What’s in a name? Or, to be more relevant, what’s not in a name? World Rugby have removed the word ‘Women’ from the branding of the next women’s World Cup. It will now, like the men’s tournament, be branded as Rugby World Cup.
By making this change, to a gender-neutral brand, they are stating their intent to continue to strive towards gender equality. I applaud this. This is why I am so proud of the Female Inspiration Through Rugby project that Tag Rugby Trust has set up in Zimbabwe. The drive to gender equality is why I founded a speaker agency called Inspiring Women; to help to ensure equality of opportunity. I fight for this every day. But making something gender neutral is not the same as gender equality.
What would have been a great step would have been to add the word ‘men’ rather than remove ‘women’. The Rugby World Cup is our flagship; media interest peaks and spectator numbers swell every four years.
The RWC is an opportunity to promote our sport, to demonstrate that anyone can play. For this reason, we don’t want anonymity. We want to stand up and say yes, women can play rugby too.
We still need this visibility, so to be able to officially refer to the Women’s Rugby World Cup, to display that word ‘women’ on commercial branding is vital. We are currently seeing a shift in mindset; businesses, sponsors, viewers and spectators are positively backing women’s sport and we should harness this.
This is ok. It is still the same sport, with the same laws, and the same pitch. It just happens at times to be played by women. And this is great and should be celebrated; not muted. Our presence is not yet strong enough for this change. And as practiced as World Rugby are at making changes to our game, I urge them to re-consider and revert back. Even better, in time for 2023 let’s have a branded Men’s World Cup too.
Saracens now refer to their senior teams as Saracens Men and Saracens Women and while gender equality beyond this is still some way away there have been some significant strides.
Players are able to access more resources and are much more integrated in to professional set ups than they have ever been. Opportunities for women to be remunerated for playing club rugby I don’t think is too far away.
We are now also seeing the women’s game as an opportunity for former players to earn some crust. Former England international Kim Oliver has been plying her trade as Bristol Women’s head coach and this summer has seen the announcement that 2006 Women’s World Cup captain Jo Yapp returns to her Worcester roots to take up a skills coach role.
Rochelle ‘Rocky’ Clark has moved away from Wasps, where she has played for the last season, and will be heading a few miles north to add her incredible knowledge and experience to Saracens Women.
Rocky has seen some changes in her time. She played when we still had to contribute to the cost of flights, when we had to hand over money for the awful ill-fitting number 1’s we were forced to wear.
She played in 2006 when our shirts were still baggy enough to flutter in the breeze, in 2010 when the media started to take note, in 2014 when the trophy was lifted by an English arm then again in 2017 when ‘contract gate’ became a thing.
She would have been coached at the elite end of the game by coaches who were for the most part volunteering their time. Now she, and other former players, are finally able to make some money from the women’s game. Something that I am certain she feels uncomfortable with but if the coins are handed out for hard work, for determination, for passion and emotion for the cause then she is someone who deserves every single penny.
But because of that this is not about the money for Rocky. This is a vocation. A calling. Rocky lives and breathes rugby. She embodies all that is good about the game and Saracens although already successful can only enhance this with the addition of Rocky to their ranks.
Rocky has already been coaching for a number of years at Chesham Rugby Club alongside Kat Merchant. The pair have seen great success with the men’s squad while Rocky has developed a hugely positive culture within the women’s team. It is pleasing to hear that Rocky will be continuing her work with Chesham alongside her Saracens commitment.
This marks a new chapter in Rocky’s rugby career but if I were a betting woman, I would fancy my chances on Rocky keeping her playing boots a little longer. I am sure she will be ready if her new club need her in the middle of the pitch. There is no better place to lead by example and for the likes of young England and Saracens prop Hannah Botterman to be guided by Rocky.
Worcester have not seen much success in recent years, not since former Worcester star Rocky wore the shirt, and are now well practiced at languishing at the bottom of the table so the announcement that Jo Yapp is bolstering their coaching offering is welcoming.
Yapp, having enjoyed a very successful few years with Exeter University as well as guiding England’s U20 Red Roses is well acquainted with nurturing talent. After a plethora of more experienced players moving away, attracted by incentives elsewhere, her ability to develop younger players will be essential to any success this season. Their aim will be to move out of the bottom four and while all teams will be audited throughout the season to ensure their compliance with the required operating standards any team that finishes in the bottom four will be in danger of relegation.
Worcester will have to live up to their new namesake and find some Warrior spirit. Another step towards equality as the women’s team have this summer changed their name to match the men but unlike the change by World Rugby they are not gender neutral.
Worcester Warriors Women, as they are officially known, retain their female identity. Will this new name, along with the return of Yapp, see a reformation on the pitch for Worcester? Xena the Warrior Princess reformed herself to fight evil and do good, perhaps Worcester can take inspiration from this unlikely source and draw on their warrior spirit; they will have to when they face the likes of Saracens and Harlequins.
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