The Rugby Six Nations tournament is the premier international rugby union tournament in the Northern Hemisphere. The winner of this championship, which is being played right now, is also called the European Champion. While all the attention centers around the men's tournament few people are aware that the women's championship is also being held at the same time.
Not only is there a lack of awareness for the women's game, which runs to the same schedule as the men's tournament, there is also little coverage for the games played. And this lack of interest runs across each of the six nations, England, Wales, France, Ireland, Italy, and Scotland. Even though the women's tournament has been around for years, and even when teams like the Wales Women's team are doing well, they still don't receive much coverage or crowd support. And this is rugby-obsessed Wales that we're talking about!
Women's national rugby sides have it so bad that they have to do their own laundry after the intensely physical games....
Wales Online
Abbie Wightwick
Welcome to the world of women's rugby, where not only are the team expected to play for nothing but also to train just as hard as our national heroes – and to do their own washing. Prop Claire Horgan simply says being treated differently is frustrating: "The difference is something we realise when we go and train. We see all the men’s shirts and on the wall there’s a sign about their training session and when their laundry’s going to be picked up."
Not only that but Wales Women, like many women in many spheres, must multi task. They juggle games and training with full time jobs or university courses, often many miles away. It may seem a small issue but it's a potent symbol of how women and women's sport – women's rugby in particular – are treated.
Most people in Wales probably know our men's side beat Scotland in the RBS Six Nations last Sunday and are due to take on England today. But how many know there is a simultaneous women's RBS Six Nations and that our women also defeated Scotland last week?
And if we marvel at the physical risks our men take, consider the list of injuries Wales women players notch up. Second row Louise Horgan, 29, has broken bones in her fingers, hands and feet. She's broken her nose twice and dislocated both knees and one of her shoulders. Her identical twin Claire, who plays prop, has also broken her nose twice, fractured hand bones and torn ligaments in both knees. "I never get worried how my looks are affected but how injuries might affect my game and my job," says Claire, who is a sergeant in the Metropolitan Police, working in the tough London borough of Hackney. "It is a rough game and nobody holds back. I'm not a girly girl. I'm 6ft with short hair and built to play rugby. I box as well, but I come away with fewer injuries from that."
They don't get paid and believe it's unlikely they ever will, but they're among the best in Europe and are muscling up for a place in next year's world cup. Since Wales Women first took part in the Six Nations competition in 2002 they have risen from one of the bottom three slots to second. Last year they came second in the Six Nations and European Championships and are now a force to be reckoned with across Europe and in Britain.
Wales Women wearing the gold and black strip, which represents the flag of the patron saint of Wales, St David. Photo from the Welsh Rugby Union.
To be an elite athlete and not get the proper recognition for it is almost as annoying as having to take your dirty kit home while the boys have theirs whisked away for cleaning, say some of the team. "The men did extremely well last year and I'd like to see them do well this year but historically the women are successful too. Over the last couple of years it has changed a bit. Now we're in the WRU and have the same shirt sponsors. People are taking more interest now. They come to watch our games and with the forthcoming Women's World Cup being held in England it will highlight women’s rugby," says Louise.
Wales Women coach Jason Lewis believes women are more diligent than men and pay more attention to details of the game. He estimates between 400 and 500 people turn up to watch a high profile international women's game. But it is still very far away from the tens of thousands who turn up to see the men on the battlefield at the Millennium Stadium. He has now set his side the target of finishing in the top three of this year's Women's Six Nations to get an automatic qualifying spot for next year's Rugby World Cup to be staged in England.
Wales Women's captain Mellissa Berry got her first cap for Wales in 1998 at the age of 16 and has captained for six years, says: "We don’t play for money. It would be fantastic to get money to train full time instead of having to work. The fact we combine jobs and training just shows the commitment of the players. We don't get the luxury of being paid."
When not representing her country at rugby Mellissa is a sports coordinator in Llanedeyrn and Llanrumney high schools for Sport Wales in Cardiff. As such she tries to encourage girls into all sport. She started playing rugby aged eight with boys at Mumbles RFC and then moved on to Swansea Uplands women's team.
Mellissa now plays for and captains Bristol Ladies WRFC and, like many of the Wales Women players, has brothers who played rugby, but not at the same top level.
She says it's a shame girls don't get more encouragement to play rugby as they can excel at the sport as much as boys – if not better. Although she concedes the women's game is different to men's she says the same skills are needed, although the women don't spend as much time on their kicking skills. "We aren't going to be as quick or strong physically as men because that's physically impossible," she points out.
