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Women's rugby is truly a global game

Rugby in Iran (Supplied: Asia rugby)
Roar Guru
29th March, 2018
6

The news that Tonga has banned women’s rugby in all government schools has sent dismay into rugby circles.

The Tongan government claimed contact sports such as rugby and boxing, are not ladylike and would be banned for females.

This has not stopped the growth of women’s rugby in other places, even some very surprising regions.

Writing two weeks ago for Asia rugby, Khuram Haroon highlighted its spread in Iran, an area not noted for women’s sport.

He quoted Iranian Women’s U17 rugby coach, Nahid Biyarjomandi who said the women’s game is actually growing at a quicker rate than the men’s.

Nahid has been playing rugby for nine years and now dedicates, and volunteers, her time, helping to develop the game in Iran for women, and has high hopes for the future of women’s rugby in Iran.

“We are trying to catch up to the standard in Asia, and after that we are trying for World Cup, why not! Maybe it’s impossible but in my mind nothing is impossible,” she said.

However, Biyarjomandi’s passion and dedication to the sport and growing the game in Iran does not come easy.

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“We work very hard. We have more than 12,000 people coming to Rugby festivals, but we need the knowledge to coach. I really love helping girls in Iran and I hope it can help. I really work hard to develop it in Iran, I love rugby,” Nahid said.

“We haven’t got many coaches with a high knowledge either. All of the coaches even in national teams they are trying to be a good coach, but not all of them have high knowledge. And about equipment. We haven’t got enough balls. But with all of these problems we are trying to fight and thinking what we can do for rugby.”

Rugby in Iran

(Supplied: Asia Rugby)

I can relate to this and made some enquiries when I was in Iran three years ago.

All rugby there was concentrated in education institutions and even then, the game was more popular to play by women.

There was an element of conservative Iranian society that was trying to stop women playing but from Haroon’s article, this seems to have abated. Also, I noted that the balls used were the Australian “Summit” brand but don’t know how they got them.

Another area not noted for women’s sport is Pakistan. The Pakistan rugby union has this month published a statement for Asia Rugby regarding the development of the women’s game in the country. Below are some of the points made by the PRU of the women’s progress.

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“A significant achievement of Pakistan in this particular game was topping the World Rugby’s “Get into Rugby” (GIR) programme, as PRU not only introduced this game to far–flung areas of the country but involved a greatest number of youngsters into this beautiful game, to make them healthy and active. Female participation of 20,496 (2016) and 28,743 (2017) is a testament to the interest that the GIR program has generated among the girls/women in Pakistan.”

“The inclusion of Women Rugby in the National Games and participation of the Women 7s team in the Asia Rugby Development Championship have duly supported the popularity of the sport among women. In a country of more than 200 million people, where women are believed to be half of the population, only men’s cricket gets recognition.”

Women's rugby in Pakistan

(Supplied: Asia Rugby)

Cultural barriers make it difficult for sportswomen to get due encouragement to take up either team or individual sport especially contact sports like rugby.

“They had passion, hunger and talent but they lack skills, which they can attain by playing against top teams of Asia and world and by getting maximum international exposure. After participating in their first ever international Rugby event, the players believe that the experience has been a life-changing one, not only for team but also for the entire female population in Pakistan, who can now pursue rugby professionally.”

So, even as a traditional rugby nation like Tonga tries to prevent women from playing, others nations, not known for promoting women in sport, are encouraging women to play the game.

We wish the developing rugby nations that their endeavours are successful.

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