To be pleased to see the women's rugby on mainstream tv

[PlayOnWurtz]

England vs Italy world cup pool match is on itv

I used to play - although was never really that good. Even so, it simply isn't as good to watch as men's rugby. Slower, fewer good tackles, fewer big kicks, no impressive runs or long passes.

I can see why the matches are seldom broadcast.

I've watched it a few times and I wont watch it again. The quality of play is very poor. Same as the womans cricket.......

My daughter plays & is trialling for her county, so I'm very pleased to see it being broadcast & become more mainstream.

RUFC is really pushing women's rugby at the moment & the vast majority of clubs now have girls teams, attached, so hopefully it will go from strength to strength.

YABU sorry but it's just not exciting. Women's football is also not exciting. There are plenty of other sports where women excel.

Sad to see so many (presumably) female posters putting down other women's efforts. Reminds me of certain posters' reactions when it was revealed that the next Doctor Who is going to be female. Surely women's participation in team sports is to be encouraged?

Personally I wouldn't sit and watch it because I find team sports dull in general, the men's just as much. But that's just me.

@Pemba....... Yes, woman should be encouraged at grass roots level to participate in all sports. By doing so hopefully the quality of playing will get better.

That does not mean as a woman I should have to pretend that the womans T20 cricket that we watched at the Oval yesterday (After the mens) was any good. The standard was very, very poor, and not worth watching. Same with the rugby.

I enjoy women's athletics and golf as much as men's versions, but women's rugby and football don't really appeal, because the standard is so much lower imo. I'm not a cricket fan so can't comment on that.

@Pemba Agree.

OP, YANBU.

We've had the athletics and the women's rugby on at work (Dementia nursing home) the ladies were all fixated on it, and loved watching it all. I was very surprised. They usually only seem to concentrate on Musicals and old black and white movies, it was nice to see them enjoy something else.

@Pemba

Firstly, what difference does it make if I'm a man or a woman?

Secondly, there's a difference between wanting and being happy for well-funded women's sport and finding it enjoyable to watch. I'm always fixated when it's 6 Nations or the World Cup but that's because it's the best rugby and most skilled players. I have no interest in seeing less skilled sports men or women play. That goes for all areas; driving, running, ball sports.

Dinghy racing, a sport I am very good at, has traditionally been gender-independent in many classes and I would watch a women's race (mixed race) where the top women are as good as the top men.

Women's sport is where men's was 40 years ago and it's only by encouraging the funding through watching it that we can improve the quality. But yeah, the world cup winning women's team are just shit really aren't they, ffs.

Also I love showing my DD that women can play the sports she loves at international level.

@Glen

No one has said that the women are "just shit".

Would you like to watch the English women's team play the men? Of course you wouldn't. At best, the women would be humiliated. More likely, they'd have career-ending injuries.

There are some sports where women tend to be better than men but these are very few. There are a few where the playing field is equal (sailing was my 'educated' example) but on the whole, men's sport is more exciting than women's. To pretend otherwise is foolish.

Televised sports isn't about promoting equality, it's about watching the best of the best. I'll enjoy seeing the women's Olympic field events but not pretend that women's rugby, cricket, field hockey etc is anything like as great to watch as the men's.

I'm an old-school feminist. I don't want pity. I want a level playing field (no pun intended). If women's rugby won't attract the viewers because it isn't as watchable, I don't want it televised anyway because of some quota imposed on the broadcasters.

You're correct that funding is catching (I'd say caught) up in state-subsidised sports.and this is right and fair. Televising shouldn't be about pity though.

@HurryUpAndWait.......... Spot on.

@Hurry, as an old school feminist I'm sure you understand the biological reasons that men and women don't play certain sports against each other.

I watch women's rugby and football because I enjoy it. The England Women's team have improved massively because funding has increased and allows better training, including a few women to play professionally. If we need the cart to lead the horse on this one, so be it. As a feminist I want women to have the same opportunities as the men playing.

Very happy to see women's rugby and cricket. The standard is coming on in leaps and bounds (pun intended). If someone is prepared to sweat on television, we will watch them do it.

Also I love showing my DD that women can play the sports she loves at international level.

This exactly.

It's great isn't it? For years people have told me the reason women's sport isn't on TV is because no one will watch it. My football mad dh and elder sons are delighted whenever women's football is on as they say there's a lot more football playing going on and a lot less time wasting and dramatics.

YANBU; it's great to see women's sport being taken seriously and I hope it inspires more girls to get involved.

I don't actually like rugby myself (I don't watch men's rugby either) but I do really like football and I've been really pleased to see better coverage for women's football in the last couple of years too. Definitely a step forward.