Unacceptable treatment of women’s rugby.

[ronk]

People are getting all het up about this, and rightly so, but they aren't asking the right questions.

The right questions are...

1) Why weren't the senior provincial womens teams classified as an elite level by the Government (and thus allowed used indoor changing facilities)
b) How hard did the IRFU try to have the senior provincial womens teams classified as elite

Everything else that happened flows from these two questions

Yes. And Leinster Rugby can't push the blame back in either direction (publicly).

I don't know to what extent teams like the U20s (or younger) had the same facilities and what could have been done.

Amateur teams have to do that sometimes. I did. They could book a function room in a pub and get changed there, but they can't use a changing room.

[carlow man]

Mad that this hasn’t been mentioned on here (or so it would appear?).

The treatment of the Connacht women’s team, both in the act of providing facilities which have no place at any level, and then asking them not to comment on it is totally unacceptable and disgraceful.

This is not something that would have happened to any visiting men’s team IMO, and highlights the complete disregard shown towards the women’s game on this island.

I also find the lack of discussion and disgust on here to be very odd, or has the discussion been removed?

https://m.independent.ie/sport/rugby/we ... 54526.html

I agree its been an absolute shambles and hopefully the investigation that connacht have requested gives the appropriate answers and isn't brushed under the carpet which is what the statement that came out a few days ago alluded to. It's a disgrace that the women's teams were asked to change in the same way that an under 10's team would "out of the boot of a car" on many occasions. I hope they find a satisfactory resolution rather than the " oh but you turned up early and we didn't know what else to do" line. Also I am happy to reply to your post on this rather than resort to the petty school yard bullying that others on here resort to. Some think that they are in charge/own the forum and only their opinion counts. Not everyone on here shares that mindset. Hope you got some good info regarding this issue and the women don't have that nonsense to put up with in future matches.

[dropkick]

I saw this post on the 42.ie

the munster and leinster under 19s had to endure the same conditions in the same venue only 3/4 weeks back after playing in torrential rain for 80 minutes. And had to travel back to munster in their parents cars, two clubs either side could’ve opened their dressing rooms both times to keep both squads away from one another if they really wanted to but as I alluded to earlier, the irfu don’t care for anyone who doesn’t generate cash, it’s not “just because they were women” last week as seems to be the narrative online.

If that's true then where was all the outrage then?

[Dave Cahill]

Anyway, it was awful and I hope that it was done out of incompetence rather than disinterest or bad attitudes. Same goes for the reason they were told not to talk about it. If they did it to protect someone who had been overwhelmed and made a genuine mistake under pressure then I can accept that, but if it was because of someone who didn’t want to be there saying “f%~k it, that’ll do, now let’s get out of here ASAP” then that’s a very different kettle of fish.

I think what happened with Connacht and Ulster was certainly a confluence of many fathered fuckups. Munster and Leinster were able to change in better conditions at the Bective end after all.

However.

They still had to change outdoors because they aren't elite athletes. If you play at the highest level of the domestic game in Ireland, you aren't an elite athlete. If you play for Munster, the best womens rugby team in Ireland, you aren't an elite athlete. Because the IRFU were unable to get them classified as such.

Now, if could be that the people involved in government believe them not to be elite athletes.

However, after the Wales team's showers, the Irish senior coach being downgraded to a part time position, the 2017 World Cup campaign, the sevens players being pulled from a grand slam chasing squad, the travel farrago in France and I'm sure theres more, there are more rats to be smelt than the ones running around behind Wesley.

[Dundalk 1]

I saw this post on the 42.ie

the munster and leinster under 19s had to endure the same conditions in the same venue only 3/4 weeks back after playing in torrential rain for 80 minutes. And had to travel back to munster in their parents cars, two clubs either side could’ve opened their dressing rooms both times to keep both squads away from one another if they really wanted to but as I alluded to earlier, the irfu don’t care for anyone who doesn’t generate cash, it’s not “just because they were women” last week as seems to be the narrative online.

If that's true then where was all the outrage then?

The real problem is our wonderful government and the “experts” in NPHET
Changing rooms are not allowed to be open because our rulers have moronically banned them except for professional athletes
The IRFU should have made an issue of this in advance and threatened to cancel the inter pros
Maybe just maybe the rules might have been changed

[ronk]

I saw this post on the 42.ie

the munster and leinster under 19s had to endure the same conditions in the same venue only 3/4 weeks back after playing in torrential rain for 80 minutes. And had to travel back to munster in their parents cars, two clubs either side could’ve opened their dressing rooms both times to keep both squads away from one another if they really wanted to but as I alluded to earlier, the irfu don’t care for anyone who doesn’t generate cash, it’s not “just because they were women” last week as seems to be the narrative online.

If that's true then where was all the outrage then?

Not on social media, and probably less sympathy for people getting mud on their Tesla's.

Either way it's not a great look.

[curates_egg]

People are getting all het up about this, and rightly so, but they aren't asking the right questions.

The right questions are...

1) Why weren't the senior provincial womens teams classified as an elite level by the Government (and thus allowed used indoor changing facilities)
b) How hard did the IRFU try to have the senior provincial womens teams classified as elite

Everything else that happened flows from these two questions

I have two different questions:
a) why is anyone who does sport in Ireland (beyond a select group) being forced to change outside, in one of the worst climates in Europe, when you’re all vaccinated, antigen testing is cheap and masks are easy to come by?
2) how is that troll still allowed to post here?

[Keith]

People are getting all het up about this, and rightly so, but they aren't asking the right questions.

The right questions are...

1) Why weren't the senior provincial womens teams classified as an elite level by the Government (and thus allowed used indoor changing facilities)
b) How hard did the IRFU try to have the senior provincial womens teams classified as elite

Everything else that happened flows from these two questions

A better question is why are you allowed to enter scrums and rucks together but can't change in a changing room? More comical measures from the government.

[OneLungDavy]

People are getting all het up about this, and rightly so, but they aren't asking the right questions.

The right questions are...

1) Why weren't the senior provincial womens teams classified as an elite level by the Government (and thus allowed used indoor changing facilities)
b) How hard did the IRFU try to have the senior provincial womens teams classified as elite

Everything else that happened flows from these two questions

A better question is why are you allowed to enter scrums and rucks together but can't change in a changing room? More comical measures from the government.

It's so ridiculous when you think of it like that. Reminds me of the social distancing during the anthems. It seems we are more focused on looking virtuous than actually functioning as a society.

[Keith]

People are getting all het up about this, and rightly so, but they aren't asking the right questions.

The right questions are...

1) Why weren't the senior provincial womens teams classified as an elite level by the Government (and thus allowed used indoor changing facilities)
b) How hard did the IRFU try to have the senior provincial womens teams classified as elite

Everything else that happened flows from these two questions

A better question is why are you allowed to enter scrums and rucks together but can't change in a changing room? More comical measures from the government.

It's so ridiculous when you think of it like that. Reminds me of the social distancing during the anthems. It seems we are more focused on looking virtuous than actually functioning as a society.

That is exactly it.

[heno]

People are getting all het up about this, and rightly so, but they aren't asking the right questions.

The right questions are...

1) Why weren't the senior provincial womens teams classified as an elite level by the Government (and thus allowed used indoor changing facilities)
b) How hard did the IRFU try to have the senior provincial womens teams classified as elite

Everything else that happened flows from these two questions

A better question is why are you allowed to enter scrums and rucks together but can't change in a changing room? More comical measures from the government.

It's so ridiculous when you think of it like that. Reminds me of the social distancing during the anthems. It seems we are more focused on looking virtuous than actually functioning as a society.

I don't think it's rediculous. It's risk mitigation. It might be rediculous if you think the goal is to avoid any virus infected droplet entering your body. But that's probably happened us all at this stage. We have all probably had a cell infected with the virus, and some reproduction happen. But what is important is did enough happen so you felt bad enough to be tested or bad enough so you ended up in hospital. What decides that is viral load, the amount of virus entering your body over time.

As an analogy, imagine a bee hive honey collecting competition. The aim isn't to avoid being stung, but avoid being stung enough that you go into anaphylactic shock. Now do you want to stick your arms in for the anthems or wait till after?

Going back to the original point. Does letting the mens teams change in the changing rooms but not the women make sense in a risk mitigation sense? Yes in that a little less infection will happen. Is it treating men and women the same? No. Was the decision made based on how much uproar will be caused by the decision. Yes. Which I think is the point Dave was trying to make.

Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

[curates_egg]

You mean, that level of risk mitigation, and related discrimination, makes sense to you.
It doesn’t make sense to other countries with lower levels of vaccination that have reopened.

If you believe it is logical, when the same people will be packing down in scrums and were on a bus together, or when 35,000 people will be milling around Landsdowne Road next weekend, you have a different perception of logic to me.

This is as good as it is going to get, in terms of immunological mitigation. There are NPIs I mentioned (antigen testing and masks) that could further mitigate the risk if that is considered necessary.

But, if you’re happy to change outside in January for the rest of your life, it’s still appropriate for others to ask whether everyone should be.

[the spoofer]

You mean, that level of risk mitigation, and related discrimination, makes sense to you.
It doesn’t make sense to other countries with lower levels of vaccination that have reopened.

If you believe it is logical, when the same people will be packing down in scrums and were on a bus together, or when 35,000 people will be milling around Landsdowne Road next weekend, you have a different perception of logic to me.

This is as good as it is going to get, in terms of immunological mitigation. There are NPIs I mentioned (antigen testing and masks) that could further mitigate the risk if that is considered necessary.

But, if you’re happy to change outside in January for the rest of your life, it’s still appropriate for others to ask whether everyone should be.

Dressing rooms open tomorrow. Most restrictions will be removed at the same time.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I see that Bantry Bay RFC is giving out about the second class treatment of their girls’ teams.

After the last couple of weeks it very much feels like there’s revolution in the air.