The times they are a'changin'...

Its possible to be cynical about the sudden interest in women's rugby demonstrated by the IRB of late and suggest that it may not be unrelated to the Olympic Bid. And there may well be something in that.

But I wonder. I am beginning to suspect that actually this could be real interest - a real interest not only to engage with the 8% or so of the rugby world that is already female, but also to expand on it - to make it a world game for everyone.

Why? Well it is the little things that actually convince. For example, a month or two back there was news that the Namibian RFU were being given support to expand by the IRB... but had to develop women's rugby in order to do that. Exactly what was going on was difficult to work out, but it is clear that a women's rugby programme was becoming a requirement (somehow) in the IRB's development strategy.

And now this (the picture on the right). The routine inclusion of images of women playing a sport, without fanfare, in publications about that sport has a huge impact - to use the jargon it "normalises" female participation. FIFA have been doing it for some time in football, and the ICC in cricket and - in both cases - it seems to have had an effect. Not quick, not dramatic, more subliminal than anything - but it works.

So here we have USA referee (and actually quite possibly the leading female official in the world at the moment) Dana Teagarden being used to illustrate a chapter in a new IRB guide for officials. No fuss, no trumpets - just an image of a referee in action.

There is actually more coming in this line, from what I hear and its all pretty positive stuff. Its not going to make an iotas worth of difference to you and your game next season, but give it time and this will change the game you play.