In praise of Women's Rugby, accompanied by a word of caution

David Matthews cites the advance of the Women's game but reminds the RFU to take note

The England Women's rugby team began their Autumn campaign early in November. If Sky or, less likely, BBC, are not televising the game you can be sure BT will have it covered. So, England (10) v France (5) came up on the list and my attention, as befits a frustrated former referee, was drawn to the three officials. All were women - a far cry from what does not seem that long ago, when there did not appear to be very many drawn to blowing the whistle.

I look back with no little affection on what was one of my last senior women's appointment, the European Cup Final in 2002 between France and Spain in Almeria. The tournament lasted a full week and I vividly recall that the other home nations referees (no women and the touch judges, from Spain, were also all men) seemed to experience some difficulty in explaining to their wives/partners where exactly they were off to for a week. The Welsh representative eventually released the news just as he was about to go through passport control, before presumably breaking into a sprint.

Well, all that has changed: the referees and assistants at the women's Sevens at the Olympic Games were women and you would be unlikely to find any men involved in an International or senior fixture. Progress? Most definitely and if you happened to watch the afore mentioned England v France match you would see why. Referee and her assistants all looked the part and their contribution was both firm and sympathetic; as the women's game has improved so has the development of referees. My wife accompanied me to the first women’s international fixture I refereed, Wales v Ireland at Llanelli and her abiding impression was that it consisted of a series of bodies piled up on the ground, with little prospect of the ball appearing. It was uncannily accurate and a real negative in the women's game but the second phase play has improved out of all recognition and with it the referee's ability to understand what the players are trying to do. Unlike the men's game that has not become an exercise in attempting to cheat and can often be compared with a high standard schools' senior game. Many of the skills, performed at speed, make it attractive to watch and, though all team sports offer the temptation, there is not the same inclination to cheat.

On a cautionary note, women's rugby, though able to report record participation at all levels, has not always been able to build up a tradition in clubs and a number of sections have fallen by the wayside. In much the same way that mini and junior teams have sometimes disbanded when the coach, often one of the fathers, decides he has had enough, so the same fate has befallen the women's team which has collapsed when the disillusioned pioneer of it all chooses to go elsewhere. No praise is too high for all who have improved the standard of women's rugby: players, coaches and referees, but a word of caution to the RFU – they would do well to recognise that there are far fewer numbers in the men’s game, especially in the North of England.

20 November 201616