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The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Growth of Women's Rugby World Cup proves some things are getting better
The first Women's Rugby World Cup ran on grit, goodwill, vodka and raffle tickets. Back in 1991, the men who were in charge of the sport did not just refuse to sanction the new women's competition, they made legal threats against the four organisers, who had to design their own team and tournament logos to avoid a copyright lawsuit. The women approached more than 600 businesses for support, but could not persuade one to sign on so the 12 teams had to cover the cost of their own transport, food and accommodation. The Russian team did it by trading the booze they had brought over with them. Sport, and society, has changed so much since the first tournament that the 10th, which begins when England play the USA at the Stadium of Light on Friday night, feels almost unrecognisable from the first. The opening match is a reprise of the first final, when the USA beat England 19-6 in front of a crowd of 3,000 at Cardiff Arms Park. By the fifth final, England v New Zealand in Edmonton in 2006, the crowd had doubled to 6,000. By the sixth, which was the last to be held in England, it had doubled again, with 13,000 coming to watch England lose to New Zealand at the Stoop. This year's match will be at Twickenham, in front of a full house of 82,000. The life of the World Cup can be counted in a few years, but its growth has to be measured in hundreds, thousands and millions. It feels like proof of progress. It is one little corner of the world where things really are getting better. In the space of a generation the sport has become more equitable, open-minded and inclusive, its leaders more supportive and the society around it open to the possibility that there are myriad ways to be a woman. Rugby resonates. In an era when social media use is fuelling an epidemic of body anxiety among girls, rugby's oldest principle, that all shapes, sizes and styles are needed on a team, is newly important. The USA's Ilona Maher's body-positivity social media content has made her the biggest star in the sport. 'Take up space,' Maher tells her eight million followers. 'Pitch it faster, run harder, put another plate on the bar and never tone it down.' Her success is the best illustration of how the women are outperforming the men. Maher and her teammates have attracted the one thing all sports want, a newer, younger audience. When she joined Bristol Bears the number of women and girls buying tickets increased by a quarter and the number of people under 35 buying tickets increased by two-thirds, the average attendance doubled and their social media following spiralled by more than 3,000%. They became the biggest women's team on Instagram. Sign up to The Breakdown The latest rugby union news and analysis, plus all the week's action reviewed after newsletter promotion World Rugby's research shows that 49% of the fans of women's rugby have discovered the sport in the past two years and that as well as being younger, and more likely to have children, than fans of the men's game they are also more likely to try playing it themselves. More than 40% of them do not support a club team and only 15% cited an existing personal or cultural connection to women's rugby as a reason for their interest. They are more likely to be drawn in by seeing the clips or matches on streaming services, by the players sharing their own stories on social media and the reciprocal link between brands they love and the sponsored athletes they admire. It is the women who are going to provide the game's growth over the next decade. World Rugby used to shun this competition, but now it is at the front and centre of its global development strategy. The organisers have already sold 375,000 tickets, more than double the number who attended the last tournament in New Zealand three years ago. More than 500 journalists are accredited to attend, which is five times the number they had then. England's women, who once funded their run to the final in 1991 by flogging raffle tickets to family and friends, have signed sponsorship deals with Clinique and Mattel, who have launched a new line of Barbie-branded Red Roses clothing. Twenty-four years ago, the teams were bunking down together anywhere they could find a bed. The England team had to share the floor of a conference room the night before their semi-final when it turned out their hotel rooms had been double-booked. Today, World Rugby is paying for the teams with the furthest to travel to fly in business class. Where the women used to play in borrowed kit, now they have their own individual training bases and teams of specialist coaches. They need to do more. The sport has accelerated so quickly that it is experiencing growing pains. The professionals are underpaid, while the gap between the top teams and everyone else is too big and has been exacerbated by professionalisation. The competition director, Yvonne Nolan, says that these teams are 'on various stages of their journey' and despite World Rugby providing the semi-pro teams with access to specialist coaching before the tournament there will be some very one-sided scorelines. The flip side of which is that the top teams, such as England, have not had a whole lot of experience of being under the pressure of close competition. There is a risk, too, that professionalisation, and commercialisation, will have a deadening effect on the very things that make the game so appealing, in the same way many would say it has for the men's version. But if there are one or two reasons to worry, there are a lot more to feel cheerful. Because something is happening here and if you are one of those people who does not know what it is, you are missing out.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend
Enzo Maresca's request for Chelsea to replace the injured Levi Colwill with a new centre-back remains unanswered. The club's position is straightforward: there are no suitable defenders on the market and, in any case, it is up to Maresca to find internal solutions. The Italian can call upon Josh Acheampong, who performed well against Crystal Palace on the opening weekend. The 19-year-old started with Colwill's long-term absence complicated by Tosin Adarabioyo's minor injury. Adarabioyo may return for Friday night at West Ham but there is a case to give Acheampong another chance next to Trevoh Chalobah. Acheampong, who counts Manchester City as one of his many suitors, stood up to Jean-Phillipe Mateta in the goalless draw with Palace. It is worth having another look at whether he can cope as the central centre-back when Chelsea morph into a back three in possession. Replacing Colwill's line-breaking passes will not be easy but Maresca has options. Jacob Steinberg West Ham v Chelsea, Friday 8pm (all times BST) Tottenham ride into the Etihad Stadium in the wake of the Eberechi Eze farrago. Perhaps Thomas Frank can use the crimson embarrassment of Arsenal gazumping his club for the Crystal Palace forward's signature to inspire his men. Last November, under Ange Postecoglou, Spurs trounced Pep Guardiola's champions 4-0. A repeat may seem unlikely given Eze's morale-sapping choice plus Manchester City's 4-0 opening-day victory at Wolves. However, Frank and his players' job is to be able to show fight and spirit and tenacity precisely when it is difficult. So at lunchtime on Saturday, we will find out how much of these qualities they possess. Jamie Jackson Manchester City v Tottenham, Saturday 12.30pm Things started appallingly for Keith Andrews in his new life as Brentford head coach. In the first 45 minutes of his senior managerial career, the Bees showed no identity to make life easy for Nottingham Forest. Clearly, the lack of Yoane Wissa and the failure to replace Bryan Mbeumo will cause problems but a key absence in the East Midlands was Mikkel Damsgaard, missing after his wife gave birth. Andrews spoke of his importance to the team; unsurprising because he won of the players' and fans' player of the year award last season. The Dane's return to the midfield will be imperative because Elliot Anderson and Morgan Gibbs-White dominated proceedings, unthreatened by anything akin to pressing. Alongside Damsgaard, Jordan Henderson may start after coming off the bench for his debut on Sunday. Experience will be helpful to Andrews, because he lacks it as a coach. Brentford were certainly better in the second half at Forest and the greater assurance of Damsgaard and Henderson can help their colleagues settle and forget that poor start. Will Unwin Brentford v Aston Villa, Saturday 3pm This feels like a game Burnley need to win already. The Clarets conceded almost a third of the entire tally of their goals-against column last season at Tottenham last weekend. Burnley were always going to be more porous at the back by the nature of stepping into the Premier League but on that basis, they need to find goals at the other end. Last season's top scorer Josh Brownhill has departed and replacing his threat will be difficult. Lyle Foster started as the main striker at Spurs that was a struggle for Burnley, manageing just four shots on target. Armando Broja is waiting in the wings but needs to work on his physical condition before he can be considered for selection, understandable after his history of injury problems. A lot of pressure is placed on the Albania striker's shoulders in the medium to long term but there is an immediate issue this weekend. If Scott Parker does not find goals, it could set the tone for what is to come. WU Burnley v Sunderland, Saturday 3pm Bournemouth's season is never going to hinge on results at the best teams in the division but an opening-day defeat at Anfield offered plenty of positives. A typically buccaneering performance by Andoni Iraola's side suggested a summer of change has not been as damaging as perhaps feared. Adrien Truffert, the left-back signed from Rennes, was particularly impressive and they have since augmented their squad with addition of Amine Adli, who was part of Xabi Alonso's double-winning Bayer Leverkusen side in 2023-24. Ben Gannon Doak – who wishes to reflect both of his parents' names – is another exciting arrival before hosting Wolves. Last week Dango Ouattara became the latest player to exit, for Brentford, in a deal worth up to £42.5m. A buzz does not breed guarantees but Bournemouth appear to have taken the summer exodus in their stride. Ben Fisher Bournemouth v Wolves, Saturday 3pm Amid all the excitement about Eberechi Eze's impending arrival at Arsenal, spare a thought for Mikel Merino. The Spain midfielder's prospects in his favoured position already looked bleak after the signing of compatriot Martín Zubimendi meant he started the season on the bench after spending the second half of the previous campaign filling in as a makeshift No 9. The knee injury suffered by Kai Havertz means Merino could find himself back in that position over the next few weeks given that he is the only other player in Mikel Arteta's squad capable of replacing Viktor Gyökeres through the middle. Eze is expected to compete with Gabriel Martinelli on the left-hand side of Arsenal's attack but can also play in midfield. The new man is unlikely to be available to face Leedsbut Merino could have an important role to play. Ed Aarons Arsenal v Leeds, Saturday 5.30pm It is the dawn of a new era for Everton as the £800m Hill Dickinson Stadium hosts its first competitive game and 52,769 fans adapt to plush modern surroundings. There will be pre-match events to mark the occasion, a special edition programme priced £10 and wide-eyed astonishment at the complete lack of obstructed views. It is a momentous day for the club and the city but Everton will be trying to tread a fine line between celebrating their new home while ensuring the focus remains on, and the fervour behind, David Moyes's team. Monday's performance at Leeds was chastening for those Evertonians who had approached the new campaign with unusual optimism. Perhaps not for the Everton manager who has spent all summer calling for more improvements to his squad. Everton were fortunate to lose their opening home game of last season 3-0 against Brighton, such was the second half dominance of Fabian Hürzeler's side, and soon lost the positive momentum they had built up in the final weeks of the previous campaign. Everton require a fresh start all round. Andy Hunter Everton v Brighton, Sunday 2pm We are only a week into the new season but Oliver Glasner already has concerns about a lack of squad depth at Crystal Palace. The expected departure of Eberechi Eze means Palace must act quickly to find a replacement, with Leicester's Bilal El Khannouss and Tyler Dibling of Southampton among those considered. In the meantime, a knee injury to Daichi Kamada – who often played further forward under Glasner at Eintracht Frankfurt – could rule him out of the grudge match with Nottingham Forest on Sunday, meaning that Palace may turn to Community Shield penalty shootout hero Justin Devenny. The 21-year-old Northern Irishman signed from Airdrieonians in 2023, just four Premier League starts last season has very big boots to fill. EA Crystal Palace v Nottingham Forest, Sunday 2pm Flashes of positivity for Manchester United during their defeat by Arsenal are all well and good but Ruben Amorim could do with improved results. United must also improve in both boxes. Will Amorim tweaks his attack on Sunday. Does Mason Mount continue as a false No 9 or is Benjamin Sesko ready to lead the line from the start? There was a feeling United were not quite as effective after Mount went off against Arsenal. He has endured a wretched few years but is a useful, influential team player when on form with the ability to create space for Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha. Still, Sesko has not been signed to sit on the bench. The gargantuan Slovenian is a handful for anyone while a team who have struggled for goals under Amorim could do with a finisher in the starting XI. JS Fulham v Manchester United, Sunday 4.30pm Matches involving Newcastle and Liverpool often contain a bit of an edge but this rerun of last season's Carabao Cup final will surely take things to a different level. Eddie Howe's team won that showpiece yet one of their heroes of the hour, Alexander Isak, is at war with Newcastle as he endeavours to, currently rather forlornly, engineer a move to Anfield. With the Sweden striker training alone the only certainty is that Isak will not be at St James' Park where geordie anger at Liverpool's perceived tactics in unsettling Tyneside's fallen idol should guarantee already febrile emotions run high. Howe is expected to field the former Everton winger, and boyhood Liverpool fan, Anthony Gordon out of position at centre-forward. Gordon, along with Isak and Fabian Schär, scored in last December's fabulous 3-3 Premier League draw between these teams. Back then Liverpool's Mohamed Salah scored twice in the course of a wonderful performance. The Egyptian's duel with Howe's likely left-back, Tino Livramento, could prove pivotal. Louise Taylor Newcastle v Liverpool, Monday 8pm
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Inside the West Ham camp: What the dressing room was REALLY like following Sunderland defeat, the area Graham Potter needs to improve – plus latest on transfer targets
Graham Potter was on the offensive as soon as he stepped through the door. 'Must have been a bad result at the weekend,' he remarked as he turned to face a rare packed media room at Rush Green. He could say that again.
