Big support accross UK and Ireland for Irish women’s rugby ‘Legacy’ campaign

A legacy wrist band campaign was launched over the weekend, protesting the IRFU’s treatment of the women’s game in Ireland.

Across social media, both men’s and women’s rugby clubs wore wrist bands displaying the words ‘legacy’ and ‘respect’.

This campaign is a protest against the IRFU’s advertisement of the new Irish women’s rugby head coach job where it detailed that the position would of a part-time/casual nature.

The Old Belvodere women’s Twitter account stated, “This weekend we hope to stand united with our opposition and all women’s clubs across the country to highlight the IRFU’s lack of respect and ambition for the women’s game in Ireland”.

While in Limerick Shannon’s RFC tweeted “Although we have no game today Shannon Ladies stand together with our fellow rugby players”.

https://twitter.com/Shannon\_RFC/status/922083301426454529

The IRFU did attempt to clarify the official job description in a statement released on Friday.

“Contrary to recent comment, the IRFU has not downgraded the coaching role in relation to the Ireland Women’s team. While the outgoing coach was employed on a full-time basis, he was, as confirmed in the announcement of his appointment in December 2014, a shared resource across the Women’s XVs and Sevens programmes. He was not exclusively employed as a full-time Ireland Women’s XVs coach.

The IRFU confirms that it is in the process of reviewing the entire structure of the Women’s game in order to develop the next long-term strategy as we build towards the 2021 Women’s Rugby World Cup and beyond.

Based on the experience of the most recent structure, which saw the sharing of time between the Women’s XVs and Sevens programmes, the IRFU is seeking to appoint a coach on an interim basis, to work exclusively with the Ireland Women’s XVs team, until the end of the 2018 Women’s Six Nations. As confirmed already, this coaching position will be re-examined fully after the tournament, as part of the wider IRFU review.

The Women’s programme has received a significant increase in investment in recent years, with a full-time director of rugby and a full-time Women’s programme manager as well as backroom resources such as strength & conditioning, physio and nutrition professionals. 

The person who takes on the Ireland Women’s XVs team coaching role will work with, and report into, the director of rugby.

It is important that, on conclusion of the on-going review, the IRFU is in a position to appoint staff, including a head coach, full-time if necessary, who can deliver to the long-term strategy identified.”

While, the release also referenced a video from a press conference in Dublin in September where IRFU Performance Director David Nucifora spoke of the need to examine the Women’s game from grassroots level up.

I want my daughter to grow up&be treatd with respect whatevr sport she plays.I support #LEGACY campaign urging IRFU to support IREs ambition pic.twitter.com/KOV5yAiYE1

— Lynne Cantwell (@cantwelll) October 22, 2017

Standing united with @RockLadiesRugby #Legacy #ActuallyBringIt #prideinourgame #respect #wrugby pic.twitter.com/sfL3nejtzw

— OldBelvoWomen (@OldBelvoWomen) October 22, 2017

Thank you for the support of the Womens 15s by @CookeRFC 2’s today in their game against @Ophirrugby 🏉#LEGACY? #wrugby #respect #RugbyFamily pic.twitter.com/sFGkc8Ox29

— Cooke RFC Women (@CookeRFCWomen) October 21, 2017

@Waspsladies get behind Ireland Women in support of the #legacy #womensrugby #onceawasp @mimnagh_sarah @kallett1 pic.twitter.com/RorZoppKhK

— Wasps Women (@waspswomen) October 22, 2017