Editorial: Equal jersey, but unequal respect

Fiji Rugby cannot preach equality in sport while treating a women’s international Test match as a supporting act.

The Fijiana are not a curtain raiser. They are a national team.

This week, Fiji welcomes the South African women’s rugby team for a Test series against the Vodafone Fijiana. Both teams carry the honour of representing their nations. Both teams have players who have sacrificed, trained and fought for the privilege of wearing their national jerseys.

Yet, this international contest appears to have been placed behind a local school’s rugby tournament.

That raises a serious question: where is the equality we continue to champion?

Nobody disputes the importance of school rugby. It is the foundation of the game and the breeding ground for future talent. But the pathway cannot be more important than the destination.

The young Fijian girls watching today dream of one day wearing the Fijiana jersey. They dream of representing Fiji. They dream of standing on the international stage.

What message are we sending them when their national team is treated as secondary?

Imagine if this was the men’s team. Imagine if the world champion Springboks arrived in Fiji to play the Flying Fijians. Would that Test match be relegated to a curtain raiser for a local tournament?

The answer is obvious.

The stadium would be filled. The promotion would be massive. The country would recognise the occasion. So why should women wearing the national jersey receive anything less?

And where are the voices that usually champion equality for women? The silence from women’s advocacy groups on this issue is disappointing. Equality cannot only be demanded when it is convenient. It must also be defended when women athletes are denied the same recognition and respect.

Women athletes do not need sympathy. They need respect.

Equality is not achieved through speeches, campaigns or slogans. It is demonstrated through decisions and actions.

The Fijiana women deserve to stand in the spotlight. They deserve to be recognised as a national team.

A school tournament can inspire the next generation. But a national Test match shows those young girls that their dream is worth chasing.

The Fijiana are not the curtain act. They are the main event.