Womens' rugby Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread

justsomebloke

Trimmed a lot of off topic posts in case anyone starts scratching their head

Riskymove

sullivlo wrote: »

Two years ago the women slept on the floor of a train the night before their match in France. They deserve better than that. I think it's only right that the most successful sporting team of last year gets some airtime.

Nobody complained when Katie Taylor was on the tv :rolleyes:

Edit: also the "so called" fans of women's rugby tend to be the hard core fans who play or support grass roots rugby.

I was not particularly bothered by the airing of the game, however, I do think such things should be based on supply and demand and not percieved inequality of treatment

The game was always planned to be shown online etc and so was available to people. It's clear that the pressure to show it live was based on ideas of inequality and resulted in it being shown. The ratings will tell their own story.

There were 80,000 people (presumably with some level of grass roots supporters) in Twickers on Saturday...how many stayed to watch the match?
We will see what happens at the Italy game too.

Supply and demand is the usual approach..yesterday a deferred version of the Munster Rabodirect match was shown as the priority was given to the Kilkenny Tipp hurling game...such is life

If as much effort was made by people to get people to actually attend the Irish Women's Rugby games as was spent trying to get them to show this game live I think far more could be achieved in terms of improving the profile for the game

.ak

TBH if national TV was just based on supply & demand we'd be in a dark place, especially when it comes to sport. Rugby has benefited for years on the basis that TV has helped the sport grow when it's clearly not near the most popular sport on the Island. The same should be for women's rugby. It might not be popular now, but the fact a big game like the one in Twickers was shown will capture a few more fans, not to mention it was put on due to a lot of people over social networks asking for it.

Riskymove

.ak wrote: »

TBH if national TV was just based on supply & demand we'd be in a dark place, especially when it comes to sport. Rugby has benefited for years on the basis that TV has helped the sport grow when it's clearly not near the most popular sport on the Island. The same should be for women's rugby. It might not be popular now, but the fact a big game like the one in Twickers was shown will capture a few more fans, not to mention it was put on due to a lot of people over social networks asking for it.

While I accept that some time should be given to a wider range of sports, taken to extremes, we could end up with a series of games/sports every weekend with very limited fan bases....

My point is that fans and the IRFU should focus on improving the profile and getting people to games, growing the game and thus demand is what will lead to more televised games

imo most of the pressure to show the game, especially on social media, came down to a "you show the men's game so you should show the women's". I dont think this does anything for growing the game.

sullivlo

Riskymove wrote: »

I was not particularly bothered by the airing of the game, however, I do think such things should be based on supply and demand and not percieved inequality of treatment

The game was always planned to be shown online etc and so was available to people. It's clear that the pressure to show it live was based on ideas of inequality and resulted in it being shown. The ratings will tell their own story.

There were 80,000 people (presumably with some level of grass roots supporters) in Twickers on Saturday...how many stayed to watch the match?
We will see what happens at the Italy game too.

Supply and demand is the usual approach..yesterday a deferred version of the Munster Rabodirect match was shown as the priority was given to the Kilkenny Tipp hurling game...such is life

If as much effort was made by people to get people to actually attend the Irish Women's Rugby games as was spent trying to get them to show this game live I think far more could be achieved in terms of improving the profile for the game

I didn't quote you in that post?

Anyway.

There were 13,000 people at the womens match on Saturday. Yes, that is a mere fraction of the 80,000 capacity but it's progress. The sport as a whole is growing worldwide, and in order for it to continue to grow, it needs to be publicised.

As .ak said, if we were to live off supply and demand for TV we wouldn't see half of the things we do.

There has been a huge push to get people to attend the home games. The IRFU are providing a grant of sorts for clubs with womens teams to go to the Aviva for the match. Ashbourne RFC has been pretty packed for the other home games. Compared to this time 4/5 years ago the support is immense. The push to get this on the TV, from what I can tell, was that it wasn't accessible to people as it was an away game. It was a triple crown decider. The womens games in the UK are normally shown on Sky Sports 2 - fairly high profile, no? And the other night it was on BBC red button.

Ireland is not the only country where they show womens rugby on the TV.

Riskymove

sullivlo wrote: »

I didn't quote you in that post?

So I can't speak on the matter?

There were 13,000 people at the womens match on Saturday. Yes, that is a mere fraction of the 80,000 capacity but it's progress. The sport as a whole is growing worldwide, and in order for it to continue to grow, it needs to be publicised.

Publicised yes, absolutely....there were many ways to do that....I am not sure that the approach taken did much for publicising the game in general...rather it seems to have polarised views

Ireland is not the only country where they show womens rugby on the TV.

again my issue is not with the airing of women's rugy

sullivlo

Riskymove wrote: »

So I can't speak on the matter?






Publicised yes, absolutely....there were many ways to do that....I am not sure that the approach taken did much for publicising the game in general...rather it seems to have polarised views



again my issue is not with the airing of women's rugy

Apologies - I misread your post and thought you were referring to something I had said in reference to you. Monday morning and all that...

From talking to people who were at the ground there were more Irish fans than English fans at the womens match. So there was some element of progress in that people either stuck around to watch the match, or travelled there especially.

I think the Aviva on the 8th will tell a lot as to how the publicising of the game is going. It will be interesting to see how many people are there for the game.

Polarised the view how? In that the focus is on getting the game on TV and not much else? I "like" the page on facebook and they are posting up articles from all walks of life on womens rugby and where it is mentioned in the media.

I have to say - thescore.ie have been great at doing previews / write-ups / interviews with all of the womens players.

justsomebloke

Riskymove wrote: »

It's clear that the pressure to show it live was based on ideas of inequality and resulted in it being shown.

How is that clear? It's RTE, so chances are it came down to pure costs as to which game they would show between the u20's and the women's game. Given the women's game was directly after the men's game in the same venue would of played a massive part in it too as they wouldn't of need a 2nd set up of equipment in the UK for the weekend to do the U20's at a much higher cost

Chances are we will see the same senario happen for the Italy game as the women's game is directly after the men's game in the Aviva so it just makes sense to show that as oppose to having another set of equipment go to the U20s

Riskymove

justsomebloke wrote: »

How is that clear?

I am basing it on the articles I read and what was on social media...imo that was the basis of the call

It's RTE, so chances are it came down to pure costs as to which game they would show between the u20's and the women's game. Given the women's game was directly after the men's game in the same venue would of played a massive part in it too as they wouldn't of need a 2nd set up of equipment in the UK for the weekend to do the U20's at a much higher cost

I agree this helped in terms of cost...but if all that was true..why didn't they just decide to show it live to begin with?

Riskymove

sullivlo wrote: »

Polarised the view how? In that the focus is on getting the game on TV and not much else?

More on the reasons being given for having it live on tv

I am all for promoting it positively but if its seen as just being about equality I think that polarises views

justsomebloke

Riskymove wrote: »

I agree this helped in terms of cost...but if all that was true..why didn't they just decide to show it live to begin with?

Truthfully it's RTE, equality isn't going to come into it. It probably came down to the fact the U20's were no longer in contention for the Grand Slam, which probably dented advertising for that and with the women still in contention they probably made a call to switch their focus. Again as it's RTE the decision to do this probably took a while as there probably isn't too much difference to them between the 2.

calfmuscle

Riskymove wrote: »

More on the reasons being given for having it live on tv

I am all for promoting it positively but if its seen as just being about equality I think that polarises views

Its not just about equality, there is a demand and the people who actually want to see it on the television are using social media to express that view.

I hate this bitching, can you not just watch it or not watch and let it be.

Thud

i think you're over playing the equality card, they are a successful team in a womens sport that is growing rapidly in this country, it merits is place on tv on those grounds.

molloyjh

Riskymove wrote: »

More on the reasons being given for having it live on tv

I am all for promoting it positively but if its seen as just being about equality I think that polarises views

If it was about equality then it would have been on the previous 2 rounds. It wasn't. There was a campaign done on Twitter to convince RTE that there was a market for the womens game. It seems to have worked, which means there must have been enough of a market for it.

Riskymove

justsomebloke wrote: »

Truthfully it's RTE, equality isn't going to come into it. It probably came down to the fact the U20's were no longer in contention for the Grand Slam, which probably dented advertising for that and with the women still in contention they probably made a call to switch their focus. Again as it's RTE the decision to do this probably took a while as there probably isn't too much difference to them between the 2.

so the recent campaign was just a coincidence and RTE would have decided to show it anyway?

I think that is unlikely but who knows

There was a campaign done on Twitter to convince RTE that there was a market for the womens game. It seems to have worked, which means there must have been enough of a market for it.

Hopefully you are right...the ratings will tell a lot and the Italy game will be an important factor now. It'll be up to irish fans attending to support it

i think you're over playing the equality card, they are a successful team in a womens sport that is growing rapidly in this country, it merits is place on tv on those grounds.

if equality isn't an issue, why call it "a women's sport"

I'll just have agree to disagree on this...I believe a lot of the campaign pressure was based on the fact that if RTE had not shown the match live it would be because they had some negative agenda against "women's sports"

I hate this bitching, can you not just watch it or not watch and let it be.

what bitching? I am discussing this issue is all.

I have no problem with the match being aired

John_C

What's the arrangement for the game against Italy. Can I just head down to Lansdowd Rd after the men's game and pay in?

sullivlo

John_C wrote: »

What's the arrangement for the game against Italy. Can I just head down to Lansdowd Rd after the men's game and pay in?

I've asked the IRFU and am awaiting a response. Will post here when I hear.

Riskymove

John_C wrote: »

What's the arrangement for the game against Italy. Can I just head down to Lansdowd Rd after the men's game and pay in?

you can buy tickets on ticketmaster

sullivlo

Just got this from the IRFU:

"They are available on ticketmaster – we will not have a facility to take money at the gate."

So best get purchasing!!

eyescreamcone

sullivlo wrote: »

Just got this from the IRFU:

"They are available on ticketmaster – we will not have a facility to take money at the gate."

So best get purchasing!!

...before they are all gone??

sullivlo

eyescreamcone wrote: »

...before they are all gone??

No, if you intend on going, as they won't be available at the gate.

sullivlo

RTE press office tweeted that there were 291,900 viewers / 18% share of the women's match on Saturday evening.

I don't know how that compares to the men's match or other sports.

John_C

sullivlo wrote: »

RTE press office tweeted that there were 291,900 viewers / 18% share of the women's match on Saturday evening.

I don't know how that compares to the men's match or other sports.

Here's a link to the ratings from a few weeks ago:
http://www.rte.ie/aertel/desktopxhtml/348-2.html

290,000 puts it roughly on a par with the non-Ireland men's six nations games. In the top few programs on RTE2 that week.

justsomebloke

Hard to compare it to the U20's as that was on a Friday and at home but the Women's game still pulled in over 50% more then the U20's game against Wales

sullivlo

justsomebloke wrote: »

Hard to compare it to the U20's as that was on a Friday and at home but the Women's game still pulled in over 50% more then the U20's game against Wales

I do wonder what % of that 291k just left the TV on? It's hard to tell. But its progress, and hopefully when they see the next 6N fixture being broadcast, or hear of a local womens team playing, or even hear of the home 6N matches, that they will tune in again or go!

Riskymove

justsomebloke wrote: »

Hard to compare it to the U20's as that was on a Friday and at home but the Women's game still pulled in over 50% more then the U20's game against Wales

as you say its hard to compare - the U20s was on a different day and Friday night at that

This match was also on the same channel directly after the Men's match so would benefit from that too

In the wider context the ratings wouldn't get into the top 10 for RTE1, well below shows like Fair City etc

The real test will be if they air a women's match as a standalone programme like the U20s

anyway its a start and hopefully it results in extra attendance at games and some new players

Losty Dublin

sullivlo wrote: »

RTE press office tweeted that there were 291,900 viewers / 18% share of the women's match on Saturday evening.

I don't know how that compares to the men's match or other sports.

That is an awesome viewership figure for the game; 18% for a minority sport is something to be proud of. IMO it justifies the game being shown on live TV and I hope that it leads to extra coverage of the women's international games in the long term, both by RTE and the IRFU.

sullivlo

Just received an update from the IRFU:

Tickets for the Ireland Women’s match against Italy will be available to purchase on the day of the game from 4.30pm at the end of Lansdowne Lane (off Shelbourne Road).

Stheno

Losty Dublin wrote: »

That is an awesome viewership figure for the game; 18% for a minority sport is something to be proud of. IMO it justifies the game being shown on live TV and I hope that it leads to extra coverage of the women's international games in the long term, both by RTE and the IRFU.

the oul fellas pub i went to for dinner after the men's game had it on, the bar was full of discussion of it even the oul fellas joined in they were fairly engrossed.

The Lost Sheep

Connacht Girls Underage cup finals on this weekend in Sportsground. Should be interesting. I'll be tj for one of the games. will be interesting to see the standard