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Lawyer, sports advocate and proud owner and founder of the Ladies Who empire, including Ladies who League, Ladies who Legspin, Ladies who Lineout and Ladies who Leap. Check out my podcast on iTunes as well by searching Ladies who League. Send me love on twitter at @mary__kaye and @ladieswholeague! x
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On Saturday afternoon Sydney FC will play Perth Glory in the 2018/2019 W-League Grand Final, bringing to a conclusion the eleventh year of the competition.
On Tuesday, St George Illawarra Dragons player Jack de Belin left Wollongong Local Court having pled not guilty to charges of aggravated sexual assault.
Rugby Australia launched season two of the Super W competition in this week and I continue to be pleased with the increased focus and attention that Rugby Australia is giving to the women’s XV version of the game.
I have loved rugby league since I was eight years old. Back then I was a slightly awkward, chubby, smiling child who would hold hands with my dad who would take me to Parramatta Stadium to cheer on my team, the Parramatta Eels.
So much of the narrative around men’s sport is centred around the idea of a hero.
Season three of AFLW commences this weekend, with an opening round fixture between the Geelong Cats and Collingwood.
It’s hard to imagine how the 2019 WBBL04 final between the Brisbane Heat and the Sydney Sixers to be played at 10.10am at Drummoyne Oval this Saturday is going to top the quality of games we saw in the semi-finals last weekend.
The WBBL semi-finals are upon us and tomorrow the Brisbane Heat will play the Sydney Thunder followed by the Melbourne Renegades taking on the reigning champions, the Sydney Sixers at Drummoyne Oval.
On Monday, North Queensland Cowboys player Scott Bolton appeared in Waverley Local Court for touching a woman on her upper thigh at a bar in Bondi last May.
With WBBL semi-finals just over a week away, five teams remain in contention for the top four spots being the Sydney Sixers, Sydney Thunder, Brisbane Heat, Melbourne Renegades and Perth Scorchers.
It seems that with each passing year the Australian public becomes more and more invested in women’s sport.
When I reflect on the 2018 rugby league season, there are a couple of highlights that immediately spring to mind.
It was a cold Saturday afternoon in Sydney, and with clouds swirling overhead I found myself at the home ground of the Helensburgh Tigers rugby league team for a fundraiser for a little man named Slater.
This weekend is the third of the WBBL Opening Weekend carnivals and will see most teams headed south to Blundstone Arena in Hobart for their next two matches in the competition.
The fourth edition of the Women’s Big Bash League got underway last weekend and after the results, I think it’s clear that it is going to be a very competitive season.
On the weekend the Australian Women’s Cricket team beat England in the final of the ICC World T20 Tournament which has taken place in the Caribbean over the last month.
With a 71-run win over the West Indies Women’s team, the Australian Women’s Cricket team will play in their fifth consecutive ICC T20 World Cup match on Sunday morning.
The Australian Women’s Cricket team has one more pool match – against India on Sunday morning at 2am AEST – before they progress to the semi-finals of the ICC Women’s World T20 which is currently being contested in the Caribbean.
For the Konstantopoulos family, summer is synonymous with cricket.
Sorry, I’m the one giving the game a bad name?
Maybe go and have a chat to Ben Barba . Some of the players don’t seem to need my help putting our game’s name through the mud.
Stand Jack de Belin down until his case is resolved
Peter, they are good points you raise and effective promotion is critical for these games to be successful.
My question is, what sort of promotion would you like? I’ve seen plenty of stories on NRL.com this week about the All Stars game and plenty on social media too. Is it mainstream coverage that you’re referring to?
NRL interest in Super League showdown a world-class challenge
But fans spoke out about it in droves. And I was not silent on that one either:
NRL left with no choice but to impose tough stance on player misbehaviour
I stopped reading the comments a day ago!
NRL left with no choice but to impose tough stance on player misbehaviour
I want to know how women speaking out against violence is an attempt to undermine masculinity.
NRL left with no choice but to impose tough stance on player misbehaviour
Can you give me the statistics to back up whatever you are insinuating here?
NRL left with no choice but to impose tough stance on player misbehaviour
Well said, Wal. Thank you.
NRL left with no choice but to impose tough stance on player misbehaviour
Where is your data coming from Bangers n Mash?
According to this report: https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/d1a8d479-a39a-48c1-bbe2-4b27c7a321e0/aihw-fdv-02.pdf.aspx?inline=true – the groups at greater risk of experiencing domestic violence are as follows:
Most at risk:
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women
Young women
Pregnant women
Women with disabilities
Women experiencing financial hardships
Women and men who experienced abuse or witnessed domestic violence as children.
NRL left with no choice but to impose tough stance on player misbehaviour
Send help, spruse moose.
NRL left with no choice but to impose tough stance on player misbehaviour
‘The fact is that almost all allegations in regards to violence against women, committed by NRL players are proven to be exaggerated, two-way, or straight up lies.’
Fact is it?
NRL left with no choice but to impose tough stance on player misbehaviour
Ben, I would argue it isn’t even 5/10 – but by all means continue making generalisations.
NRL left with no choice but to impose tough stance on player misbehaviour
Bangers n Mash, being able to be open about domestic violence is only something that has started happening quite recently. For decades this is an issue that has been going on behind closed doors which is potentially why you have never known anyone – or potentially it is just because no one has ever told you about it.
The reality is that last year more than one woman a week was killed as a result of male violence – I’m calling it a national emergency, because that’s exactly what it is.
NRL left with no choice but to impose tough stance on player misbehaviour
The Barry, I think this is the part I have often struggled to reconcile.
Are there some examples of misbehaviour (e.g. a parking fine/speeding) that we allow players to come back from? What about stealing or assault?
Who makes that decision and where do we draw the line?
NRL left with no choice but to impose tough stance on player misbehaviour
Not sure where that 9/10 figure has come from…
NRL left with no choice but to impose tough stance on player misbehaviour
BA Sports, I feel like people have been calling for a strong stance for quite some time now…
NRL left with no choice but to impose tough stance on player misbehaviour
Rabbitz, particularly when discussing domestic violence, it’s an exceptionally challenging area and many complaints/claims never reach court – for a number of reasons – fear, children are involved, one partner is dependent on the other etc…
Whilst the codes might appreciate the help, I still think the codes need to think about how they protect the integrity/reputation of the game even if a conviction doesn’t happen.
NRL left with no choice but to impose tough stance on player misbehaviour
Rabbitz, I do see your point, but the reality is it’s less about being judicial and more about protecting the reputation of the relevant company or that company taking a stand on what it believes its culture should be. The reality is, if any high profile person (whether they be a CEO of a company, an athlete, a musicial or leader) is caught doing something against the law or against the values of the company that they work for, then I do expect the company to come down hard on them and make a decision about the sort of people they want to employ.
NRL left with no choice but to impose tough stance on player misbehaviour
If they aren’t elite then, then AFL fans should stop comparing the standard to the men’s game and expecting the same level of skills and professionalism as in the men’s game.
What do you mean AFLW starts this weekend?
Maximus, I wrote this article before the launch which, to be fair, happened three days before the competition started. Perhaps the more useful conversation is about how the AFLW promotes itself given that cricket seems to dominate most of the sporting conversation until February. That is an issue that isn’t going away any time soon.
What do you mean AFLW starts this weekend?
AFLX is not really my thing either – but if it gets kids excited about the sport and brings a new audience, then I’m all for it! I just won’t watch it (I’ll watch AFLW instead!) 😛
What do you mean AFLW starts this weekend?
Peter, I think the thing with Beth is that she often goes under the radar and then puts in a performance like that that reminds everyone why she is in the Aussie set up – similar to her century in the Ashes T20 game at Manuka last year!
So glad your daughter is getting the opportunity to see such amazing female role models take the field. She will grow up in a different world to the one that I did!
Beth Mooney: The stuff heroes are made of
What I don’t understand is why people that don’t like or appreciate something read an article then take time out to leave a comment? Bizarre isn’t it!
Beth Mooney: The stuff heroes are made of
And Homers Son, I will continue to write those stories because I want the best for our game. I love the NRL and I want it to prosper. I also want our players to understand their positions as role models and to act like decent human beings. If the players didn’t continue to bring the game into disrepute I wouldn’t have to write these stories and ask for better.
If we don’ t discuss these things, things stay the same and for me, that’s not good enough.
Additionally, the stories seem to continue to generate discussion so it seems like I’m not the only one interested in talking about it.
Stand Jack de Belin down until his case is resolved