Rugby League Faces Its Women Issues

The NRL have attempted to abate its women issues with a new campaign celebrating female contributions to the sport, to the clubs and to the players behind the scenes. Acknowledged as the ‘Patron Saints of the sidelines’ (which is kind of patronising in itself right?) wives, mothers, administrators, volunteers, physiotherapists and referees are all honoured in an ad which the league hopes will “break down female stereotypes as well as acknowledging the amazing contribution of women at grass roots level.”

Strangely enough, the league couldn’t have asked for as compelling a testament to that idea than the sombre scenes which took place in Sydney on Sunday afternoon. The mother of West Tigers hooker and captain Robbie Farah succumbed to an eight month long battle with pancreatic cancer in hospital Sunday, visibly affecting a team who were notified of the death just hours before their round 15 clash with the Sydney Roosters at Leichhardt Oval yesterday. Five-eighth Benji Marshall was even moved to tears before the game which the Tigers eventually lost 42-28.

“Robbie texted Benji and a few of us about an hour and a half before kick-off,” Coach Tim Sheens said. “To talk about the game seems to be a waste of time for me at the moment and is something I’m not particular interested in…You have your ups and downs but when things like that happens, it makes playing rugby league a little insignificant.”

The AFL on the other hand, is enjoying perhaps its most diverse supporters base ever. While an almost inconceivable 44 per cent of Victorian born men have attended at least one AFL fixture in the last twelve months, ABS data indicates that women and migrants are flocking to the code, too. Last year the AFL experienced significant attendance increases from both Australian-born women (jumping from 27 per cent to one-third over the last five years) and migrant men from English and non-English speaking backgrounds (with attendance rates at 39 per cent of Victorian migrants born in English-speaking nations, up double from five years ago, and 19 per cent of migrant men born in non English-speaking nations, up from 14 per cent over the same period).

Last month, AFL’s former manager of media Brian Walsh told The Australian that commissioner Andrew Demetriou had endeavoured to appeal to groups which were traditionally marginalised by the mainstream Australian sporting world.

“If you look at the AFL since he has been there, it’s not just about geographical expansion, but expanding into the work the AFL does in indigenous communities, migrant and refugee communities and also the work with women and violence.” Walsh said. “He is someone who argues his corner hard, but if he gives his word, he stands by it. He is also someone who genuinely believes in access to football for everyone. He believes that footy is something that brings diverse people together, across the socio-economic sphere, across ages, genders. It is not only good social policy but a good business growth strategy.”

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