Australian netball - mixed sex league

[equuscaballus]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10022797/Queensland-Suns-17s-netball-hit-46-12-thrashing-Bull-Sharks-rivals.html

I'm sure there are other links available, I know the Daily Fail isn't popular on MN.

I was expecting this to be discussed on here yesterday, it wasn't picked up on so I thought i'd share it.

Just been watching the NZ v England game. Elite netball is a full body contact sport, arses shoving groins and vice-versa.

If it's a mixed-sex league then I'd have been surprised if an all male team hadn't been fielded at some point.

In some sports with mixed teams, they have elaborate point systems about how many players can be on a court (say) at the same time with men counting as 0.5 and women as 0.25.

That's one way something like a mixed-sex sport can be managed at a competitive level but it's not straightforward and not feasible for all activities.

Dutch Korfball was designed as a kind of mixed netball. The rules state that you can only mark a player of the same sex.

I used to be the kind of person who judged people for reading the mail. On balance, I've seen they've covered some subjects very well and that my attitude was childish.

Obviously this is very wrong. How telling is this non apology,
Queensland Suns acknowledges the perceptions of disadvantage or unfairness for the girls regional teams
Using the word perception is deliberate and disgusting gaslighting.
In schools in primary even high five games have boy girl ratio rules because sex matters even at that age.
Inclusive would be creating a boys league. Women had to do this for all sports so the excuse it's easier to invade the women's game doesn't wash.
There are games like korf ball that have been invented to make mixed sex teams fair. This should be how inclusion is championed. Not stealing trophies from women and girls.

I used to be the kind of person who judged people for reading the mail.

I'm now reading pieces in the Times and James Kirkup in the Spectator ! Mind, on Monday I'm attending something organised by the Communist Party so these are very strange times.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4356754-Womens-Equality-Emergency-Meeting-Monday-27th-September-Speakers-Maya-Forstater-Charlie-Weinberg-and-Marion-Calder-For-Women-Scotland

Rather demonstrates the inequality between males and females playing against each other though?

@Beamur Yes I thought that it was a bit of a open and shut case.

@BelleOfTheProvince I find that the mail covers a broad range. It's free to access and very widely read, so it lets me know what a large % of the UK are thinking. I read as many free publications as possible for balance!

I also agree the players shouldn't have met with abuse, however it may have been an effective message to the organisers?

Perception?? - infuriating!

See, the problem with saying that the abuse(which I assume means shouting about the unfairness) is that sounds an awful lot like internalised misogyny to me.

Sit down. Be quiet. Be polite and kind. Suck it up. Don't rock the boat.

I also doubt it was anywhere near the amount of abuse women saying women's sports should be protected get anyway.

The coach and sports federation are at fault here for encouraging a situation that resulted in abuse.

@BelleOfTheProvince

I suspect you're correct.
My meaning was that it seems unfair to target the players when the organisers are at fault.
However, where has sit down and be quiet ever gotten us?
I've noticed in life, quiet people rarely get what they want..

BBC article www.bbc.co.uk/sport/netball/58674910

These quotes

"Our boys just want to play" - what about the girls who just want to play on a level playing field?

"playing against men is "a great development opportunity"" - No. No it isn't. Getting muscled off the ball by physically bigger, stronger opponents who benefit from testosterone etc etc, is not going to make girls better netball players, it'll just put them off the sport for ever

"The governing body said it was preparing for a standalone boys' competition at under-18 level in 2022" - the boys will get their own league but the girls have to put up with mixed-sex? Okey-dokey

18 year old males, and they "just want to play," pressing their frames up close and personal against similar age females?

Yeah?

Why are men and boys always so lazy. They never sort themselves out with their own stuff they just take away/ muscke in ok stuff girls put together for themselves.

Just fuck off

The female teams at the Women’s Championship all knew they would not win.

Every female team lost - the smallest losing margin was 29 goals.

Imagine going to your regional sporting championship knowing there wasn’t a chance in hell of a fair competition, of being the best at your level for your sex but it meaning shit all.

Women’s sport is fucked.

Every female team lost - the smallest losing margin was 29 goals.

If performance in a competition contributes points to anything then itt also means it's wrecked general standings in any leagues.

The happenstance of being drawn against the male team in the first round could easily have knocked out the #1 female team.

It sounds like the idea was that the male team hadn't been able to play much, so someone thought it would be nice to invite them to play in the girls tournament, and the exposure might get more boys involved in netball.

That could have been handled much better by having the game be an exhibition, or dividing the boys team as an exhibition game, or something along those lines. They could have mixed the teams and had the mixed teams play an exhibition.

I tend to think the players shouldn't have been shouted at. They are young men but this wasn't their idea and the the adults are the ones responsible to make sure things were fair and safe.

au.sports.yahoo.com/netball-queensland-backlash-boys-team-wins-state-title-against-females-013110886.html - Yahoo News story has some comments from fans and commentators

"Joe Muir added: “I don’t know of any sport in the world that would have allowed this to happen, total disgrace.” - someone send Joe to here, we've got plenty of examples!"

"The team that finished runner-up also posted a message on Facebook specifically referencing their undefeated achievement against "other women's teams".

The Bull Sharks wrote: “Congratulations on an outstanding tournament to our 18U Women. Undefeated by other women’s teams for the week and runners up in the State Titles.”"

^ This has a distinct #NoThankYou vibe to it!

@LobsterNapkin

It sounds like the idea was that the male team hadn't been able to play much, so someone thought it would be nice to invite them to play in the girls tournament, and the exposure might get more boys involved in netball.

That could have been handled much better by having the game be an exhibition, or dividing the boys team as an exhibition game, or something along those lines. They could have mixed the teams and had the mixed teams play an exhibition.

I tend to think the players shouldn't have been shouted at. They are young men but this wasn't their idea and the the adults are the ones responsible to make sure things were fair and safe.

Absolutely, those ideas would have been much better!

My girls have always played netball and they do so because there are no bloody boys.

Ironically they grew up in Australia and are both sporty and netball is something they do as teenagers because there are no boys there. They also do (between them) football and gymnastics and training for both is mixed. Although the football the boys are on a different pitch but they are still there.

At primary school in Australia they did PE separated by sex and they also did Little Athletics there which was also divided by sex from the age of five.

@BlaydonRaces

"The team that finished runner-up also posted a message on Facebook specifically referencing their undefeated achievement against "other women's teams".

The Bull Sharks wrote: “Congratulations on an outstanding tournament to our 18U Women. Undefeated by other women’s teams for the week and runners up in the State Titles.”"

^ This has a distinct #NoThankYou vibe to it!

www.facebook.com/bonduniversitybullsharksnetball/photos/a.785164881581255/4228059123958463/?type=3

Yes, good for them. A very dignified response.

That's awful.