Opinion: The real difference between men and women's sports

North Harbour's Becky Woods (L) and Waikato's Sosoli Talawadua with their newborns at the launch of the Farah Palmer Cup embody the difference between men's and women's sport. Photo / Photosport

What's the first thing you do after the referee, umpire or timekeeper blows the fulltime whistle, tips off the bails or stops the watch?

For most of us, male or female, it's a joyful hoot, a dejected scowl or simply a great sigh of relief that the pain is over.

I'm not too ashamed to say one of the first thoughts in my head is how good that cold beer is going to taste once we get into the sheds.

When it comes to sports like rugby and football, that's probably what most guys reach for minutes after evacuating the field. A cold beer to quench the thirst after a good 80-90 minutes charging up and down the pitch never goes down poorly.

But after integrating myself with women's sports over recent weeks, I've found that it's not the same for them as it is for men.

I must confess, I haven't watched a tremendous amount of senior women's sport in my time. A few netball games here and a few hockey games there has been the extent of it in my 23 years consuming club sport.

Going to Northland's premier women's netball and rugby competition fixtures has exposed me to a different reality, one where a chilled, alcoholic beverage isn't the first thought that comes to their mind once they walk off the field or court.

More often than I can count, I see women taking a break from the game at halftime or between quarters to comfort their baby or young child that they've had to bring along on a Friday night or a Sunday afternoon.

I see strollers sitting facing the action so their mum can keep half an eye on her child as she plays or hopes an older sibling isn't too busy with their phone to mind the young one.

It's a stark contrast to the atmosphere of a men's sports game where the wives, girlfriends and partners are watching from the sideline with bubs in their hands or slowly wandering around the ground, trying to get the little one to sleep.

Now I know this isn't going to come as a surprise to half of the population, even some men; brothers, fathers and grandfathers will know the commitment required by a woman to play a high-level sport that involves weekly games and multiple trainings.

I find it interesting this difference between women's and men's sports is there to begin with. Premier netball is played on a Friday night and most women's rugby is on Sunday afternoons, times that don't seem to clash with the men's sports schedule.

Taking on competitive club sport is a challenge for anyone with a young family, irrelevant of their gender. It's not easy to arrange a consistent and reliable sitter, especially over the weekend.

But I guess I want to see the reciprocation of what I see on Saturday mornings and afternoons. The countless mums who are gathered on the sideline with family in tow while dad gets to have what is probably his week's highlight.

I have to acknowledge the men who do show up on the Friday nights and Sunday afternoons. They give me faith that we aren't leaving family responsibility to the mums. It's great to see dad showing his little one where mum is as she races back up the court or goes into contact.

Hopefully, with the increase in the popularity of sports like women's rugby, we might see more men supporting their other half on the sideline. In the meantime, I couldn't have more respect for those women who can play sport and be the family rock.