Rugby Union
Achievement Standard 1.4
Rugby Union and the
Influence of Media and
Sexism on participation.
Why Rugby Union?
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It is New Zealand’s national
game.
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It has a lot of stereotypes
surrounding it largely due
to the influence of the
Media.
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Brainstorm in group’s of 3
or 4: What are some of the
stereotypes with Rugby
Union? (Note: Stereotypes
are assumptions that we
make about certain
subjects).
What are the
stereotypes we
came up with?
Some Ideas….Do You Agree?
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Rugby is a mans game
If you don’t play Rugby (i.e. you play Soccer) you
are soft.
Rugby players go out and get drunk a lot.
Women who play Rugby are butch/lesbian
because it is a mans game.
EXPLAIN whether or not you agree with these
stereotypes.
EXPLAIN why you think these stereotypes exist.
Watch This:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvUIbqKyppY
Did you know…
 The
Black Ferns are the current Women's
Rugby World Cup champions. They have
won four consecutive World Cups, winning
the first International Rugby Board (IRB)sponsored Cup in 1998, the 2002 World
Cup in Barcelona, the 2006 World Cup in
Edmonton, Canada, and the 2010 World
Cup in London, England.
 Players are AMATEUR. They have jobs and
have to pay a lot of their own way.
The All Blacks…
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Have Won 2 World Cups
Have had millions of dollars spent on them by the NZ
Government and NZRU (Taxpayers)
Top players earn 6 figure salaries not counting
endorsements.
Super XV base salary is around $70’000 plus NPC
contract is an additional $20-30’000 (Non All-Blacks)
They do not have to pay for travel, accommodation,
food etc
Is this fair? EXPLAIN WHY/WHY NOT
In your own opinion, EXPLAIN why you think their is such
a huge gap in the funding?
Media Influence.

When you watch Rugby on the news only a
very small percentage of the coverage is
women’s rugby.

Why do you think the Media focus is more on
the Men than the Women?

How does this huge difference in coverage
affect the participation levels in the game?
TYPES OF MEDIA?
Radio
Newpaper
TV
Internet
In your opinion Which of these types of Media has the
biggest influence on the game of Rugby? EXPLAIN WHY
What does this photo tell you?
And this one?
And again….
So what is the conclusion?
 MEN
MAKE UP THE MAJORITY OF MOST
SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHERS!
 What
are the implications of this for the
game of Rugby Union in New Zealand?
Critical Thinking:
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NEWSPAPER ANALYSIS OF RUGBY UNION
ARTICLE
What gender is the writer?
What sport is the story about?
+
What size is the article (small, medium, big)?
What gender is the photo of?
+
Is it a still/posed shot or an action shot?
Results
 Lets
out.
look at the figures that you worked
 What
are the implications of this in the
game of Rugby Union?
The Interdependence of
Rugby Union and The Media
 SPORT
NEED THE MEDIA AND THE MEDIA
NEED SPORT
 WHY
IS THIS???
MEDIA NEED SPORT
 In
order for the media to gain viewers and
in turn financial gain they need to provide
a product that is visually appealing and
that the customers want
Considering that the majority of viewers are
male, the media seeks to do this through
providing hot girls and ‘manly’ men.
The Portrayal of Men in Rugby
 Used
to reinforce traditional stereotypes
of what is considered to be a male.
What is the difference
between these photo’s?
How does it affect
stereotypes and opinions in
Rugby Union?
What does the Media cover?

The Media tend to love showing the “big hits” of
the game. Why is this?
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The Media also tend to show any violence in the
game (fights, arguments etc). Again why do you
think this is the case?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWILREWptvs
EXPLAIN What influence these above factors have on
the game? How do they affect participation in the
game?
The Media Show What we
Want to Watch.
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The issues discussed in the previous page
come down to viewer preference.
More people watch men’s rugby, therefore
the media cover it more.
As a result advertisers and sponsors tend to
support the men’s form of the game rather
than women’s.
More people tend to go to men’s games
(paying $30-200 for a ticket).
This money all trickles down, eventually to the
players.
What is Sexism in Rugby
Union?

There is still a long way to go before women
receive the same opportunities and support as
men.

It is a well-known fact that women in professional
sports have never been fully supported, either
financially or psychologically, by the correct
backers. Women have strived to get themselves
recognised and respected by governing bodies,
media and the public, but sexism in sport is still a
huge issue.