Are things any different in England?

Interesting article here about the state of women's (and girls') rugby in Ireland.

On the face of it, Ireland are one of the great success stories of recent years. Over the past five years the also-rans of Six Nations rugby have become a real force in the game, and must stand a real chance of winning the runner-up spot in next year's tournament.

However, beneath the surface there are concerns and problems with the game, and room for improvement. And what is interesting is the way many of the complaints of the players in the article could come from anywhere in the world - even New Zealand and, dare I say it, England. Indeed it is no exaggeration to say that the statements could have come from just about any sport anywhere.

What is the answer? Who knows - though I would suggest that complaining long and loud whenever and wherever girls' and women's is treated as being less important than men's is probably a start. Things are getting better, as coverage of the last World Cup showed, but there is still a long, long way to go.