At this stage RFUW seem to be concentrating on the "easy wins" - the things that they can do something about pretty quickly, or indeed already have something available. To a great extent therefore the replies are basically a list of web and email addresses, although some beg a few questions. For example more than a third of respondents wanted more information about grass roots rugby, and the reply refers such requests to the RFUW website.
One is tempted to suggest that it is probable that the vast majority of respondents already know about the website and that the nature of their replies indicated that maybe the website isn't that effective. Indeed the oft repeated comments about this blog (that we often publish information on here before it appears in the RFUW website, even assuming it appears there at all - something that is both flattering and (amazingly) true!) is, I think, a strong indicator that this might be the case.
In addition the finding that 97% of replies thought that facilities that girls and women have to use are poor gets the following unhelpful response:
Visit http://www.community-rugby.com and look under Club Management, Facilities for information and guidance on improving facilities at your club. Also, for information on funding that might be available contact the RFUW office or check out the funding section of the Community Rugby website.Oh that it were that easy! No possible questioning here, for example, about how fair it is that across the country major club and even representative games often seem to have to play second fiddle to the requirements of mini rugby or boys U13 games, or why girls and women's rugby only ever seems to take place when no-one else wants to use a ground. I think that maybe the word we are looking for here is "discrimination"?
And so on.
Overall, so far so uncontroversial. Presumably the real meat (ie. the criticisms of current structure and policies, rather than simple information signposting) will come out in future reponses - or maybe the replies that I know of from one club (ah hem!) were grossly unrepresentative of the whole? We shall see.
Another excellent article John.
ReplyDeleteOn the point about training / match times we have a similar problem across the whole youth / mini sections trying to train 16 squads on two pitches and fit in all the matches needed. Our girls squad trains at the same time as our youth teams (thankfully the facilities can cope with the welfare issues this poses). Matches have been in afternoons etc but this seems as much down to the fact that at least in our squad most have brothers who are playing during the mornings and both matches benefit from te support of the whole families. Personally it seems that it is a top down approach to playing and training with senior squads dictating timings etc and a bottom up approach to funding and sponsorship with most value being added by the mini and youth sections. (I know that without the senior squads we won't have a club to play at but........)
Anyway that said the results of the survey do little to help clubs such as ours and yours as everything offered was certainly known to me but wouldn't have changed me responses to any of the questions.
Hopefully a few more pearls will be avaliable on Saturday at the RFUW conference.
Might even be about to put a face to the name.