REPUBLIC OF IRELAND assistant manager Tom Elmes hopes the current women’s rugby revolution “ends well,” amidst parallels drawn with Irish women’s football’s watershed moment in 2017.
News broke yesterday that a group of 62 current and former Irish women’s rugby players had written to the government to express their loss of all trust and confidence in the IRFU.
In a letter obtained by The42, the group called on the Minister of State for Sport, Jack Chambers, and Minister for Sport, Catherine Martin, to intervene with the IRFU in the hope of seeing “multiple cycles of substandard commitment from the union” ended once and for all.
The IRFU hit back, saying it “refutes the overall tenor” of the letter, and last night, Minister Chambers and Minister Martin confirmed they had sought a meeting with the Union.
Much of the commentary surrounding the situation has circled back to the Irish women’s football team’s landmark, explosive press conference in Liberty Hall in 2018, in which they threatened strike action, and later struck a deal with the FAI.
Conditions have improved drastically since then, with 2021 a memorable year for the Girls In Green from pay parity to primary sponsors secured, ahead of their bright start to the 2023 World Cup qualifying campaign.
Speaking to the media this morning, Elmes was asked about the potential similarities between both situations.
“Look, I wouldn’t know what the environment was like,” he said. “But what I can say is that if they have come together and they are speaking up, then hopefully they can have a similar response to what our players did, where they get treated the same with equal pay, and things come around for them as well.
“So look, the profile of maybe what our team has done, and what they’ve achieved in recent months, or even over last year, has probably given them that opportunity to say, ‘Well hang on a minute, could we be not really pushing a little bit more and doing a little bit more?’ and maybe they’re wanting a bit more from their Association.
“So hopefully it ends well, and they do get that additional support if that’s what they’re looking for. Because you just love to see women’s sport in general, not just our Association, but just women’s sport in general, really, really progressing.
“I have seen Ireland play in rugby Sevens there recently and they put up some fantastic performances. If they just feel they need that little bit extra, then you don’t know what they could achieve. ”
Elmes — who is also Ireland U16 head coach — joined Vera Pauw’s Girls In Green set-up last month, following the departure of Eileen Gleeson to Glasgow City. He was in situ for the “disappointing” 1-1 draw with third seeds Slovakia, and the record-breaking 11-0 hammering of Georgia, which leaves them second in Group A at the halfway stage.
With the next camp scheduled for February, and further details on that to follow, Ireland’s 2023 World Cup qualifying campaign resumes in April with a trip to runaway leaders Sweden.
“I think if we come up against them again, you’d be positive we’d pick up a better result,” Elmes said of the Slovaks, while crediting them greatly. A second-place finish and navigating play-offs looks like the most realistic target now, but he won’t shy away from challenging the Swedes, with top spot “still in our sights”.
With the profile of the squad ever-growing as this team looks to reach a first-ever major tournament, Elmes feels the players may be feeling that weight of expectation.
“Pressure is definitely a privilege,” the former Wexford Youths boss continues. “To have that on you is something that’s really great, for players to have that opportunity to be pressured, or however you might look at it.
“They are in a really good position right now looking for qualification. I think if we can get through the next round of games in a similar way, it’s obviously gonna look really good for us. We just need to keep doing what we’re doing, keep performances going and keep everyone together.
“I think the profile of the players on the outside is really good. But even inside the dressing room, the way the group is together is very, very strong. One of the things I picked up quite early was how tight of a group it was. When you’ve got that, good things can happen.”
On his new role in general and working under Pauw, Elmes adds: “No matter what environment you go into, it’s always going to be different. Every coach has different ways of doing things. Seeing how Vera operates has been really good.
“Look, she has an abundance of experience. That’s gonna be a real benefit to me going forward. It’s an enjoyable environment, and it’s an educational one as well, so really good.”
That said, it is challenging as he balances both international coaching jobs with his Uefa pro license coaching course.
“It’s been difficult over the last few months, jumping from the next role to the next role, moving from the U16s and U17s to the seniors now,” he concludes, while stressing how optimistic he is for the “long-term,” with top young players coming through.
“Once I get my calendar and schedule sorted, it should be a lot easier.”
𝗦𝗨𝗣𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧 𝗔 𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗗 𝗖𝗔𝗨𝗦𝗘
— FAIreland ⚽️🇮🇪 (@FAIreland) December 2, 2021
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