Portia Woodman was one of many to comment on the WRWC format. / Photo: INPHO/Billy Stickland for World Rugby
There’s been plenty of commentary – good and bad – on the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup (WRWC) and how the tournament reflects shortfalls in the treatment of the women’s game. [We recommend reading ScrumQueen’s oft-sourced article for a round critique] In the first of three pieces, USA Women’s National Team (WNT) head coach Pete Steinberg focused on the Eagles’ performance at the WRWC; here, he takes a more global stance.
RELATED: Steinberg Series: Part 1, The World Cup • Eagles Finish 4th at World Cup • Irish Rugby Tours Buoys USA Abroad
Steinberg was pleased with the 2017 WRWC as a whole. He praised the hosting ability of the Irish rugby union, the increased news coverage and the social media verve.
“It felt bigger,” the coach said of the tournament. “There were lots of really good things about the World Cup. But the actual competition takes a flawed approached. The challenge is that if you have enough money to prepare, then you’ll do well at the World Cup, because you can recover between games and not to have coach between games. If the World Cup wants more competitive games, it’s the lesser teams that need more time to prepare.”
Steinberg was looking at a team like Hong Kong, which had the unfortunate task of facing Canada (98-0 loss) and New Zealand (121-0 loss) in the first two rounds of pool play. Those are uncomfortable scorelines, ones that drew criticism about the competitiveness of the game globally and supported reasons why the tournament should not expand. But in the three years leading up to the 2017 WRWC, Hong Kong played seven tests against Japan (2), Spain (2), Fiji, Singapore and Kazakhstan. After the first two rounds at the WRWC, Hong Kong had a go at Wales (39-15 loss) and Spain (31-7 loss), so who knows how the 12th place team would fair with more support and more opportunity to play more games.
Hong Kong stayed within a try of Wales for 60 minutes. / Photo: INPHO/Bryan Keane for World Rugby
Sound familiar? The USA isn’t in the same category as Hong Kong, but the Eagles were learning and growing throughout the World Cup. Steinberg talked about early player selections and commitment to a starting lineup as means to address the team’s lack of international experience, and acknowledged the increased likelihood of injury, especially during the quick turnaround. Steinberg (read The Telegraph article) and Portia Woodman were vocal about the stress of the tournament schedule, which saw the USA play the top three teams in the world – England, New Zealand, France – in 10 days.
“It shouldn’t be like the men’s World Cup because we’re mainly amateurs, but every time I read why the World Cup is short and it’s because people can’t take time off, I laugh,” Steinberg said. “That’s a bogus reason. There isn’t a single player who wouldn’t take an extra week off [work], but it becomes a reason for World Rugby to not fund the World Cup the way it should be.”
Jordan Gray played every minute of every USA game. / Photo: INPHO/Billy Stickland for World Rugby
Steinberg acknowledged progressive efforts at the international level. In Belfast, World Rugby’s Katie Sadleir, General Manager of Women’s Rugby, hosted a women’s leadership forum (read more from USA Rugby’s perspective). And USA Rugby announced that a new position, General Manager of Women’s Rugby, will also be filled in the new future. But the coach carries a healthy dose of skepticism.
“Things are going on and we’ll provide feedback, but we’re not talking about small little changes where we need everyone’s input about whether it’s right or wrong,” Steinberg said. “It’s: Change the format so we can prepare correctly with larger squads and staff and have more time off between games.
“We talked about the same things in 2014 and nothing changed,” the coach reflected on the 2014 WRWC post-tournament discussions. “World Rugby uses the format for the U20s [World Championship] and so they think it’s appropriate for the women’s highest level of the game. But everyone I talk to – even those at World Rugby – no one believes that’s true, but it becomes the rationale [to leave the format as is].
“I’m not sure World Rugby could get away with [the tournament format] again but we’ll find out.”
2014 runner-up Canada didn’t advance to the semis. / Photo: INPHO/Oisin Keniry for World Rugby
Steinberg also voiced his support for the addition of a quarterfinal round, regardless of whether the World Cup expands from 12 to 16 teams.
“Otherwise it’s unfair to teams like Canada because it ends up being about a good pool versus it being about the best,” he said.
World Rugby defended its support and management of the WRWC, and Sadleir indicated that review process is underway. There’s a lot for World Rugby to consider in terms of action, but that’s what women’s rugby is looking for.
“There’s a strategic question for World Rugby: What do they want to do with women’s 15s,” Steinberg posed. “I believe the World Cup could be a profitable entity for both the host and World Rugby, but it’d require an investment. World Rugby needs an eight-year strategy about how to be profitable by 2025 – to get people in the stands, what that sponsorship looks like, and then understand what that means for 2021.”
In the third Steinberg piece, the outgoing Eagles coach looks at the women’s game at home.
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