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Women's Rugby Union

HodgoBerro

Bill Watson (15)
Sydney XVs comp starts around April 21, atm we are doing a few 7s tourneys here and there.

Canterbury Rugby Club is hosting a Sydney based comp this Sat between 9am - 2pm.

Last week Warringah Rats took out the Women's division of the Queanbeyan 7s beating Sydney Uni by 1 try on the bell.
 

Jets

Paul McLean (56)
Staff member
Sunnybank Rugby started their women's 7's program last night. I think it runs over 6 weeks and provides a great opportunity for women to start playing rugby.
 

Cat_A

Arch Winning (36)
Ok - an angry rant about the ARU and its treatment of Women's Rugby

On International Women's Day, the Qantas Wallabies (official account) recognised the "role" of women in rugby (listing player last, behind mothers and jersey washers I think) and I sent back a tweet asking when the Wallaroos would have their own twitter account. It struck me as a token recognition by the ARU as they saw IWD in the trending topics section, and I'm sick of token recognition from a sport which will be represented by both men AND women at the Olympics. I was replied to twice with a tweet saying "watch this space"

Well, I was watching that space, I watched it all day Thursday, all day Friday, all day Saturday, and all day Sunday. Finally a new twitter account was created: for the fucking mascot. Yes that's right, somewhere in ARU-land, they have deemed that a stuffed kangaroo with a low-paid man-woman inside of it has more to say than the current 7s World Cup champions. Who, as I understand, are playing in Hong Kong and a few other tournaments that sit alongside the IRB 7s circuit, within the next month. And who had a training camp in Canberra last weekend. Plenty of news to report. But lets hear what the inanimate object with no opposable thumbs or individually controlled fingers to be able to tweet for himself thinks. That's clearly more important.

Rant over.
 

Cat_A

Arch Winning (36)
Thanks Bruce. I guess what gets up my nose the most about it, is what it represents: cheering for the men's team, supporting men's rugby etc is more important than playing the game if you're a female.
 

suckerforred

Chilla Wilson (44)
Well said Cat. I saw your Tweet and thought to myself..... Hmmm ARU is about to be in a world of hurt if they don't respond appropiately. Can I please suggest that you send your rant to the ARU. Just to make sure that they listen. I do know they read this site though.....
 

p.Tah

John Thornett (49)
somewhere in ARU-land, they have deemed that a stuffed kangaroo with a low-paid man-woman inside of it...
A man-woman... Inside a kangaroo? That is weird, that needs to be on the news ;)
In all seriousness I'm with SFR, you need to send that rant to the ARU.
 

Cat_A

Arch Winning (36)
In response to my tweet asking why the mascot has a twitter account, the ARU feed sent me this reply: We are actually currently working with players and coaches to get them online first and then launch the Twitter alongside

To this, I would like to respond: you’re either
a) a) Telling a furphy to get out of an awkward situation or
b) b) Doing it in a totally arse about way.

For the sake of an argument, I’m going to respond as if the answer is B.

The process outlined in 140 characters is that they are getting players and coaches onto twitter, and THEN launching a Wallaroos twitter feed.

“Working with Players and coaches to get them online”
I follow Rebecca Tavo on twitter and on her first day, she tweeted “My first time on twitter. Help!” Regardless of if she was joking, this tends to indicate the ARU’s process of “working with players” was more a case of throwing them in the deep-end and saying “oh well, go for it”. It appears the only support around promotional material for her feed has come straight from the IRB, although her bio implies that by following her, you are following the Australian Women’s 7s team. I have absolutely no doubt that Rebecca is on her way to becoming a twitter superstar, and from all I’ve heard, she’s a fantastic ambassador for women’s rugby, but a note to the ARU: Whacking in a 5 word (and 1 number) bio saying “follow the Australian Women’s 7s team”, and tweeting for people to follow her once (!) is NOT “working with players”. [As an aside, I’d bloody LOVE to follow the Australian Women’s 7s team. Do they have a social media presence? No!]

“then launch the Twitter alongside”
This is the bit that really gets my goat. Firstly, who thought it was a good idea to market players individually and THEN establish a team brand on the back of it? I knew that the Wallaroos won the last 7s World Cup (only Australian side to ever do so, btw), so if I saw the Qantas Wallaroos as an option to follow, I’d go “ok sure – I know that name” but given that the Wallaroos site on the Australian Rugby website features a LOT of “images still to come” players, and Rebecca isn’t featured prominently on there at all (actually, not even identified as captain) how was I to know who she was by name recognition? For that matter, how is anyone to recognise her, or any other female player’s “brand” for the purposes of social media, given that the Wallaroos barely get any media coverage at all?

Secondly, how many players do you think will be required before the Wallaroos social media presence is launched? Is it one, two, the whole team? It strikes me as incredibly inefficient to get even 3 players to start a social media presence for a code YOU have the onus to promote, when one person from the ARU could’ve done the same thing within 5 minutes, then passed the login and password details along to 5 players, coaches and managers with an iPhone. Then the TEAM could’ve had a social media presence, and the players within the team wouldn’t have been asked to assume promotional responsibilities that they are NOT paid for. You don’t ask the Wallabies to tweet links to press releases – you do that yourself. You don’t ask the Wallabies to give score updates – you do that yourselves too. Why do the women have to start it? And, what happens if a player is injured and not in camp or at a tournament before the Wallaroos social media presence is established? Do we get NO news at all?

Finally, how hard do you think it actually is to develop a twitter profile? If you’d have done it on Thursday you could’ve launched it on International Women’s Day and had something MEANINGFUL to say, rather than a hollow recognition of “yeah, thanks ladies”. It would take you 5 minutes and would get my whingeing arse off your back. And you bet your arse GAGR would get behind the team – I’d see to it myself!
 

Cat_A

Arch Winning (36)
A man-woman... Inside a kangaroo? That is weird, that needs to be on the news ;)
In all seriousness I'm with SFR, you need to send that rant to the ARU.

Haha - yeah - I got a little feisty and clearly struggled with syntax... I think the gist came through. And women's rugby on the news? HA! :(
 

MrMouse

Bob Loudon (25)
Great point, Cat. I reckon GAGR can get behind it by asking a few of the prominent menfolk rugby identities on twitter to support it...put pressure on the ARU that way...
 
A

amanda

Guest
Great work, Cat!

I think the ARU is starting to pay slightly more attention to women's rugby, although not enough to hold a 15s Nationals tournament (alas for me) or do anything with the Wallaroos.

BUT they are developing schoolgirls sevens - they were in camp the other week, and there have been Come and Try Days and scouting etc, which is all new and positive. And necessary, mind you, for an Olympic Sport which is no doubt receiving funding from Canberra.

Anyway, here are a few Aussie Pearls players / squad members / Wallaroo players (alumni) I know to be on Twitter:

@kristy_giteau
@RebeccaTavo
@aliciaquirk
@emilee_cherry
@dlacruz_b
@kateporter83
@sharni2388
@Debby_H_Rugby
@Dalena05

The last three aren't exactly active, though. There are a few more alumni, but they aren't active either.
 

AngrySeahorse

Peter Sullivan (51)
Great work, Cat!

I think the ARU is starting to pay slightly more attention to women's rugby, although not enough to hold a 15s Nationals tournament (alas for me) or do anything with the Wallaroos.

BUT they are developing schoolgirls sevens - they were in camp the other week, and there have been Come and Try Days and scouting etc, which is all new and positive. And necessary, mind you, for an Olympic Sport which is no doubt receiving funding from Canberra.

Anyway, here are a few Aussie Pearls players / squad members / Wallaroo players (alumni) I know to be on Twitter:

@kristy_giteau
@RebeccaTavo
@aliciaquirk
@emilee_cherry
@dlacruz_b
@kateporter83
@sharni2388
@Debby_H_Rugby
@Dalena05

The last three aren't exactly active, though. There are a few more alumni, but they aren't active either.

Thanks for the info Amanda. I'm about to have a psycho rant about the Nationals situation along with other things real soon which you & others may find entertaining, to use ARU terms "watch this space".
 

Cat_A

Arch Winning (36)
Thanks Amanda - Makes the ARU's "we're working with players" argument a bit more flimsy, as there are already plenty on there!
 

Moses

Simon Poidevin (60)
Staff member
Wow, this is seriously embarrassing.

Why put these players up when all you know is their name, state, and that they were born on the 1st January, 2001...

Anyone keen to do some proper profiles of the Wallaroos in the Ruggapedia?
 

AngrySeahorse

Peter Sullivan (51)
Wow, this is seriously embarrassing.

Why put these players up when all you know is their name, state, and that they were born on the 1st January, 2001...

Anyone keen to do some proper profiles of the Wallaroos in the Ruggapedia?

I don't think that's the full list either unless some girls aren't playing anymore. If I had the info I'd do the profiles. If we could get the contacts for the clubs they play for, email them to request some info for a profile we might be able to get something to put up for sure.
 

Cat_A

Arch Winning (36)
Moses I'm assuming you're referring to the ARU page? Quick tip gang: QLD is not a club...

My contacts are limited, but I can find out some information - if you can put up the Wallaroos as a team with jersey, that'd be great - I'll fill in as I find anything out.
 
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