York Valkyrie step up

[Tommygilf]

Not seen a thread on this so apologies if it hasn't been put but York Valkyrie have announced they will join Leeds Rhinos in paying their womens RL players for the upcoming season.

[gingerjon]

22 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

Not seen a thread on this so apologies if it hasn't been put but York Valkyrie have announced they will join Leeds Rhinos in paying their womens RL players for the upcoming season.

It's on the Women's RL sub forum.

It's good news wherever it's posted though. All my comments about the expectations we have about player expectations and the potential damage they can do to themselves for so little reward apply as much to the women's game as I've said about the men's.

[Rene_Artois]

This is great news. Impressive committment from York as a club. 

I think this merits a thread on the general board.

Edited January 7, 2023 by Rene_Artois

[Midlands hobo]

The dominos start to fall let's hope the rest fall inline. Will be good for the comp and should help the ladies compete internationally.

[Expatknight]

Definitely the way forward, I have watched the York Ladies a few times and they play some cracking rugby as do their opponents, even the teams that were getting well beaten still stuck in there and played the game in the way you would want. It is only right that they should be paid, as they are in Australia, otherwise we will lose them to WNRL. 

[Stirlin]

2 minutes ago, Expatknight said:

Definitely the way forward, I have watched the York Ladies a few times and they play some cracking rugby as do their opponents, even the teams that were getting well beaten still stuck in there and played the game in the way you would want. It is only right that they should be paid, as they are in Australia, otherwise we will lose them to WNRL. 

Saints will probably be next to pay their ladies , if the others do not follow  then it will be another 3 horse race for the silverware again , sadly.

[DEANO]

Pretty forward thinking club 

[Tommygilf]

3 hours ago, gingerjon said:

It's on the Women's RL sub forum.

It's good news wherever it's posted though. All my comments about the expectations we have about player expectations and the potential damage they can do to themselves for so little reward apply as much to the women's game as I've said about the men's.

I think I posted the thread on the Rhinos so felt compelled to do the same here.

I think the difference is not expecting the flull time commitment for part time wages.

[gingerjon]

3 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

I think I posted the thread on the Rhinos so felt compelled to do the same here.

I think the difference is not expecting the flull time commitment for part time wages.

Expecting part time commitment - and some community work - for effectively free is on the same continuum.

[Tommygilf]

Just now, gingerjon said:

Expecting part time commitment - and some community work - for effectively free is on the same continuum.

Agreed, but there isn't a multi million £ tv deal coming in to show these and back up that work. 

[RBKnight]

Interesting times ahead for the Valkyrie - at the end of last season, they launched open trials for an U19s side, and then got another boost by being a centre for the Women's WC. The Jillaroos were fantastic ambassadors for the women's game locally, visiting schools and community clubs to much acclaim.

Grace Field and Tara-Jane Stanley then found themselves confronted with over 50 girls and young women turning up to the RFL-sponsored HERLegacy event in York, and took a training session with them with two other Valkyrie players.

A new sponsor to York RLFC has agreed a separate shirt sponsorship deal for the Valkyrie for next season, and I'm certain they'll pull in more spectators - their top stand-alone crowd last season (£5 entry) was just under 900 for a triple-header with two junior matches starting the day off.

Nothing but good things to report ATM about Women's RL in York, including the two girl's age-range teams established by Heworth ARLC last year (who will receive great coaching)

 

 

 

 

 

 

[AB Knight]

That’s strange, a handful of oafs from Castleford insisted the main reason York nicked 57 (or thereabouts) players from Cas in 2021 was because they were being paid. 
 

Sarcasm aside it’s a good move and hopefully pushes the women’s game forward even more.

[gingerjon]

 

[Odsal Outlaw]

22 hours ago, gingerjon said:

It's on the Women's RL sub forum.

It's good news wherever it's posted though. All my comments about the expectations we have about player expectations and the potential damage they can do to themselves for so little reward apply as much to the women's game as I've said about the men's.

Fully agree on the positive aspect of payment for any RL players. But ‘potential damage for so little reward’, I don’t buy that, what about amateur players? Should they give up because they aren’t recompensed?

[RigbyLuger]

With Leigh making a big thing about adding the women's team, it's a shame they've joined Warrington and Wigan in not playing at the home of the men's team. I'm sure there's different reasons for all three.

[gingerjon]

1 hour ago, Odsal Outlaw said:

Fully agree on the positive aspect of payment for any RL players. But ‘potential damage for so little reward’, I don’t buy that, what about amateur players? Should they give up because they aren’t recompensed?

It's a different mindset. Not too many amateur players will be in front of 10,000+ spectators and a million or so viewers in a World Cup.

That said, to link back to the Ireland women's story from earlier (that quote the IRL are still working on will be epic): I would expect the duty of care a club would show its amateur players would be as 'professional' in terms of insurance, medical, physio, etc as possible.

[Tommygilf]

1 hour ago, RigbyLuger said:

With Leigh making a big thing about adding the women's team, it's a shame they've joined Warrington and Wigan in not playing at the home of the men's team. I'm sure there's different reasons for all three.

For Leigh I suspect it is part because they are Leigh Miners Rangers rebadged, so there may be a will to continue largely as they are, and like Wigan, they don't own their ground and they share it with others.

[GUBRATS]

2 hours ago, Tommygilf said:

For Leigh I suspect it is part because they are Leigh Miners Rangers rebadged, so there may be a will to continue largely as they are, and like Wigan, they don't own their ground and they share it with others.

And given the attendances in the women's game there is no need yet , as we see in the women's football 

[Richard de la Riviere]

Looks like Wigan will be next to pay 

[Odsal Outlaw]

6 hours ago, gingerjon said:

It's a different mindset. Not too many amateur players will be in front of 10,000+ spectators and a million or so viewers in a World Cup.

That said, to link back to the Ireland women's story from earlier (that quote the IRL are still working on will be epic): I would expect the duty of care a club would show its amateur players would be as 'professional' in terms of insurance, medical, physio, etc as possible.

I think in the example of the World Cup there was payments inline with the men’s. Equally I don’t think any stand alone women’s matches this year will be watched by 10k spectators in the UK (would love to be wrong)

I think ultimately women’s sport will recompense in proportion to the investment it attracts, altho the sport should be increasing investment ahead of the curve at this stage to allow it to accelerate growth.

Agree with you on provision of care.

[Tommygilf]

20 hours ago, Richard de la Riviere said:

Looks like Wigan will be next to pay 

That's excellent news.

[DEANO]

On 08/01/2023 at 00:01, AB Knight said:

That’s strange, a handful of oafs from Castleford insisted the main reason York nicked 57 (or thereabouts) players from Cas in 2021 was because they were being paid. 
 

Sarcasm aside it’s a good move and hopefully pushes the women’s game forward even more.

I believe they were paid expenses rather than been paid

[RBKnight]

On 08/01/2023 at 20:13, Richard de la Riviere said:

Looks like Wigan will be next to pay 

Thought that the quote from Gary Hetherington, giving Leeds' point of view in your LE article was spot on (and applies to York too) - these players are highly marketable, in the context of growing Rugby League as a whole. St Helens seemed to have been been rather wrong-footed by these moves, judging by Eamonn McManus's reaction......

[Eddie]

17 hours ago, RBKnight said:

Thought that the quote from Gary Hetherington, giving Leeds' point of view in your LE article was spot on (and applies to York too) - these players are highly marketable, in the context of growing Rugby League as a whole. St Helens seemed to have been been rather wrong-footed by these moves, judging by Eamonn McManus's reaction......

Maybe he doesn’t want to spend a lot of money that the club don’t have on a team who bring in very little income. I know that sounds harsh but it’s easy to spend other people’s money and RL teams aren’t minted like premier league football teams who are clearly spending a lot more on their women’s teams than they generate. 

[RigbyLuger]

I don't think York or Leeds are going to be paying a wage, more akin to "broken time payments" in a sense. 

No-one is asking for women players to be paid as much as men, so not sure why anyone would think it would cost a large amount of money.

They've got more TV coverage than League One has too, so obviously the WSL is a positive for the sport as a whole. If clubs don't want to buy into it, that's their choice.