On the television is news of a Rugby League coach going to the highest bidder and lots of close shots of scantily-clad women at the Bathurst 1000 race, just down the road from me, where it's probably 10 degrees as I write this. I hope those 'pit girls' as they are embarrassingly labelled, are well paid.
Which gets me thinking...
Maybe the best way to judge a sport is by how it treats and views women. Let's start with the pit-girls of motor racing.
While the drivers are kitted head-to-toe in flame-retardant overalls plus helmets and gloves and risk life and limb on the track, the 'real' attraction seems to be scores of these young women cavorting for the cameras and the largely male, beer-fuelled audience. Even the ad-campaign pre-race had as many shots of women as the drivers. I'm confused as to who the real 'participants' of this sport are? Let's strike motor-racing as a socially-responsible and relevant past-time, shall we.
Next, Rugby League. Yes, I know, I'm choosing the easy marks first! Despite the regular newspaper headlines of players mistreating and abusing women, the league persists with cheer squads of, yep, you guessed it, scantily-clad women welcoming the players onto the field. Oh yeah, and celebrating when they score. Yes, and I did mean to use that embarrassing pun, 'score' because that's how many players appear to treat the opposite sex. Just another opportunity. One further step into the 'ghettoisation' of Rugby League, methinks.
Rugby Union? Well... it doesn't really think of women too much. They didn't go to the right private schools to figure in the network of Old Boys who run this sport. Women are good as spectators and certainly very helpful as mothers organising the afternoon tea. But, well quite frankly, no-one's clinching a business deal with little Johnny's mother over a few ales after the game are they?
Australian Rules is hugely supported by women, mainly Victorians! Oh okay, all over Australia, women attend the games. I've even had the pleasure of sitting in the grandstand listening to one middle-aged woman advising Big Bad Barry Hall to, and I quote, 'kill him Barry!' whenever an opponent went within striking distance of her hero. I'm mystified by the attraction, but, yes, women do follow and watch Aussie Rules. In their thousands. And, maybe a small percentage of that number actually play the game - not in organised leagues, but in school competitions. Again, in Victoria. So, good luck, to Aussie Rules. At least, there are no cheerleaders.
And now, to football (soccer if you must). I go to Sydney FC games and readily admit, the majority of the audience is male. I'd hazard 65/35% male to female ratio. Pretty good, but not much different in ratios to the other three footy codes, I imagine. But wait... at half-time Sydney FC allow local junior football teams to play on the sacred turf of the SFS - short five-a-side games where players get their chance to impress the crowd. And, there on the field are girls as players. Young women as participants, playing in front of the thousands. Not cheerleaders, not (only) supporters, but players, involved in the game.
And, sure enough, Sydney FC has a women's football team that plays in a national competition. And some of those players play in the National Team, The Matildas (great name, by the way). And this sport is broadcast nationally on the ABC. I know, I've watched it and been enthralled at the pace and the skill level of these players (Lisa de Vanna and Elise Kellond-Knight to name two). And, this surely, is the future of sport in this country, and the world... a game that can be played by both sexes with skill, verve and passion. A sport where women belong. As players... and supporters. And not a cheerleader in sight.
For I have seen the future of (male) sport... and it's female!
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