Increasing visibility: 'No Woman No Try' Tour Kicks Off
No Woman No Try premiered on Amazon Prime in March 2022. The documentary follows three female rugby players through the 2020/21 season, exploring gender inequality through the lens of the women and men championing change across the rugby community – and now it’s going on tour.
Director Victoria Rush says that No Woman No Try was ‘always about the grassroots clubs having support to create change in the future. We’ve achieved incredible success launching the film with Amazon and opening discussions with premiership clubs but for real change in the community I want to make sure we reach the other 90% of the game – amateur teams. The tour takes the core conversations from No Woman No Try directly to the clubs, players and hopefully decision makers to inspire a brighter future for women in rugby.’
The popularity of the tour came as a surprise to Rush, who tells RugbyPass she expected to find 20 clubs who might be interested in hosting and instead came away with expressions of interest from more than 400 clubs which she had to whittle down to the final locations.
Rush continues ‘it was incredible to see how the film impacted people and shows just how important these conversations are. By speaking to people directly at grassroots level about problems that they face we can have a huge impact on change. Sharing advice from other clubs is a huge necessity to learn from others who have done right and wrong at their clubs. Coming together as a community, especially after Covid, is how we make sure everyone not only survives but thrives!’
I am so excited and humbled to announce my documentary @NoWomanNoTry will be released on @PrimeVideoSport – 25.03.22 ??Starring the incredible: @ShaunaghBrown, @stefanianella1, @AlemaZainab, @sueanstiss, @ugomonye & me.
Produced by me, Jack Tompkins & Ben Marlow pic.twitter.com/8rbt3shgbj
— Victoria Rush (@victoriahrush) March 4, 2022
The filmmaker tells RugbyPass that she hopes through the documentary and tour she can help make a lasting impact on women’s rugby in three key areas of access, visibility and funding. In terms of visibility, Rush tells RugbyPass that there is a major need for the Premier 15s to secure a regular, free-to-air broadcast deal.
‘There is a reason why the men’s final broke viewership records this year when it aired on ITV4 instead of solely on BT Sport – we need to challenge the paywall structure in the women’s game. When we put women’s sport on a platform for all to see, we show women and girls that this sport is for them, we get people interested. I’m not saying I’d put every single game on television, the competition isn’t ready for that yet, but I’d want to see the big match ups free to air every weekend along with the semi-final and final.’
The production value of those games is crucial for women’s rugby to reach and retain new audiences. No Woman No Try’s success on this front is part of what makes it a standout. Although the budget was tight, Rush was adamant that the final cut must look like ‘something straight out of Hollywood’ – and it’s fair to say she achieved this.
Rush goes on to tell RugbyPass ‘it is imperative that we start to create high value content for female rugby players – getting respect and commercialising the sport about more than what goes on in the stadiums, we need to create that star power. The Shaunagh Browns of the world are out there but we need to find more of them. We need to show that rugby represents everyone, and highlighting diverse individuals within the game is key’.
Brown highlights the importance of representation, saying ‘it’s also about those people who don’t have those role models in place at the moment, hearing or seeing someone like them in a place of influence and power, that’s what then brings people to realise, ‘Oh maybe I can do that too’.
The prop forward will certainly be showing the world what she can do in this year’s Rugby World Cup, set to kick off in New Zealand next month, after being named in England’s 32-player squad.
Inclusive language can also go some way to encouraging women to feel they have a place in rugby, Rush says – ‘there are really simple things like broadcasters and commentators making small changes to the language they use, that can make a huge difference. At the moment, men’s sport tends to be the default; “rugby” and “women’s rugby”. Simply changing that to “men’s rugby” and “women’s rugby” could go a long way. Normalising women in sport being discussed as well as men’s, helps to change our societal default that women don’t belong there, ultimately helping women and girls know they belong there too.’
Rush goes on to say that although the documentary focused on women, its intention was to reach men in the community and in decision making positions. She says ‘there is no way to have this conversation without having men in it. Ugo Monye has been a massive supporter, and his presence in the documentary helped make sure it didn’t feel like women attacking men’.
The No Woman No Try tour continues at @MedwayRFCWG next week!
Tuesday 6.30pm
Looking for a male ally to join @ShaunaghBrown on the panel. Any suggestions ?
It’s going to be a big one! pic.twitter.com/e0PO08cfGR
— Victoria Rush (@victoriahrush) September 4, 2022
The momentum in women’s rugby is building, with 10,000 supporters showing up for the TikTok Six Nations final (which also had a 64% increase in viewership). Rush tells RugbyPass that rugby ‘needs to capitalise on that momentum…we can see that the audience for women’s sport is growing, international women’s rugby as a product is ready now, more unions are beginning to back their countries with professional contracts for players. What we really need is for other countries to catch up with England on their national set ups and domestic leagues. We can’t sustain a whole sport with just one quality league’.
Although Rush is keen for rugby to kick on at the top level, she emphasises that grassroots inclusivity and growth is her main aim – ‘how good is it to get down the rugby club on the Saturday, have a beer (or non-alcoholic drink these days) with your mates – I just want everyone to have that’.
The No Woman No Try Tour is ongoing – tickets are on sale on via the No Woman No Try Website.
Watch No Woman No Try on Amazon Prime.
Comments on RugbyPass
Did the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
1 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
16 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
16 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to commentsMake what step up? Manie has a World Cup winner’s medal around his neck and changed the way the Springboks can play. He doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. The win record of the Boks with him in the team is tremendous. Sacha can be wonderful and I hope he has a very succesful Bok career, but comparing him to Manie in terms of the next Bok flyhalf is very strange. Manie is the incumbent (not the next) and doing pretty incredibly.
4 Go to comments00 😍 U
1 Go to commentsSabbaticals have helped keep NZ’s very best talent in the country on long term deals - this fact has been left out of this article. Much like the articles calling to allow overseas players to be selected, yet can only name one player currently not signed to NZR who would be selected for the ABs. And in the entire history of NZ players leaving to play overseas, literally only 4 or 5 have left in their prime as current ABs. (Piatau, Evans, Hayman, Mo’unga,?) Yes Carter got an injury while playing in France 16 years ago, but he also got a tournament ending injury at the 2011 World Cup while taking mid-week practice kicks at goal. Maybe Jordie gets a season-ending injury while playing in Ireland, maybe he gets one next week against the Brumbies. NZR have many shortcomings, but keeping the very best players in the country and/or available for ABs selection is not one of them. Likewise for workload management - players missing 2 games out of 14 is hardly a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Again let’s use some facts - did it stop the Crusaders winning SR so many times consecutively when during any given week they would be missing 2 of their best players? The whole idea of the sabbatical is to reward your best players who are willing to sign very long term deals with some time to do whatever they want. They are not handed out willy-nilly, and at nowhere near the levels that would somehow devalue Super Rugby. In this particular example JB is locked in with NZR for what will probably (hopefully) be the best years of his career, hard to imagine him not sticking around for a couple more after for a Lions tour and one more world cup. He has the potential to become the most capped AB of all time. A much better outcome than him leaving NZ for a minimum of 3 years at the age of 27, unlikely to ever play for the ABs again, which would be the likely alternative.
3 Go to commentsJake White talks more sense than anything I've read in the last 5 years. Hope someone's listening.
16 Go to commentsThe Springboks tried going down the road of only picking home-based players and it was an unmitigated disaster in 2016 and 2017. Picking overseas-based players has been one of the main reason the Boks have done so well since 2018, not only because of the quality Rassie could call on, but because of the knowledge and experience those players brought into camp from England, France and Japan. With some of the big names playing abroad it also gave younger players in SA the chance to break through at franchise level. Would we have seen the emergence of a Ruan Nortje if RG and Lood were still at the Bulls? Not so sure. I understand why Jake would want to block players leaving since his job depends on good results but it’s an approach that would take Bok rugby back to the bad old days and no South African wants to see that.
16 Go to commentsExeter were thumped by 38 points. And they only had to hop on a train.
39 Go to commentsI am De Groot.
1 Go to comments