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Isn’t it time women and men played professional sport together?

3rd September, 2015
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Media coverage of women's sport often neglects coverage of the sport itself. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)
Roar Guru
3rd September, 2015
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1877 Reads

Women and men play sport together in everyday life. They work together in all industries. So why don’t they play together in most professional sport scenarios?

FULL SCOREBOARD FOR AUSTRALIA VS ENGLAND ODI

Women’s sport is growing, particularly in media coverage. The women’s Ashes has just finished, with the Aussie Southern Stars going a touch better than their male counterparts – they actually won.

This year the Netball World Cup was won by Australia’s Diamonds against the old foe from across the ditch, with unprecedented attendance and television audiences.

These are just two great examples of women’s sport breaking new ground in popularity from participation and media coverage. There are many other examples, including the Australian women’s rugby sevens team qualifying for the Rio Olympics.

Is it time we explored the possibility of men and women playing competitively in the same teams and against each other?

Tennis has for many years included mixed doubles in Grand Slam events. Why not cricket?

I have chosen to single out cricket as a sport were both the men’s and women’s forms are relatively strong and there is no direct physical contact that would benefit increased body size.

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Who doesn’t remember that famous day when Zoe Goss bowled Brian Lara during the Allan Border tribute match?

Cricket skills come from coordination and precision. The Southern Stars have these qualities and more, and I daresay the women’s game might even be better suited to the English pitches and weather – it’s hard to argue with results.

A great way to implement a combined league would be in the Big Bash League. With an established broadcast schedule, and an engaged and growing following, contracting women into the established male franchises would really put the league on the sporting map.

The Big Bash has launched a women’s version, with the stars such as Ellyse Perry and Meg Lanning contracted to different franchises. Cricket Australia understands the growth of the women’s game, particularly with the increased number of children that attend the BBL. The format has become even more popular with young girls.

Hybrid forms of sport have been around for a while, but few I have seen engage men and women in competition the way I have suggested.

International Rules football combines Aussie Rules and Gaelic football. Later this year there is a hybrid rugby game happening in Sydney between Randwick rugby union and Wests Magpies rugby league. However, these formats have no long-term appeal. They are one-off spectacles.

Really though, there is nothing hybrid at all about having men and women play sport together. It’s natural. Yet sport often exposes the world’s divisions of class, ethnicity and sex. For instance, the South African rugby team is again facing scrutiny about the lack of black athletes in their World Cup squad.

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Everyone should be able to have a go. Ask Ellyse Perry if she would want to have a go against the men? As a cricket and football international she would have a crack for sure. She might want a slice of the pay the men get too!

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