Munster Rugby responds to fury over removal of equality motion at AGM

The decision not to proceed with a vote to recognise women’s All Ireland League clubs with senior status has been met with fierce criticism

 Credit ©INPHO/Billy Stickland

A decision by the Munster Rugby Branch not to proceed with a vote to recognise women’s All Ireland League clubs with the same senior status as those in the men’s AIL has been met with fierce criticism from throughout Irish rugby.

Munster Rugby on Friday insisted the motions submitted to this week’s deferred AGM had been “deferred” in order to allow time for “appropriate consultation with all key stakeholders” given that what was being proposed required amendments to Branch bye-laws.

This week’s Munster Branch AGM at Nenagh RFC had seen a motion tabled to put the province on the same footing as Connacht, Leinster and Ulster by awarding the same senior status to women’s AIL clubs as is automatically enjoyed by their male equivalents. 

Of the 60 clubs across the women’s and men’s Energia All-Ireland Leagues, only Co. Cork’s Ballincollig RFC have not been given senior status.

Yet the motion put forward by IRFU Committee member and Garryowen clubman Jim Gibson, and seconded by Bruff’s Fiona Steed, the IRFU Women's Committee chair, IRFU Committee member and former Ireland international, was withdrawn by them on the morning of Thursday’s meeting, a decision announced to delegates later that evening.

News of that development was met by frustration and anger, with former Ireland captain Ciara Griffin at the forefront of protests on social media at the decision.

Using her Twitter account @griffinciara94, she tweeted: “’Community, Passion, Integrity, Ambition and Excellence’ The ethos of @Munsterrugby. This I’m afraid is the complete opposite.” 

Ballincollig, which was accepted into the Women’s AIL alongside Leinster club Wicklow RFC in early 2020 but had their debut delayed by the Covid pandemic until this season, issued a statement on Friday which read:

“Ballincollig RFC are shocked and disappointed that, after 12 months in the works, the motion to grant Women’s AIL clubs senior status was withdrawn without notice or explanation before the Munster Branch AGM last night.

“We will be seeking an urgent meeting with Munster Rugby and the IRFU to see what steps can be taken to rectify this and to bring our province in line with the others who recognise their Women’s AIL clubs as senior.

“In what has been a turbulent period for the Women’s game it is disappointing that equality is still something that needs to be fought for and that not all Munster rugby players are considered equal.” 

Ballincollig director of rugby Denis Stevenson told the Irish Examiner: “We feel let down. We were told this would be in hand, there were 130 people in the room and when it came to the motions we were told that the women’s motions were withdrawn. No reason given.” 

Stevenson described the reaction to the announcement within the room as a “dignified silence” and added: “As a club we were very disappointed given the effort that our team put into it and to not have the opportunity to get the senior status as every other club playing AIL.

“Leinster Branch did it last March so Munster are the only province not to change and there’s only one club out of 60 that doesn’t have senior status and it’s down to the gender of their team.” 

Munster Rugby sought to clarify their position on Friday, and expressed support for the proposed motions, which could go to vote as early as this June’s scheduled AGM, but said the withdrawal of the women’s motion was down to procedure rather than a gender bias.

“The motions submitted by the Munster Rugby Women’s Sub-Committee have been deferred to allow time for appropriate consultation with all key stakeholders,” the Munster statement read.

“The motions submitted in the last week proposed amendments to the Munster Rugby Branch Bye-Laws with reference to the All-Ireland League (or its equivalent) and Senior Club status with both terms to represent the men’s and women’s game.” 

Munster Branch President Sean McCullough explained: “While the Branch supports the proposed motions, we need to undertake a comprehensive review of the Bye-Laws and engage with all stakeholders to ensure we make the appropriate and necessary changes.

“As we all promote and support increased inclusivity and diversity across the game, we need to ensure our club’s governance structures reflect this and that we are catering for our community.”