Women's international rugby: ¡Viva la Revolución!

There are signs that the patience of women rugby internationals is beginning to snap, with these top level international athletes becoming increasingly fed up are being treated as second class citizens by their unions.

Spanish women protest in May

You will remember the Spanish rugby players demonstration before the FIRA European Championship final - in their cases about the disparity between the amount of preparation the men's team were given compared to the women.

Brooke Hilditch: Protest leader

Now, in Canada, three of the nation's senior team have pulled out of the their Nation's Cup squad days before the tournament is due to start. The reason? Because, in a year when Rugby Canada has spent C$1.8 million the men's national team, everyone selected for the women's team has had to find C$2,900 of their own money before they could play. And this for a tournament to be played in Canada (apparently the U20s had to find C$4,100 each to play in their Nations Cup last week!).

It is - simply - indefensible. Canada's women are 6th in the world - is their men's team likely to reach these heights? Ever? Hardly! Rugby Canada spokesmen have spoken about the lack of funds at this stage in the women's four year cycle, but will members of their men's team be faced with similar demands next year? Do Canadian men's age group team have to cough up? Silly questions, really!

I guess there is always a danger that some unions would rather cancel their women's programme rather than offer any equality of funding or support, so protest can be a calculated risk - but it is great to see that some women in some parts of the world are no longer content to make do with the scraps that fall from the table. 

¡Viva la Revolución!