It’s time for us to move on, next story, please!!
Have you ever heard somebody say to you, “You scream like a girl”? Or perhaps you could have said that phrase to someone else? Growing up, I’ve always heard one particular phrase: “You throw it like a girl.” This was typically what I heard most frequently as a girl who played all different types of sports. As a young girl, I didn’t really know how to respond to this, but I had commonly known it as a joking way to insult someone, because girls are stereotyped to be weaker or less strong than boys. Today, in 2022, the world of women in sports is growing at a rapid rate. The number of women playing sports such as rugby has definitely increased. For a sport that is typically known as a sport played by men around the world, the Black Ferns have definitely changed a couple of minds in New Zealand.
I grew up a girl who didn’t mind hanging out with ‘the boys’ while they were playing sports. I started playing rugby at 10 years old and I absolutely loved it. I didn’t mind being one of the only girls on the team and playing against boys at all. The only negative things that stuck with me while playing rugby with the boys for 4 years were the odd looks and words I would receive. Showing up to the game on a Saturday morning, walking over to the sideline, I would hear words like, “Oh, they have a girl on their team” or “It’s okay, she’s just a girl”. With not many girls playing the sport at that age it was clearly unusual to see a girl playing. However, these days as I go to watch my brothers’ games on a Saturday, playing at the same age that I was, I can see more and more girls on different teams. Girls in rugby are growing, which is so awesome to see, and having the Black Ferns as our national team is a dream that lots of these girls are looking up to.
New Zealand recently hosted the Women’s Rugby World Cup. This was a huge event for the nation itself and for the attention it brought to the subject of women in sports.
The media attention that the Black Ferns received was fantastic. Nearly 40,000 people recognised the Black Ferns’ World Cup victory last month as tickets at Eden Park almost sold out within hours of making it through the semis. This was an inspiring moment for all athletes in New Zealand, and in particular female athletes.
This was significant, not only for our country but also for the impact that winning an event like this has on young girls who are aspiring athletes. Events and moments like these are what help women’s participation in sports grow.
From my personal experience of going to the World Cup final and being there in the atmosphere, it was truly amazing to be amongst a crowd cheering for women’s rugby. From my perspective and a lot of other New Zealanders’ perspectives, the World Cup final was definitely one of the best matches of women’s rugby ever.
Since the Black Ferns won the women’s rugby world cup, there has been a lot of talk about how women are underpaid in sports in general. Yes, by now we can all agree that the pay gap is definitely there between men and women. The reason behind this is that men have always been favoured in sports over women due to societal restrictions. For example, in rugby, I believe that people need to understand how the revenue generated by women’s rugby is distributed. The funds are not only going to the players, but also into the unions and provinces to promote more women’s rugby. This includes from the junior grades all the way up to Super Rugby Aupiki (the professional women’s rugby union club competition in New Zealand) and ultimately the Black Ferns. Generating revenue like this is one of the key factors that will increase the number of young women in rugby.
Seeing what the World Cup has brought to our young athletes in New Zealand is just so cool and I see that lots of girls have been inspired by the huge achievements of our Black Ferns. Now “throwing it like a girl” means so much more than just a weak sexist joke or a little insult. Because girls’ rugby has a lot of potential in the years to come, and it is so exciting to see.
– Words by Macy Costello, Young Sportswoman
