Some were seemingly isolated in, and from, this process.
Player feedback from the Six Nations review did not seem to be well-received.
The interview published recently in The Irish Times with retired international Ruth O'Reilly offered a glimpse of contemporary issues with a long history that the IRFU preferred to cleanse in official rhetoric, perhaps because of the 2023 bid and the associated diplomatic capital to be gained from hosting the women's tournament. Irish women's rugby has been operating in a power deficit since its official formation in the early 1990s. Left concealed, it can be a relatively closed system reproducing an orthodox and powerful gender regime. Wearing 3D glasses reveals a more complex picture however - one that requires us to ask whether the voices of women's sports representatives and players have equal place.Īll-male team sports exist in a system led mainly by men who have progressed through this system: becoming coaches, volunteers, paid officials, board members, referees and so on. The importance of these events lies not only in the quality of the games and the competitiveness and skill on display irrespective of gender, but it also reveals much about the changing status of team sports played by women and their growing social significance. Cora Staunton seeks her fifth All-Ireland medal and must surely be in line for an 11th All-Star award after 22 years of playing excellence. Today sees a second and no less important round of the Mayo-Dublin rivalry in the women's football code. South of the border, Cork reclaimed the All-Ireland camogie title from Kilkenny by the slimmest of margins and Rena Buckley collected a record-setting 18th All-Ireland senior medal. The UEFA women's under 19 finals were hosted very successfully by the IFA (football not farmers!) in Northern Ireland, who have gained much social capital in the eyes of UEFA for future tournament bids in both the men's and women's codes.
No one can deny the ways in which the women's rugby team embraced their role as ambassadors and physically poured their hearts and bodies into every game. Despite that disappointment, what a summer it has been for women's sports on the island. The signs were there - and for months previously - but I desperately wanted to believe otherwise, primarily for the players' sake. Within five minutes, this dream was crushed by Wales who scored a well-taken try, helped in no small part by the failure of the home team to secure kick-off possession. My dream for the Irish women's rugby team was one of automatic qualification for the next Women's Rugby World Cup in the face of deficits, on and off the field of play. When Lindsey Peat scored 'that try' against the Welsh in the 64th minute of the seventh-place play-off in Belfast in August, I dared to dream.
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