SA Rugby’s high-performance manager for women’s rugby, Lynne Cantwell, says that small changes to structures will send out strong messages that women are welcome in the sport in SA.
Lynne Cantwell’s soothing Irish lilt took on a softer tone when she spoke about why women’s rugby matters. With a PowerPoint presentation – which detailed the structures, objectives and plans for women’s rugby in the coming months and years – packed away, the former Ireland player who now heads up the women’s programme at SA Rugby changed tack.
“We know that women’s sport lags behind men’s, so what we’re trying to do is create structures where girls and women know they are valued, and that they are thought of. They must know that they are at the centre of the decision-making process as well, which is something the leaders at SA Rugby have committed to doing.
Cantwell’s vision is underpinned by commitment to prioritise the women’s game within SA Rugby’s structures. The Springbok women’s team has been elevated to the second most important team on the company organogram, behind the Springbok men. “We need rugby to be taught and endorsed from a woman’s perspective; we have seen in the past that you cannot just copy a men’s programme and expect it to work. We tried that in the past and learned from our mistakes.
“The first Test match for women was played in 1982, whereas South Africa played their first Test in 2004, so we are way behind the world curve, but that does not mean the gap cannot be bridged,” Cantwell said.
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