Potential Of Women`s Rugby League.

[Scubby]

10 minutes ago, RayCee said:

RL doesn’t have a great record of promoting internationals. Its a sport reliant on domestic leagues. Sending top players over to Oz would be a bold move but would the NRL want to accommodate that influx? Would it just weaken the game in the UK too much? 

The NRLW are going from 6 to 8 teams in 2023 and 10 teams in 2024 - they will be on the look out for top players. The reason we don't have a great record is because we are half arsed and pandering to the clubs.

The women's game could be completely different - the governing body could call the shots and tie up the country's best 10-15 players by paying them and deciding when are where they play. They are happy with the cheap option at present.

The best women RL athletes in the world could be earning a good living. We could run the Women's SL here to compliment the NRLW and even invite the best overseas Women's players for guest stints. It is a blank page in terms of potential but will end up being a fudge which the NRL will win and monetise. 

[The Rocket]

1 hour ago, Scubby said:

The NRLW are going from 6 to 8 teams in 2023 and 10 teams in 2024 - they will be on the look out for top players. The reason we don't have a great record is because we are half arsed and pandering to the clubs.

The women's game could be completely different - the governing body could call the shots and tie up the country's best 10-15 players by paying them and deciding when are where they play. They are happy with the cheap option at present.

The best women RL athletes in the world could be earning a good living. We could run the Women's SL here to compliment the NRLW and even invite the best overseas Women's players for guest stints. It is a blank page in terms of potential but will end up being a fudge which the NRL will win and monetise. 

From what I`ve read following the success of the NRLW the only clubs that haven`t expressed an interest in an NRLW license are Melbourne, Manly and the Dolphins, and I can`t imagine a wealthy club like Melbourne not putting its` hand up soon. The NRL will be keen to have a women`s League team down there  especially given the point of difference it will make to the aesthetically challenged aflw. So don`t worry about 10 teams we could be headed to 14 plus over the next few years.

Given that the women`s game in Oz still only has about 35k participants across all age groups in the tackle version, though Touch and Tag may have several multiples of that, I don`t think it will take long for NRLW scouts to start snooping around the participants in your women`s Super League. $ 10 000 minimum (at the moment) for a few weeks work, could work well for both parties.

 

 

[Scubby]

31 minutes ago, The Rocket said:

From what I`ve read following the success of the NRLW the only clubs that haven`t expressed an interest in an NRLW license are Melbourne, Manly and the Dolphins, and I can`t imagine a wealthy club like Melbourne not putting its` hand up soon. The NRL will be keen to have a women`s League team down there  especially given the point of difference it will make to the aesthetically challenged aflw. So don`t worry about 10 teams we could be headed to 14 plus over the next few years.

Given that the women`s game in Oz still only has about 35k participants across all age groups in the tackle version, though Touch and Tag may have several multiples of that, I don`t think it will take long for NRLW scouts to start snooping around the participants in your women`s Super League. $ 10 000 minimum (at the moment) for a few weeks work, could work well for both parties.

 

 

The UK doesn't have the money that the NRL has or can generate in Australia. Therefore they need to think outside the box. A summer competition that is IPL/Hundred like may well be worth exploring.

Getting the best 30-40 NRLW players over to mix with the best UK players to form a short-form franchise like competition. It doesn't necessarily have to go away from Leeds, Saints, Wigan etc. but you really want a serious funded competition that also incorporates London.

When all said and done this type of approach is a million miles away from how the women's game is being managed at present. The will has to be there and the men's game in the UK shows the outlook is contracting not expanding at the moment. So to sum it up - no chance!

[RigbyLuger]

4 hours ago, Scubby said:

Most of them. They are not helped by the governing body that really doesn't know what to do with the structure - hence why Saints are taking advantage and creating a Wigan 1980s-like set up.

The structure is a mess. They expanded too quickly, and without good reason.

[RayCee]

If a SL club runs a women's team, how badly is the club impacted if the team performs badly? On the other hand if the men's team plays badly and the club is relegated, that will have a  massive effect on the club. So where will a club’s main focus be?

Money is tight for the game in the UK. How much will a club invest in the women's game at the expense of the men's side? It is a shortsighted view but when finances are limited that’s the reality. 
 

Sending women over to Australia for experience and some financial reward has been put forward. However, that may not suit many player’s circumstances and the cost of travel and accommodation would have to be factored in. How much money would clubs in Australia wish to spend to get players over? The standard in Australia is clearly higher and few would make an impact worthy of the outlay. It’s the sort of idea that would need to grow gradually at best.

Top level RL in the UK is shortsighted due to finances and fear of relegation. Giving the women's game support for a future benefit would be considered a luxury most clubs would feel they cannot afford.

[Simon Hall]

York Ladies v Oulton drew a crowd of over 500 fans yesterday at the LNER for a stand alone fixture, more than some League One and 1895 cup games. If a part time championship club can push the woman's game like that then every SL club should be able to. 

[RigbyLuger]

27 minutes ago, Simon Hall said:

York Ladies v Oulton drew a crowd of over 500 fans yesterday at the LNER for a stand alone fixture, more than some League One and 1895 cup games. If a part time championship club can push the woman's game like that then every SL club should be able to. 

They probably don't see the future value.

[Simon Hall]

27 minutes ago, RigbyLuger said:

They probably don't see the future value.

Off the back of going to the game yesterday, my daughter and her mate are going to one of the holiday programmes the Knights Ladies put on to give the game a go, plus the parents we took with us are planning on coming to a few Knights mens games this season as they enjoyed what they watched. 

Clubs are better off spending some money on this than 1 ex-NRL player a year in my opinion. 

[gingerjon]

The Cardiff side, wholly supported by the national body in Wales, will be playing its home games at Cardiff Arms Park.

Now, that is decent.

 

[Scubby]

24 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

The Cardiff side, wholly supported by the national body in Wales, will be playing its home games at Cardiff Arms Park.

Now, that is decent.

 

Great to see. The future of the women's game is both inside and outside of the M62. Players in London and Wales are just a likely to become top players if the system is there. Speed and athleticism is a big part of the game.

We need to treat it as a sport with potential, look at a bespoke strategy to do it justice - and put some resources behind it! Having clubs just paying token lip service to it is a waste of a new and exciting market.

[The Rocket]

1 hour ago, Scubby said:

Speed and athleticism is a big part of the game.

Observations like this one in today`s The Australian : "The fast, skilful women’s game, which has less wrestle than the men’s game" have become commonplace in describing the women`s game.

It`s early days yet, but I do wonder with the women lacking the heavy musculature of the men whether in the women`s game in the future we are less likely to see the grappling and holding up that can mar the men`s game as a spectacle.

1 hour ago, Scubby said:

We need to treat it as a sport with potential, look at a bespoke strategy to do it justice - and put some resources behind it!

Worth noting that two thirds of the viewers of women`s sport are men. Yet a study in your country revealed 52% of women in the U.K. watch sport at least once per month.

/www.sportspromedia.com/news/womens-sport-study-fans-viewers-wsl-

The same survey revealed:

According to the study, sports fandom among women appears to be more event-driven than men, creating an opportunity to turn casual female sports fans into more loyal fans and regular viewers.

Interesting.

 

 

[Scubby]

3 minutes ago, The Rocket said:

Observations like this one in today`s The Australian : "The fast, skilful women’s game, which has less wrestle than the men’s game" have become commonplace in describing the women`s game.

It`s early days yet, but I do wonder with the women lacking the heavy musculature of the men whether in the women`s game in the future we are less likely to see the grappling and holding up that can mar the men`s game as a spectacle.

Worth noting that two thirds of the viewers of women`s sport are men. Yet a study in your country revealed 52% of women in the U.K. watch sport at least once per month.

/www.sportspromedia.com/news/womens-sport-study-fans-viewers-wsl-

The same survey revealed:

According to the study, sports fandom among women appears to be more event-driven than men, creating an opportunity to turn casual female sports fans into more loyal fans and regular viewers.

Interesting.

 

 

Yes it is very interesting. It also was mentioned by @The Blues Ox earlier on this thread that the women's game does create a bygone feel of the 1980s and 1990s men's game with smaller body shapes, fast and more agile outside backs. It feels a unique sport in its own right and that is what is very refreshing. 

I absolutely loved the NRLW this year and the GF was high quality. The improvements will come in long and short kicking game through professionalism but the handling has been exceptional. It is no coincidence that a number of union players are coming back to play RL as the game monetises in Australia. It is a natural TV sport and that may be the edge the NRLW has over the AFLW. 

[The Rocket]

11 minutes ago, Scubby said:

Yes it is very interesting. It also was mentioned by @The Blues Ox earlier on this thread that the women's game does create a bygone feel of the 1980s and 1990s men's game with smaller body shapes, fast and more agile outside backs. It feels a unique sport in its own right and that is what is very refreshing. 

I absolutely loved the NRLW this year and the GF was high quality. The improvements will come in long and short kicking game through professionalism but the handling has been exceptional. It is no coincidence that a number of union players are coming back to play RL as the game monetises in Australia. It is a natural TV sport and that may be the edge the NRLW has over the AFLW. 

It`s interesting that you mention the kicking game. We have seen in the NRLW several excellent short grubber kick and regathers through the defensive line this season, a skill the commentators reported was straight out of and perfected in the Touch/Tag playbook.

Another point of note on the kicking games, it was pointed out recently that in the initial seasons of the NRLW that conversions from the sideline rarely made the distance and how through the increased professionalism of the game this season we saw many sideline conversions and close misses.

23 minutes ago, Scubby said:

It is a natural TV sport and that may be the edge the NRLW has over the AFLW. 

The problems the afl are having with the attractiveness of the aflw are well documented, the differences between the two codes this year has been stark and was reflected in the regular season TV ratings.

Another advantage that the League women`s game has been the accessibility and popularity of women`s Touch/Tag  and LeagueTag, which in the Eastern states has been shown to be a natural stepping stone to the tackle game and is already fairly popular in Western Australia. This is something in your part of the world, like us in the League hostile states, can use to our advantage.

[The Rocket]

Could get a bit of the Benji Marshall cult following this girl I think, I haven`t seen a sidestep like that with the exaggerated head movement since my school days.

Togatuki with the fancy footwork - NRL

And one of the most endearing off-the-cuff ( and unexpected ) acceptance speeches you`ll ever hear. I love it when they remember to thank the sponsors, such a big part of the game and they must love the mention.

NRLW: Sydney Roosters, St George Illawarra Dragons, - NRL

Priceless.

[fighting irish]

1 hour ago, The Rocket said:

Could get a bit of the Benji Marshall cult following this girl I think, I haven`t seen a sidestep like that with the exaggerated head movement since my school days.

Togatuki with the fancy footwork - NRL

And one of the most endearing off-the-cuff ( and unexpected ) acceptance speeches you`ll ever hear. I love it when they remember to thank the sponsors, such a big part of the game and they must love the mention.

NRLW: Sydney Roosters, St George Illawarra Dragons, - NRL

Priceless.

What a fabulous young woman.

[The Rocket]

12 minutes ago, fighting irish said:

What a fabulous young woman.

She tells a very touching story of how her brother who committed suicide in prison a few years ago spoke to her in the days before he died telling her ,` hey sis, if you`re not enjoying the netball why don`t you give the League a go ` she said she takes it onto the field with her every time she plays.