Clubhouse chat - The RFU and Women's Rugby

The RFU and Women's Rugby

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Topic: The RFU and Women's Rugby

Posted By: Breakdown
Subject: The RFU and Women's Rugby
Date Posted: 22 Nov 2024 at 11:20

As a supporter of the club that did more than most to boost, champion and display the wonders of women's rugby at all levels, including the World Cup, I welcome investment in it.

As a supporter of the entire game, which, for the foreseeable future will derive its public support and funding from the men's game, I fear that the RFU is mistiming its strategy.

This appointment - https://www.englandrugby.com/follow/news-media/rfu-appoints-executive-director-corporate-affairs" rel="nofollow - https://www.englandrugby.com/follow/news-media/rfu-appoints-executive-director-corporate-affairs - can only signal that the RFU is going to prioritise women's rugby at a time when the men's game, mostly through its own actions, is lying bleeding in the gutter.

I was at an industry event earlier this year when the deeply unimpressive Rory Price, another of Mr Sweeney's appointments, made clear that the RFU's main growth strategies were women and persuading young men to come to the game. The latter would be great, but he then went on to say he meant not as players, but as spectators, presumably for Twickenham and the benighted Premiership cartel.

I would wholly support prioritising women's rugby if it were not for the awful state of men's. It is impossible to increase crowd sizes for women's rugby to compensate for the financial catastrophe that is professional rugby, so to promote it before fixing that mess is truly to rearrange deck chairs on a sinking liner.

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Broken down. Beyond repair.

Replies:

Posted By: Halliford
Date Posted: 22 Nov 2024 at 12:08

Well said, Breakdown! Having listened last year to the Marketing Director of Northampton talking to an audience of Community Clubs about their strategy of growing crowds on Saturday afternoons by targeting the 18-30 age group, I have grave concerns about where men's rugby is heading. At the same time there is an obsession at the RFU about growing women's rugby, something my Club keeps trying to do but so far without success. Many of our players are doing well for other Clubs who are perhaps more focussed on that area.

I don't have solutions to either of these problems. Recruiting young men to play relies on having players come from Schools and Universities and efforts are being made there. Clubs are also

following their own routes but come up against the might of the Premiership marketing machine. One simple step would be to bar Premiership teams from playing on Saturday afternoons. Play on Friday night, Saturday night or Sunday and then young men can watch AND play for a local Club on Saturday afternoon.

Posted By: Camquin
Date Posted: 22 Nov 2024 at 13:03

The USA has this right, as with a few exceptions, School Football is on Friday, College or Saturday and the NFL on Sunday.

But, what they get wrong, is that almost everyone gives up on organised games after leaving school or college.

But, the professional game is in hock to TV, so it wold never happen.

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Sweeney Delenda Est