It has been a week that saw more heartbreaking moments in sport intertwined with politics and hateful behaviour particularly racism, but the strong reaction to address these also signals hope.
Last week we saw the swift consequences for Sam Casey’s terrible article with his thoughts on women’s rugby. This week we are still seeing the reaction – Zoë George and Alice Soper both pen articulate responses, and a number of media have published stories about the growing numbers of women and girls playing rugby in their region, including Christchurch, Palmerston North, and Timaru, and that the Farah Palmer Cup is returning to it’s full pre-Covid format.
The final of the Euro Championship between England and Italy was a close match, tied after full time and extra time, and only one penalty kick the difference after the penalty shoot out. It was an exciting game to watch, however, the aftermath saw three of England’s players on the receiving end of horrific racist abuse from their own ‘fans’ after they missed their penalties. The racist response has been thoroughly condemned, however, there have been some curious responses, such as Australia’s 7News deciding to run with the headline ‘Three Black player failed in the penalty shootout…’ English footballer Tyrone Mings called out English Home Secretary Priti Patel who condemned the racism following the penalty shootout, but at the start of the Euros criticised the English football team for ‘taking the knee’, a prominent action taken in sport to support anti-racism. She called it “gesture politics” and didn’t condemn English fans for booing when the team did it. Supporting strong gestures can go on to have a bigger impact when it’s really needed. Assistant Professor Rachel Anne Gillett from Utrecht University explains why racism comes to the surface when teams lose.
As the rights of transgender people in sport continues to be in the spotlight, Newsroom’s Ashley Stanley has penned a fantastic article on the emotional aspect and the toll that these ‘debates’ have on transgender people. It was great to see so many people show up to protest at a SUFW event in Wellington to support transgender people. The Council even lit up the Michael Fowler Centre where the meeting took place in the colours of the transgender flag!
Siren Sport’s Angela Pippos investigates the use of the term ‘lady’ in women’s sport, and how just the word itself has been a barrier to women’s participation in sport. She highlights a ‘fun’ fact – at Wimbledon, on the women’s singles winners board if the winner is married the name on the board are the initials and surname of her husband (e.g. Chris Evert’s 1981 victory is on the board as “Mrs J.M Lloyd”), and if the winner is single, it’s her name but preceded with “Miss”. No Mr or Masters on the men’s board though.
This week in herstory, a Dominion Post article from 2013 examined the lack of women in sport governance roles, how most national sports organisations are not meeting Sport NZ gender targets, and that women feel like sports organisations are a boys club. I spotted one difference when comparing 2013 to today, with the appointment of Sport NZ’s first female Chief Executive Raelene Castle.
Check out all the media headlines in women’s sport for the 16th July right here.
Alida Shanks 