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I can tell you that women can hack it in the world of sport, just like men can. The UL panel for instance trained just as hard as any men’s hurling team, up at half seven, put through their paces and challenged to their upper limits and into the extreme. Their tenacity and drive was what won them the shield. The majority of their players would not have looked out of place with UL's hurlers.
Apart from the local press who cover anything newsworthy in their locality, women’s sporting events are not as well represented as men’s (Fact-just open any paper and count). Gaelic games, soccer, boxing and rugby-all the space is given to one gender at the expense of the other. There are plenty of Katie Taylor’s, Aine Lyng’s and Serena Williams’ out there just waiting to be heard.
The idea of “biological determinism” throws up a lot of bulls**t about men and women. It offers us the ridiculous notion that men are stronger and less emotional than women. In short, it says that women have smaller brains and demands them to live a life of domesticity while men act as the breadwinner.
Well I’m not buying that crap. I have met enough women who train twice as hard and play as prolific as any man. If there is one thing that I have learnt with the camogie team, it is that they have to put in the hard yards to get any sort of acknowledgement and recognition. I admire TG4 for their effort in showing women’s tennis and Gaelic football and some camogie games. We have to start somewhere I guess, and with more women playing sport than at any time before, we have the chance to show that we care. Women can and always have hacked sport. It’s this male dominated arena that needs to change.
And I intend to change it-little by little.
D.K
The timing of this article is incredible David. This afternoon, I went to watch a rugby match in Garryowen Rugby Club. My old school, Crescent College were playing Rockwell College in the Munster Junior (U16) Cup Quarter Final. Imagine my surprise at the half time team talk to see a woman rallying the troops in the Rockwell huddle.
ReplyDeleteThere were actually two women involved on the Rockwell backroom staff. One being a coach and the other, the team physio.
But this wasn't even my first experience of women in school's rugby. Several times when i was playing for my school, we would have done strength and conditioning sessions with a member of the Irish women's Rugby team.
On Saturday night I was watching the Football League Show on BBC. Nottingham Forest were playing host to Middlesbrough in tight, cagey game. As I was watching the highlights, I couldn't help but think that something was different. Strangely enough, it took me until half time to realise that the thing I found odd was the voice coming from the TV. For the first time in my years of watching mens football (and I can tell you, that's a lot of football), there was a female commentator. It turns out, thiss wasn't Jacqui Oatley's first appearance as a head commentator, she has in fact been working with the Beeb for several years, becoming the first woman to commentate on Match of the Day almost three years ago.
An interesting point for devate is that surrounding rewards in women's sport. For example, a few years ago, it was decided that the prize fund for the Wimbledon tennis grand slam was to be split evenly between the male and female draw. Although the Australian Open title has, for years been a split prize fund, as Wimbledon is the most prestigeous grand slam event, it caused major controversy. Currently, matches in the female toournament are decided as a best of three sets, with the male draw fighting out over best of five. Is it fair to invest the same amount of money into each draw considering the women are playing a lot less tennis. If Roger Federer won a game in three sets it would be regarded as a comfortable victoy, yet if Serena Williams won in three sets, it would be regarded as an epic.
In this situation, are the men being discriminated against?
NT
Sucking up to the ladies of the course I see!
ReplyDeleteActually I have been involved in camogie for a long time. My father, sister and aunt and most of my friends are also heavily involved in sport. My aunt won 5 All-Irelands and 2 All-Stars with Tipperary. I have been to more camogie games than you've had hot dinners. Women deserve their fair share on the media bandwagon.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, I'm driving on me moped to watch Tipp vs. Kilkenny in intermediate and senior camogie league action this weekend. Camogie is developing faster than ever before. Personally, I would prefer it over ladies football any day and the same can be said about hurling. There is nothing worse than a bad football match.
Afraid to leave your name? I don't bite. I can take a slagging. I am proud of my camogie involvement and roots. Camogie is GAA and GAA is camogie.
D.K
Ahh, I was only messing DK!! 'tis me, AH!
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