Thanks to the FIFA Women’s World Cup, Australia has discovered women’s sport “as” sport and not some replica or a lesser variation. And this is the very change that we are now witnessing in rowing.
It is hard to describe it as anything other than an awakening. Sport in this country has changed forever and for the better.
Many Australians did not even realise that the Football World Cup was on. They then became total football fanatics. Australia as a nation discovered that women’s sport is thrilling, awe inspiring, and drama filled.
The Australian Matildas have become the nation’s most valuable sporting team and their games broke every sporting record that has ever been recorded. The Australia vs. England game was the most watched event ever in Australia’s history with 11.15 million viewers, just under half the country.
“Women’s” sport is no longer in need of a qualification because women’s sport became “sport” in every sense of the word.
I am a teacher of Art and Design at an all girls’ school in Sydney and my students could barely contain themselves with the excitement after Australia’s Matildas won the penalty shoot out against France. At school, we projected the games on our biggest screen, had sleep-ins, and no student got in trouble if they hadn’t completed all their homework.
Even though Australia’s women’s soccer team came fourth, you would be forgiven if you thought we had won the entire championship. No Australian team had ever achieved anywhere close to what the Matildas had, as we tend to miss out on qualifying more times than not – sorry, I’m referring to the men’s team, the “Socceroos.”
The World Cup had started as I returned to Australia following a visit to Henley Royal Regatta. I was in Henley to conduct a series of interviews for Junior Rowing News focused on innovation and change in our sport. I went to Henley expecting discussions about technology and bow riggers, which I did have and will share with you, but came away with something far more profound and life changing.
What was clear was that the sport of rowing was having an awakening all of its own in regards to women’s sport.
To my surprise, by far the most common answer to “what is the most significant change or innovation that we have seen in the sport of rowing?” was:
- “Women at Henley”
- “Equality”
- “Equal representation of men and women”
- “Inclusion
In my interviews, there is tremendous celebration about the rise of women’s rowing at Henley. It is extraordinary to consider that women only started to compete in Olympic rowing in 1976 and gender equity was not achieved until Tokyo 2020. Should we be proud … or should we be ashamed that it has taken so long?
Henley Steward, Jess Eddie, said to me: “Something this old takes a long time to change. But we are creating that change at Henley.”
What I heard in my interviews time and time again at Henley was the significance of the rise of women’s rowing and what this change meant to so many.
For me, it was the Princess Royal Challenge Cup which was the most thrilling racing at this year’s regatta. On Day 5 was the semi-final between Georgie Robinson-Ranger and Marta Wieliczko of Poland. Georgie fought the entire length making repeated sustained attacks, with one final defiant charge to the line that only an Olympian could have defended against.
The next day Marta went on to the final against Diana Dymchenko. This race was unlike any other and was by far the best race of the regatta. The two gladiators sat side-by-side the entire course with only ever a few feet either way. It was sheer exhaustion that enabled Diana to edge over the line first.
My interview with Marta on the finals day was my most memorable. She was simply in awe of what she had just experienced; it was her finest race ever. After my interview with her I had to double check – you’d think she had just won the Princess Royal Challenge Cup.
Marta represents what sport is all about – recognising that you can be victorious even in second place.
There is no doubt that Henley Royal has recognised women’s rowing well beyond any form of novelty and is offering the very best of rowing competition that our sport has to offer. Marta, Diana and Jess are testament to this.
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