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ARU needs to develop women's rugby

31st January, 2010
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Roar Guru
31st January, 2010
47
2038 Reads

All the expansion going on throughout the various codes of football is detested by some and held as hope by others. These are all very risky endeavors, with usually close competitions trying to protect their kingdoms and attack each others.

But there is one expansion route that the football codes still aren’t taking seriously enough – and it’s paved with gold.

That is the women’s game.

Football has done quite well at promoting the game to the fairer sex, but that is mostly on the basis of traditional offerings. However, Rugby League and Rugby have failed to capitalise on a fairly captive market. I see a market here, above anything else, for Rugby Sevens to take hold of.

Certainly the fast-paced action, quick games and lesser physicality would appeal to some young women out there, and could be pushed in schools.

A gateway into schools may be into the private system, but it can go way beyond that. There is already a good development stream for the women’s game, with our national team being world champions. But think what that team, in the future, could achieve with a greater width of talent playing at school age levels. This would in fact push for greater coverage of the women’s game in Australia.

Some direct gateways could be for school girls who play water polo in the summer. The physical level of each game is similar, and the muscles trained would correspond, as well as the fitness levels. This may sound far-fetched but water polo is in fact water rugby, originating from the game in its early development.

So, there is room for development here, and the targeting of woman is the next step for rugby with only 1,660 female players registered, according to statistics.

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This is where the ARU should take a chance, especially with the momentum of the Olympic movement.

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