In this week’s Women in Sport Weekly we look at the rescheduling of the Women’s Six Nations in Rugby, the potential for the Women’s National League in soccer with Bank of Ireland on board as a second sponsor and at misogyny in Japan and how it cannot be just brushed aside.
Join us next week when we will announce the date of this year’s Sport for Business Women in Soport Conference, as well as the themes we will be considering.
SIX NATIONS SAVED IN SHORTENED FORM
The women’s Six Nations has been saved and will now take place starting on the weekend of 3rd/4th April and finishing on 24th April.
In order to accommodate the shorter window required to fit in qualification for the Rugby World Cup later this year., there will be a new and condensed format similar to that of the recent Autumn Nations Cup.
Ireland will play France at home and Wales away before a grand final weekend to crown the Six Nations Champions and determine the placings from second to sixth.
The detailed fixture dates, venues and kick-off times will be announced in due course.
RTÉ Sport has the rights to broadcast Ireland’s games live.
GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT THE WOMEN’S NATIONAL LEAGUE
Bank of Ireland came on board as an associate sponsor of both the Men’s and Women’s domestic soccer leagues during the week, echoing the gender balance approach of SSE Airtricity and giving another boost to the Women’s National League.
Speaking to media on Thursday, Peamount United Manager James O’Callaghan called for a taskforce to be set up to look at what it might require to get the WNL to a semi-professional status and highlighting the benefits that would bring to the game.
There are many reasons why such an approach makes sense, putting evidence in place alongside instinct.
With new momentum coming through from two new sponsors and plenty of smart thinking in each of their own teams, there has hardly been a better time.
Watch this space…
TOKYO MISOGYNY NEEDED TO BE CALLED OUT
When the head of the Tokyo Olympic Organising Committee decided to speak about women administrators in an online meeting during the week, he showed misogyny which needed to be called out and condemned.
It’s worth highlighting what he said, as reported in The Guardian newspaper.
“Women have a strong sense of rivalry. If one raises her hand to speak, all the others feel the need to speak, too. Everyone ends up saying something.”
“If I say too much, the newspapers are going to write that I said bad things, but I heard somebody say that if we are to increase the number of female board members, we have to regulate speaking time to some extent, or else we’ll never be able to finish. I am not going to say who said that.”
“We have about seven women at the organising committee but everyone understands their place.”
he went on to throw out a number of other stereotypes about ‘talkative’ women and referenced the issues in this area that arose when he chaired the Rapan Rugby Board.
Mori is a former Prime Minister so he should understand the importance of how words can put down some and embolden others to maintain outdated thinking that never had a place in a properly balanced society.
The furore will no doubt pass. he has said he will not resign.
But with almost a 50;50 split likely among competitors at the games he will oversee, there is no doubt that he should.
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Each week we carry a Women in Sport Weekly Column, highlighting stories here in Ireland and around the world that are relevant to the idea that we are only catching up to what is happening elsewhere and that while we may be strong in some areas, there are certainly others where we need to prod and poke to ensure fairness.
That’s all, it’s not a takeover, it’s not at the expense of sport that is there already, it is just recognition that sport should be more conscious of its obligation to the 50.5 per cent of the population that has just as much right and talent to play sport as anyone.
If you think there is a story around Women in Sport that we should feature please get in touch and let us know.
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