Las Vegas was a step backwards for rugby league – Alice Soper

Yasmin Clydsdale, of Australia, makes a break during the Jillaroos rampant display against England in Las Vegas. Photo / AFP

THREE KEY FACTS

• The Jillaroos easily defeated England in Las Vegas, highlighting the disparity between the teams.
• ARL Chairman Peter V’landys suggested cutting the women’s match, favouring men’s fixtures instead.
• The women’s game is growing rapidly, and excluding it could hinder rugby league’s expansion efforts.

Before a single minute of league took place over in Las Vegas last weekend, two outcomes were already obvious: four games in one day is well beyond the attention span of the average fan and the world champion Jillaroos were always going to smoke the English women’s side.

The only surprise then was the apparent surprise of these results to those running the game.

Since their first encounter in 2008, the closest England has ever got to the national Australian women’s side is an eight-point loss. Not since they played under the combined Great Britain banner have they got up over the Aussies. Their last match back in 2017, saw the Jillaroos confidently dispose of the northerners, 38-0. It was the following year that the NRLW played its inaugural season, finally committing more resource to women’s league. The result on the weekend then showed a solid return on that investment.

But rather than celebrate how far the Aussie women have come, their progress is now being used as justification to drop their match. For years, these women have been told they were not going enough to receive support and now they are suddenly too good to play.

ARL Chairman, Peter V’landys, is now signalling those last embraced by the game will be the first to receive the cold shoulder. Favouring cutting the only women’s match over the one Super League and two NRL fixtures.

Such a move is short-sighted to the true potential of rugby league in the USA. It echoes the missteps of their cousins, rugby union. Who have spent countless years and dollars trying to use men in the game to open up the American market, only to have a woman, Ilona Maher, emerge as the key to unlock this elusive fanbase.

It’s this same woman who, like many of her rivals on the world sevens circuit, has expressed an interest in playing the 13-player code in future.

The reality is, this test match was scheduled due to an alignment of objectives in the men’s game rather than attempting to display women’s rugby league in its best light. They knew enough to not have a Super League NRL crossover match, understanding that a lopsided outcome would damage the showcase. It’s baffling then that they couldn’t show such discernment for the women’s exhibition.

If we are to ask questions about this match, the answers are obvious and right there. If you want to add an international fixture to the paltry women’s international schedule, have the Jillaroos face their old rivals the Kiwi Ferns. Alternatively, make it a spectacle and have the Jillaroos take on the world by playing them against an invitational 13.

Capturing the American patriots by offering one of those spots to rugby star Maher. Perhaps they could show why the Jillaroos are the world champions and pick an NRLW match to feature. Or bring a little more drama and play one of the three women’s State of Origin matches.

There’s one part of rugby league that is showing exponential growth, in all the key metrics and on the scoreboard. That part is the women’s game. The Las Vegas showcase is meant to be about expanding the audience. In order to truly do that, those running the event need to expand past their old worldviews.

NRL, Super League and women’s league are three parts of a whole. Cut the women from the picture and all you’ll showcase is a sport going backwards.