugby salary with study or part time work.

Lost Ormond

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119794943#Comment_119794943

Hard to disagree with that. I think improving systems and structures needs to be looked at first. No point professionalizing the top 30 or so players if you don't look at the club game and issues there. So many players are concentrated in too few clubs which doesn't help competition and just sees best younger players coming through age grade flock to the small number of clubs at the top.

Semi pro would be best option to go to.

Looks as though the All Blacks Brains Trust have put their foot in it! Jacinta won't be at all pleased with them at all at all!

"New Zealand Rugby criticised for fixture clash between All Blacks and Black Ferns

Governing body says it did not take into account its own Women’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final planning

"New Zealand Rugby has admitted that it forgot about the Women’s Rugby World Cup, which it is presently hosting, when organising a match between New Zealand men and Japan at the same time the women’s team face Wales in the quarter-finals this weekend.

The All Blacks play Japan at 6.50am UK time on Saturday as part of a northern tour in which they will also face Wales, Scotland and England, while the Black Ferns are due to kick off at 7.30am. Fans will therefore have to make a half-time decision during the All Blacks game about whether they should switch over to the women’s match.

The error comes despite the tournament organisers having known that the Black Ferns would be playing in the 7.30am time slot on Saturday, regardless of where they finished in pool A, since May last year." [London Times]

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119794943#Comment_119794943

I wonder if there's a decent semi professional program that could be offered instead of pro contracts in the short term.

is that missing a winking face??

cos that sounds very much like a sevens contract

CIARAN_BOYLE

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119796049#Comment_119796049

Well the 7s players are already contracted. In general though just reading the Independent article this morning and thinking who can afford to work professionally for 15k a year.

No wonder the IRFU are being turned down.

They need to find an appropriate structure for what they want to offer.

nigeldaniel

I would like to be positive about the development that is clearly being planned here, anyone else have comments? This is about the  Interprovincial Championship before the six nations. Does anyone think 3rd place in the 6 nations can be targeted?

https://www.msn.com/en-ie/sports/rugby-union/irfu-confirm-launch-of-women-s-xvs-high-performance-programme/ar-AA13EzOV?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=177a73b853ad425a8eb1a10c4e502325

Lost Ormond

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119825151#Comment_119825151

3rd certainly can be targeted. which has been our main placing in tournament for last decade or so

Would think Leinster should win Interpros.

AIL finishing before christmas isnt great i would prefer that was extended some way though AIL before christmas then interpros straight after then a break then 6 nations in April looks well with all feeding into each other.

CIARAN_BOYLE

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119825229#Comment_119825229

If we reviewed Nuciforas big press briefing recently (I summarised a half dozen articles with snippet from it on the main Ireland thread) there is supposed to be a Celtic Cup between the Interprovincials and the Six Nations.

The first year is to be one team from each of Ireland Wales and Scotland. Basically a full international team without non domestic players.

3rd should be targeted in the six nations

There's plans for an international tournament every year (as an autumn international analogue).

The top division is to feature 3 European teams qualified through the Six Nations.

I agree that the women's AIL is very short. It's each team playing each other once.

They could decide to double the fixture list with each team playing each other twice. That said I understand that some of the women's AIL teams would not be viable without Interprovincials players or internationals.

Perhaps a separate domestic tournament can happen for teams shorn of their internationals from January to April.

Lost Ormond

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119825444#Comment_119825444

I wouldnt even expand AIL to have all teams playing each other twice but even just 3/4 games more with a top/bottom split after everyone plays each other once so the top sides play each other again and the bottom half play each other again.

We really need to work on the AIL and while a Celtic League/Cup is fantastic to bridge gap between Club and International. The club game needs far more support. But i woudlnt move towards expanding to full home and away series yet.

The Womens AIL Cup/Plate/Bowl used to be very good with all sides competing be they provincial league sides or AIL. That should be reintroduced.

Caranica

That contract list is a joke. So many forwards left off for the sake of having more backs that can play 7s and 15s, regardless of experience/talent. FFS our captain this year isn't even on the list 🙄

Larbre34

You can't force people to sign up to contracts.

Fryday is a professional player at Exeter, one year in, perhaps she's perfectly happy there.

Women's professionalism in Ireland has come out of a historic low point 11 months ago and the offers at this new beginning aren't going to make any of the players rich, but its a starting point and they had to start somewhere. When the game generates more income with success, the tide will lift all boats.

In the meantime, its unlikely in the medium term that the Irish Women will see a policy of not selecting overseas players, so why wouldn't good players that have attracted pro contracts in England and elsewhere stick with those and support the growth of the game in Ireland by contributing to the international squad?

CIARAN_BOYLE

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119826586#Comment_119826586

According to the initial announcement there was to be 43 contracts in total.

Of the 29 contracts announced so far 19 are for 7s players while just 10 are for pure xvs players.

Contracts for 7s have been offered for a while and I suspect that many of the 19 sevens players are on existing contracts.

I would expect that all the remaining contracts will be for 15s (if filled). They may not be filled as players turn down the contracts due to rugby careers abroad or or non Rugby careers.

Given that quoted figures for the women's contracts are before appearance fess and bonuses I would expect that 7s teams having a full additional tournament in additions to 15s would find the offer on the table more attractive.

robbiezero

NZ v France just now. What a game.

TheRona

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119835885#Comment_119835885

Very exciting climax. Gotta feel for the French. Good to see NZ in the final, will keep interest high over there.

TheRona

That was an exciting final. England almost pulled it off, even with a player down for most of the match. Their maul is almost unstoppable, you would have expected them to win if they won that last lineout.

Lost Ormond

6 nations home games to be played in Musgrave Park

https://www.irishrugby.ie/2022/11/24/irelands-tiktok-womens-six-nations-home-games-to-be-played-at-musgrave-park/

Lost Ormond

IRFU women in rugby report released

https://www.irishrugby.ie/2022/12/08/independent-review-sets-a-positive-pathway-for-womens-rugby-in-ireland/

CIARAN_BOYLE

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119972294#Comment_119972294

The first thing I note is that the report is calling for an additional 2.4 million a year towards women's rugby.

On page 16 there is a breakdown of 2018 status in some regards, 2022 progress and 2023 goals in terms of player numbers, coaching numbers etc. The 2023 goals look like they aren't going to be hit.

There seems to be a lot of people unsatisfied with the AIL but they are announcing a move to 12 teams (in 2 divisions of 6).

Its mentioned that theres no details of the Celtic Cup at the time of writing but Nucifora mentioned in November that its planned to be between the interpros and six nations in 2023. The lack of details is slightly concerning.

Lost Ormond

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119972492#Comment_119972492

There is plenty unsatisfied with AIL but it needs a change and expansion to 12 with 2 divisions of 6 better than the 1 division of 8. It would allow more clubs progress to national league without having to take on the behometh super clubs who are attracting so many of the top internationals.

CIARAN_BOYLE

Women's AIL final postponed to 17th December due to bad weather.

CIARAN_BOYLE

Wrong thread